At the end of the year, Emporia Orthopedic Associates, 1301 W. 12th Avenue, will no longer exist in Emporia.
Dr. Michael Montgomery, who has been at the practice since 1987, confirmed this week that the practice will shut down at the end of the year. Montgomery said he made his decision after partner Dr. James Glenn decided to retire. Glenn’s retirement will leave Montgomery as the only orthopedist in Emporia.
“I just don’t care to be a solo practitioner,” Montgomery said. “Now that Dr. Glenn is retiring, that would leave me as a solo practitioner. That’s just something I don’t want to do.”
Montgomery said he will re-locate to Tallgrass Orthopedic and Sports Medicine in Topeka after leaving Emporia.
“I have really enjoyed my practice here in Emporia for the last 19 years,” Montgomery said. “It’s because of the changing situation that I am leaving.”
Montgomery said attempts to recruit more orthopedists to the practice in Emporia have failed.
“I think most orthopedic surgeons don’t want to practice in small-town America,” he said.
“Especially in the last 20-30 years, it’s certainly becoming more centered in larger cities.”
Montgomery will be joining five other orthopedists in Topeka.
“Rather that be in solo practice, I’ll be with five associates,” he said. “There’s just lots of reasons why it’s more desirable to be in a bigger area.”
So, where does this leave Newman Regional Health, which has been shopping for an orthopedist for quite some time now? Terry Lambert, Newman chief executive officer, said the board of trustees is committed to maintaining an orthopedic practice in Emporia.
“We’re working very diligently to recruit other orthopedic surgeons,” Lambert said. “We have one contract out for employment and one person very interested in practicing in Emporia at this time.”
Should those options not pan out, Lambert said, Newman has already contracted with a temporary placement company.
“The company will supply a physician on a short-term or long-term basis,” Lambert said. “We are not going to allow the fact that they are closing their practice to not have that service in Emporia. We will have this service in Emporia one way or another.”
Lambert also said that, in the past, all physicians in Emporia have been in independent practices. Now, Newman plans to engage a practice management firm to help the hospital set up an orthopedic practice that will be hospital-owned.
“We would employ the orthopedic surgeons,” Lambert said. “We’re committed to providing that service.”