Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center (CHMC), Carthage Area Hospital (CAH), and North Country Orthopaedic Group (NCOG) are pleased to announce a new regional approach to orthopedic surgery. In addition to caring for patients at its Watertown office and outpatient surgery center, NCOG will soon see patients in the Ogdensburg community and perform surgeries at CHMC and CAH. “This geographic expansion of our practice helps us fulfill our mission to meet the orthopedic needs of the North Country and allows patients to receive care closer to where they live and work,” said Bruce Baird, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon and president of North Country Orthopaedic Group. Dr. Peter Van Eenenaam and Dr. Steven Fish, whose fathers were involved in the early establishment of NCOG added, “We are proud to continue the legacy of our fathers and look forward to continuing to provide the excellent care our patients have come to trust and deserve.”
In addition to services available in the North Country Orthopaedic Group offices in Watertown, NCOG physicians began scheduling office visits in Ogdensburg this week and anticipate performing procedures at both hospitals before the end of the month. In Carthage, the NCOG physicians will complement the hospital’s existing upper extremity orthopedics program by offering lower extremity surgical care such as ACL reconstruction, outpatient spine care, labrum and meniscus repair, and other minimally invasive procedures. “We established our Orthopedics Program as a ‘Center of Excellence’ and this partnership will enhance this vision. Together, we will offer patients the full spectrum of care from a renowned group of surgeons. We will continue to offer excellent orthopedic care to the North Country and Fort Drum, for many years,” said Dr. Nata Parnes, MD, CAH Director of Orthopedics.
In Ogdensburg, NCOG surgeons will help support Claxton-Hepburn’s growing orthopedic program, including robust arthroscopic surgery offerings, sports medicine, joint camp, and total joint replacement program. “We are excited to join forces with other trusted practitioners,” says CHMC’s Joshua Caruso, PA-C, “Our team will now have even more collective experience and expertise with sports medicine and orthopedic issues. It’s going to be valuable for our patients to get quality care close to home.”
With the addition of the NCOG physicians to the hospitals’ medical staff, both organizations will now have access to a board-certified physiatrist, Dr. Howard Huang, specializing in treating medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons, as well as Dr. Claudia Fish, a board-certified endocrinologist. “The expansion of North Country Orthopedics into the Carthage and Ogdensburg communities really cannot be overstated. This gives our communities access to eight highly-trained orthopaedic specialists,” says Richard Duvall, president and chief executive officer of both Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. “The increased access to care – provided by the region’s premier orthopedic practice – benefits not only our patients and their families but our area schools and sports programs, employers and managed care partners.”