“I’m very honored to be at CCMH. I’m excited to be here a long time treating the patients of Crawford County but also the surrounding areas.”
That’s Dr. Benjamin Burkett, a Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, new to the staff at Crawford County Memorial Hospital. To arrange a consultation, you can request an appointment online, or call the CCMH Medical Clinic at 712-265-2700.
“I am a native of Fremont, Ohio. There’s certainly a lot of agriculture in that area, much like Iowa. We’re not strangers to winters and lake effect weather patterns and so forth. I’ve been truly fortunate to grow up in that environment and have many friends who are farmers. Denison felt like a natural fit for me.”
Dr. Burkett is a graduate of Ohio State University in Columbus.
“I went to Ohio State for both my undergraduate degree in biochemistry and my medical degree as well. From there, I went to University of Louisville in Kentucky for residency training and orthopedic surgery.”
What drew you to orthopedics in particular?
“I really enjoyed being in the operating room and the concept of being able to fix structural problems with the human body. There’s also the interconnection between orthopedics, sports medicine and sports. I treat a lot of active individuals who want to stay active in sports or with their job. I like helping patients get back to their best self, capable of doing what they love best.”
While orthopedic surgery is his job function, Dr. Burkett acknowledges surgery is usually not the first option for patients.
“Depending on the injury or the specific condition, I always look for nonoperative management options in terms of how we can minimize the pain. The goal is to return the patient to their full functional capacity. There certainly are times where surgical treatment may have to be considered.”
Bedside manner is an important part of healthcare. Dr. Burkett describes himself as a good listener interested in knowing more about the patient and their desires for their health.
“I like to get to know the patients a little bit better. It’s good to know a little bit about their family. I like to know where they’re from. I like to know what interests them and things that that they are passionate about. Getting to know about each and every patient helps me relate to them and their overall health goals.”
Orthopedics is more than just joint replacements. Dr. Burkett notes his patients range in age from young to old.
“I see younger children who have a fallen off the bed or jumped off a play set and injure a knee, a wrist, or an elbow. I see teenage patients who have fractures or sprains, and sports related injuries. Certainly, I see older individuals that end up needing joint replacement, and trauma patients who come into the ER. Patients in orthopedics come from every age group and all levels of society.”
Dr. Burkett brings a unique skillset to CCMH including his spinal surgery education and experience.
“I’m Fellowship-trained in spine surgery. That includes patients with neck problems specifically related to the cervical spine. I can also treat the lower back which would be the lumbar spine. My practice includes fractures of the spine, and the treatment of disc herniations in the back and neck, spinal stenosis, and sports-related injuries. Those are all problems that I see very frequently and can treat with a high degree of expertise.”
The goal of any treatment or surgery is to collaborate with patients to get to the best outcome.
“I begin with understanding the nature of the problem and how it affects patient. Routinely in orthopedics, we start with imaging whether that be x-ray, MRI, or CT scan. From there, we produce a collaborative plan with regard to the best way to move forward. With any patient, we work together to identify risk factors to prevent the problem from worsening. What we’re after is trying to help patients do the things to help themselves get better as well. Depending upon the injury, oftentimes the first option is medications and physical therapy. Surgery is always the last treatment option. We do everything that we can to avoid surgery when at all possible.”
As noted above — to arrange a consultation, you can request an appointment online, or call the CCMH Medical Clinic at 712-265-2700.
