The team at Laramie’s Premier Bone and Joint Center recently announced the Grand Opening of their new ambulatory surgical and rehabilitation center, just one year after breaking ground. Accommodating their growing practice, the medical team expects to attract more patients from around the state seeking the highest levels of orthopedic care. The new $13 million construction boasts over 21,000 square feet of state-of-the-art surgical suites, procedure rooms, and an expansive open concept physical therapy gym.

With the addition of three new operating rooms, Premier will continue to provide advanced procedures like total joint replacements, reconstructive surgeries as well as spine and subspecialty procedures. The new space will make the surgery process more efficient and streamlined for patients. Integrated cameras and audio equipment in the operating rooms will facilitate educational opportunities for medical students from around the region.

“Expanding our footprint in Laramie gives our patients the best of both worlds – a choice to have same-day surgeries at our ambulatory surgical center, while preserving the ability to have surgeries that require longer-term care at our local hospital,” Premier CEO Thomas Wolfe said.

Headquartered in Laramie, Premier has provided its world-class orthopedic services throughout the state since 1973. Growing steadily since that time, their fellowship trained physicians travel daily to satellite clinics located in Casper, Cheyenne, Rawlins, Gillette, Riverton, Rock Springs, Saratoga, Torrington and Wheatland, often utilizing one or more of their 4 planes to travel back and forth in one day.

“This type of care would not be possible without constant real time collaboration with hospitals, surgery centers, imaging centers, urgent care facilities, labs and rehab centers across the state,” Wolfe emphasized. “We are proud to have an amazing team that has nurtured these relationships over the past 47 years.”

Innovative Care, Economic Boost
Providing same day surgeries is not new for Premier; dozens of surgeons, anesthesiologists, PA’s, and nursing teams have cared for thousands of patients in Premier’s original ambulatory surgical center for the past 25 years. Its two operating rooms will continue to be available to doctors in the community who perform outpatient surgeries and procedures. The new operating space will begin seeing surgeries in early October, while physical therapy services will commence in early September.

“Attracting more people to our new center will not just help Premier’s growth, we anticipate more new patients will choose to receive services at Ivinson Memorial Hospital, who might have otherwise stayed closer to home. This increases jobs in our area and revenue at local businesses, too – it’s a win-win win,” says CEO Wolfe.

According to a UW Center for Business and Economics analysis, Premier generates $27 million in annual economic output to Albany County and produces over $600,000 in total state and county tax revenue. Laramie Mayor Joe Shumway pointed out that Premier’s satellite clinics bring a significant economic benefit to the city, as they draw from most of Wyoming as well as portions of Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. “The city of Laramie is proud to partner with the team at Premier,” Shumway added. “Not only do they provide top-notch medical care for our community, the economic impact of having patients from outside of our area coming into Laramie for their care helps our local businesses.”

Brad Enzi, CEO of the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance, spoke highly of their relationship with Premier and its efforts to reinvest in the community, “Many things in our community would not enjoy the same growth and success without the support of Premier. From sponsorships to their staff volunteering hundreds hours in the community each year, their commitment to making Laramie the best community it can be runs deep.”

A History Worthy of Wyoming
Before dawn most mornings, one or more of the practice’s four Beechcraft King Airs gears up to fly doctors and their teams to communities across the plains of Wyoming.

After many hours, and stops in the towns they serve, each team returns to their home base in Laramie each evening. The doctors schedule about 800 hours of flight time each year.

Cities the size of Laramie typically cannot support a practice of specialized orthopedic surgeons, but Premier has made it work for over four decades by expanding their outreach across the state.

Premier’s founders, Dr. David A. Kieffer and Dr. Robert J. Curnow, envisioned making subspecialty orthopedic care more accessible. “We knew from the beginning that we needed to bring a new brand of orthopedic care to the citizens of Wyoming. Rather than having a lone general orthopedic surgeon in each small town, we developed a practice of specialists that could travel, providing a higher quality of care in the rural communities around our state”, said Dr. Curnow. To make their vision a reality, the practice has grown from two to nine physicians and over 150 employees. Today Premier has become one of the most unique orthopedic practices in the country through its impressive record of specialized medicine and its popular travel-to-you model in rural communities.

Premier’s surgeons have each completed an additional year of training to specialize in a specific region of the body. The fellowship-trained subspecialties include: sports medicine, shoulder and elbow surgery, spine surgery, foot and ankle surgery, hand and elbow surgery, and total hip, knee, and shoulder joint replacement. Premier also has a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, who specializes in evaluation of spinal and musculoskeletal disorders, non-operative spine care, including epidural injections, electromyography (EMG), spinal cord stimulators for pain control, and global orthopedic assessments.

“We want Wyomingites to know that they can receive excellent orthopedic care in Laramie without having to travel to larger metropolitan areas,” says the group’s president, Dr. Jay Carson. “Whether it’s at our new facility or Ivinson Memorial Hospital, we will continue to meet patients’ needs where they are best served.”

Since the 1970s, Premier has served the community by supporting high school and college sports. As the official team physicians for the University of Wyoming, Drs. Aukerman and McKenna work tirelessly to ensure the best care is provided to UW student-athletes.
UW Athletics Director Tom Burman appreciates the access to expert orthopedic care and the wide variety of specialists available to treat its student-athletes. “Our relationship with Premier has been very important to us at Wyoming Athletics. To have orthopedic specialists available to our student-athletes is key to providing the best experience possible for the young men and women who represent the University of Wyoming in athletic competition,” said Burman.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen received reconstructive surgery at Premier when he was on the University of Wyoming (UW) football team in 2015. Allen went on to be drafted #7 in the NFL that year after recovering fully from his injury. When asked about his experience with Premier in 2018, Allen said, “They want what’s best for you, and they won’t steer you wrong.”

The practice’s physicians also provide sports medicine support to local high schools and community colleges in outlying areas around the state. Dr. Levene serves as the team physician for Laramie High School and Albany County School District #1.

Whether caring for UW Cowboy’s highest drafted NFL player or their own next door neighbor, Premier’s physicians feel strongly about being involved in the local community and supporting local businesses. All of their doctors live in Laramie, are members of the Wyoming Medical Society, and are proud supporters of local organizations such as the Cathedral Home for Children, United Way, Cowboy Joe Club, Laramie Jubilee Days, the Soup Kitchen, Ivinson Foundation, Laramie Soccer and several community based organizations.

Article used with permission of Premier Bone and Joint Center.