(LINTON) – Greene County General Hospital announced that a new orthopedics and sports medicine service line and clinic, named TeamOrtho, is coming soon. Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John Hammerstein, will join the GCGH family in August 2019.
He will perform orthopedic surgical services exclusively at Greene County General Hospital as well as practice in the former Ridge Medical Center building located in front of Greene County General Hospital at 1043 North 1000 West in Linton. The building is undergoing renovations to accommodate the new services.
Dr. John Hammerstein, a 1996 graduate of Indiana University and a later graduate of IU’s School of Medicine, played football for Indiana University. A starter for the final three years on the team, Hammerstein was voted team captain his senior year.
He is currently completing an orthopedic sports medicine fellowship at the esteemed Andrew’s Research and Education Foundation in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He began the fellowship to broaden his orthopedics practice by gaining experience in sports medicine. While there, he is actively participating in team coverage of Division 1 football with the Auburn Tigers and overseeing local high school athletic teams.
Dr. Hammerstein is glad to be coming back to Indiana, “after growing up in small-town America I have wanted to practice in a place like Greene County where patients are also your neighbors. I am looking forward to being involved in the health and well-being of the community.”
As a native of Greene County, GCGH CEO, Brenda Reetz understands the need for orthopedic services both in the hospital and at the high schools, “this is going to be a great fit for our community. Having access to local orthopedic services is valuable to our schools, athletes, and non-athletes of all ages.”
As the team physician for the Linton-Stockton High School football team, Dr. Frederick Ridge is happy to welcome Dr. Hammerstein back to the community. “Dr. Hammerstein worked closely with me at Premier Healthcare Ridge Medical Center. As the team physician, it has been difficult to find referrals for our injured athletes. It will be great for our community to have a local orthopedics and sports medicine center serving our patients.”
