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BY BROOKE R. CANTRELLE

L’OBSERVATEUR

 

ORTHOPAEDIC: Local physician has roots in the community

LAPLACE — When OrthoLA arrived to the LaPlace area in August 2018, it introduced specialized orthopaedic care to the community. Sports medicine services, total joint reconstruction and experienced upper extremity surgeons are now more accessible than ever with a new clinic location at 465 Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace.

Representatives from OrthoLA, the River Region Chamber of Commerce and the St. John the Baptist Parish Economic Development Department were present for a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 5.

Marketing and planning representative Ann Miller said the team of board certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeons sets OrthoLA apart and fills a need within the River Region.

“There are a lot of things that make Ortho-LA special, but one of the big ones is that this is the only specialized orthopaedic care clinic not just in LaPlace, but in St. John Parish,” Miller said. “One of the things that OrthoLA and its physicians pride themselves on is bringing care to people where they are. We don’t think people should have to travel to New Orleans or Baton Rouge. You won’t find better surgeons than right here. We are honored and proud to serve people in LaPlace and in the River Parishes community.”

Specialties include shoulder surgery, knee surgery, hip surgery, ankle surgery, hand and wrist surgery and elbow surgery. The full-service clinic sees patients of all different ages, from children who have sustained an athletic injury to adults with chronic conditions and everything in between.

According to Miller, OrthoLA also offers less invasive, non-surgical treatment options such as splints, casting and even injections to alleviate pain and resolve issues.

OrthoLA began nearly 15 years ago under the leadership of Dr. David W. Elias and Dr. Jason A. Higgins in Thibodaux. Since then, OrthoLA has grown to include locations in Houma, Raceland, Franklin and LaPlace. The company has continued to add specialists to the team, including three sports medicine doctors, two hand surgeons and hip/joint replacement and reconstruction specialists.

OrthoLA came to LaPlace two years ago, initially serving the community from inside an Ochsner Medical building. However, the services build upon roots that have been in the community for much longer.

Full-time surgeon Dr. William S. Johnson III has practiced in LaPlace since 1996, originally working within River Parishes Hospital. Joining the team at OrthoLA has allowed him to expand his reach in the community, and he said the new location on Belle Terre is visible and accessible to patients.

“I partnered with OrthoLA two years ago, and we felt that we were hidden back there. People didn’t know we existed unless they had already come to me. We thought that being on Belle Terre is the perfect avenue with people coming and going from work and a lot of businesses around,” Johnson said.

“A lot of my patients believe it or not tell me that they could walk from their house to my office now because it is so close. It’s very convenient.”

Expanding on local services is Dr. John C. Hildenbrand IV, a hand and upper extremity specialist. Miller said the physicians are deeply engrained in the community.

“Prior to this, our company served St. James Parish, and some of our sports medicine doctors would come to Riverside Academy and take care of the athletes in this area. Having an even bigger presence now is something we are very excited about,” she said.

OrthoLA specialists have also taken care of the Destrehan Wildcats football team. Johnson also has a presence at St. James Parish Hospital, and both Johnson and Hildenbrand perform surgeries at South Lake Surgical Center.

OrthoLA works closely with physical therapists and hand therapists in the region to ensure the highest level of care for patients.

“In our Thibodaux clinic, we do offer physical therapy, but here we work with everyone in the area because people are coming from so many different areas. Our physicians are very good about asking patients, ‘Who do you want to go see?’ because that is such an important part of people’s rehabilitation is that after care. We want to make sure people are going where they are comfortable, where it is convenient, and where they are going to have the greatest likelihood of success post-surgery,” Miller said.

To schedule an appointment, please call 985-625-2200.