Your Healthcare Connection: Oly Ortho Welcomes Dr. Greg Brown

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Dr. Greg Brown joins the Olympia Orthopaedics Associates team starting October 6, 2014.
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By Kate Scriven

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Dr. Greg Brown joins the Olympia Orthopaedics Associates team starting October 6, 2014.

Olympia Orthopaedics Associates is committed to excellence.  They strive for the best possible customer care for patients, the widest variety of in-house services in the region, and above all, offering the top experts in orthopaedic specialties through their three clinics.

In keeping with their commitment to excellence, Oly Ortho is constantly on the look out for innovators in orthopaedic medicine to join the Olympia based medical practice.  One such individual is Dr. Greg Brown, who will join the Eastside Clinic on October 6th.

Dr. Brown comes to Oly Ortho with a depth of knowledge and variety of experience. Raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Dr. Brown was the epitome of a well-rounded student athlete, playing varsity football, as well as playing trombone and tuba with the band, debating with the school team, and editing the school newspaper.

He graduated from Iowa State University first in his class with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1983 – an atypical start for a surgeon.  The next nine years he spent in Boston earning three additional degrees – an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Medical Engineering (knee biomechanics) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  He then earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

During that time, he served as a dorm parent, developing his excellent bedside manner while interacting with undergrads at all hours of the day (and night).  “It’s a little a-typical for an engineer or surgeon,” Dr. Brown laughs. “But I am pretty social and really like to talk to my patients.”

After graduation he completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota and his fellowship in Sports Medicine at the University of Western Ontario. He joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1999.  During his first seven years in Minnesota, his clinical duties were at a level-one trauma center (similar to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center) gaining expertise in orthopaedic trauma (fractures).

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During his time in New Zealand, Dr. Brown couldn’t help but channel his inner “elf”, dressing as Legolas from The Lord of the Rings.

In 2006, Dr. Brown left academia to pursue work with a large multi-specialty group, eventually serving as the Assistant Chief of Surgery for Outcomes.  What does that mean? Dr. Brown explains how he worked diligently with surgeons and patients to improve patient outcomes through quality improvement efforts.

For the last five years, he has taken his experiences and worked with orthopaedic groups throughout the country to assess patient reported outcomes.  He standardized a system to collect information from patients on their quality of life, joint function, and pain before and after hip and knee replacement surgery.  By predicting outcomes based on previous surgeries and patient-specific data, this data can be used to inform surgeons and patients to help determine likely surgical outcomes for individual patients.

This data-driven method, called “predictive analytics,” is becoming more common in medicine as doctors strive to give patients the best treatment, but also the best value – financially and physically.  “People want to know the value they are going to get for their treatment and the data can provide important insights for them,” Dr. Brown explains.

What does this mean for Dr. Brown’s role at Oly Ortho?  Not only will he bring his top-notch orthopaedic and trauma surgical skills along with Sports Medicine training, he’ll add a new method of assessment to the group, helping patients and doctors maximize benefits with smart, data-driven decision making to improve care and outcomes for everyone.

Dr. Brown spent the last eight months on sabbatical in New Zealand with his family where he focused on Orthopaedic Trauma at Auckland City Hospital.  He’s home from his adventures and ready to join the Olympia community.

Dr. Brown has three children from his first marriage – one out of college, one in graduate school and one attending The Evergreen State College.  Dr. Brown looks forward to being in the Northwest, although his son may not be quite as excited about his close proximity.  He hopes to continue his love of sprint triathlons (he’s completed nearly 20) and cross-country skiing in the winter.

He married his wife, Katey, in 2007 and they are settling into the northwest after many years in Minnesota.  Their son, Nelson, is starting middle school and the family is looking forward to becoming a part of the Olympia community.  “It feels smaller, more like Sioux Falls where I grew up, and I really like that small town feel,” he shares.

What is Dr. Brown looking most forward to?  “This is my first time in a single specialty group,” he explains of Oly Ortho’s orthopaedic focus.  “I’m enamored by the flexibility with which they can respond to things and how the group can make decisions quickly in the patient’s best interests.”

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Dr. Brown, wife Katie and son Nelson aren’t afraid of adventure. Shown here on a Segway tour in New Zealand, the Browns are looking forward to exploring the Pacific Northwest.

The Oly Ortho physicians are excited to welcome him on board.  “My trauma experience was something they were looking for in the group.  I’ll be able to handle trauma cases, stabilize patients and pass them to specialists throughout the group.”  Dr. Brown’s experience with Sports Medicine, specifically his research on ACL injuries, will also benefit local student athletes as he works with team doctors to help assess and treat acute sports injuries.

“My goal is to get people back to an active lifestyle as soon as possible,” Dr. Brown shares.  “The Oly Ortho motto of ‘Life in Motion’ is certainly something I support.  I jokingly say, ‘No one dies from a sore knee, but you may die from being a couch potato,’” Dr. Brown says with a smile.  “But in all seriousness, if I can get people living a fit and healthy lifestyle by taking away that sore knee, getting them in motion, then I’ve done my job.”

You can visit Dr. Brown at Olympia Orthopaedics Associates starting October 6, 2014.

 

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