Dr. John Hedger took the scenic route on his way to becoming an Orthopaedic surgeon. “I actually began as a physical therapist. I became interested in sports medicine after a stint as an athletic trainer in college. After two years of private practice as a physical therapist I went back to graduate school in the field of anatomy. After two years of anatomy I transferred to the medical school and completed my training as an Orthopaedic surgeon. “I identified with the “fix it” mentality.”

Dr. Hedger joined Peninsula Orthopaedics in 1980 as a general Orthopaedic surgeon and later sub-specialized in foot and ankle. For over 20 years he performed surgery and saw patients while simultaneously running the group. In 2005 he officially retired from medicine to become the full time President and CEO of the practice. “Nothing was more fun for me than a day of surgery. I was doing something that I had a good aptitude for and really loved. But like an athlete in the twilight of his career, it was time to move on. I miss the patient part, but it was the right time of my life to make a change.”

Dr. Hedger talks about the biggest change in Orthopaedics being the trend from generalist to specialist. “In the early 80’s most Orthopaedic surgeons were general Orthopaedists. As the field developed and became more complex it became necessary for Orthopaedist to become specialized in various fields within the practice of Orthopaedics. The newer complex procedures were difficult to learn without an actual year of intensive
sub-speciality training. Studies have proven that the more procedures done by a specific surgeon the better the outcomes are. We are proud that the Orthopaedists in our group do more specialized cases then any other orthopaedic specialists within our area.

Dr. Hedger is a firm believer that patients are very time sensitive. They want to spend their time with a doctor who can tune in to their needs at the highest level. The diverse, boutique environment cultivated at POA provides a gold standard of care for the patient.

Today, Dr. Hedger sees his primary responsibility as guardian of the tradition established by the founders of POA. As patriarch of the fraternity, he works with 9 physicians, a tenured administrative staff and a host of other medical professionals. In a field where change is the rule rather than the exception, Dr. Hedger takes particular pride in the fact that since its inception in 1954 no doctor has ever left the group except to retire.

Dr. Hedger’s current project is supervising the building of a new facility, opening in 2007. “This is a very exciting time for our organization. It is a 36,000 square foot,
state-of-the-art facility. We are planning to be all digital with electronic medical records (EMR) and house the most modern equipment. The way in which we practice will be completely supported by the facility. It will be a true reflection of our commitment to providing the best overall patient experience.”