Dr. Kevin Thompson, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in general orthopedics as well as sports medicine, will open his office at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital on Thursday, October 13. Affiliated with University orthopedic Clinic (UOC) in Tuscaloosa, Thompson will initially see patients one day a week.

“We hope to see that grow and expand in time,” said Jimmy Norman, UOC Administrator. “We have a total commitment from all of our doctors to support him in that endeavor and, as it grows, we will continue to allocate more resources to help him do just that in the future.”

The addition of Dr. Thompson in October was important to BWWMH Administrator Mike Marshall, who has been working to make sure that orthopedic services provided to area patients were allowed to continue with no significant downtime following the departure of orthopedist Dr. Tony Tropeano that same month.

“We’re happy to be able to bring Dr. Thompson to Demopolis as his credentials are impeccable and he is very excited about this opportunity,” Marshall said.

Thompson joined UOC in 2010 after completing a sports medicine and shoulder fellowship at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C. He received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and his residency training at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where he served as Chief Resident.

Thompson has a special interest in sports injuries affecting the knee, shoulder and elbow ranging from ligament reconstructions to cartilage restoration.

He also has experience in both total and reverse total shoulder replacements. He is a member of the Alabama orthopedic Society, and in 2008 was the Society’s Yelton Award Winner.

The UOC staff is looking forward to caring for the people of Demopolis and the surrounding area right here at home, according to Norman.

“We will be doing surgical cases in Demopolis, working in conjunction with the hospital to provide that care so that we can keep the patients at home where they’re most comfortable,” he said.

“The name recognition that UOC enjoys, the fact that they are currently serving patients from this area, and the depth of their organization will allow us to reach out to surrounding areas that we haven’t been able to reach before,” Marshall said, “It’s a win-win situation for all concerned.”

While sports medicine will continue to be a large part of the local practice, Marshall and Norman both said that they hope to reach out to more of the general population, as well as workers compensation patients.

“If it’s a workers comp issue, we will work to get those patients back to work as quickly as possible,” said Norman.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thompson, call 205-345-0192.