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Being able to offer subspecialists trained in treating patients' specific problems has positioned the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center (MSMOC) for growth within the competitive Jackson-area market.

Recently completing a 20,000-square-feet addition to its Fortification Street facility, MSMOC has also added three surgeons to its medical staff within the two years. They include specialists in the areas of hand and wrist surgery, shoulder surgery and total joint replacement.

"Our philosophy has been that by being so subspecialized, we present to our patients that we are able to take care of their problems and we have doctors who do only that," said clinic administrator Robert Lodes.

Joining the staff recently:

Dr. Jeff Almand, previously in private practice in Greenville, board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery with a special interest in total joint replacement of the hip and knee. A 1991 graduate of the Tulane University School of Medicine, he completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Duke University Medical Center and a fellowship in total joint replacement with Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital.

Dr. Chris Ethridge, previously in private solo practice in Jackson, board certified in orthopedic surgery with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery. A 1978 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, he completed fellowships in hand surgery at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and in microvascular reconstructive surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Randy Ramsey, board certified in the specialty of orthopedic surgery with a special interest in shoulder surgery. Ramsey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and also holds a master's degree in exercise science from the University of Southern Mississippi. His professional training included an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a sports medicine fellowship with the Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance/The Lipscomb Clinic in Nashville.

MSMOC's roster of 10 surgeons also includes subspecialists in the areas of shoulder, elbow and wrist procedures; foot and ankle procedures; hip and knee replacement; and general sports medicine.

Founded in 1984 by Drs. J.O. Manning, Walter Shelton and Gene Barrett, the clinic doubled in size through the past year's addition of new administrative suites, a physical therapy rehabilitation center, and a new wet lab and auditorium to serve its fellowship program.

Today, with more than 100 employees, it is the largest all-in-one sports medicine clinic in the state. MSMOC's growth into a leading regional center follows an era when outside pressures constricted what was then a more diverse market.

"In the '80s and early '90s, there were several more orthopedic groups in town," Lodes said. "But there's been a shrinkage due to the malpractice issue and the fact it's been harder to recruit physicians to Mississippi in general."

More recently, the population growth in the areas of Madison and Rankin counties has helped fuel the demand for the clinic's services and specialties, Lodes said. Serving a host of Metro Jackson high school athletic teams as well as adults throughout the region, the clinic with its new layout centralizes the stages of treatment in one place.

"We've made our clinic a place where you can have other services as well as surgery, with rehabilitation and our imaging center," Lodes said.

The clinic also includes a six-station wet lab learning center for teaching surgical procedures as part of its fellowship program, and its auditorium is wired with Internet access for broadcasting remote surgical procedures from local hospitals and to healthcare centers around the country.

ie.
October 2006

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