Requiring equal parts authentic compassion and a natural inclination for repairing anything in her orbit in need of some TLC, the field of orthopedics is a natural fit for Dr. Laura Ross-Adams.
“I love fixing things,” says the founder of the Ross Center for Orthopedics, which has been serving South Jersey’s orthopedic and sports medicine needs for almost 19 years. “I think most people who go into orthopedics like to tinker, like to do things with their hands, they like to fix things. That’s what I love about this field: We help fix people.”
To optimally treat everyone who walks through its doors, the Ross Center—the region’s only independent practice led by female orthopedic doctors—operates with an holistic philosophy, treating each and every patient as an individual rather than their injury. And as an independent practice, both Dr. Ross-Adams and the rest of the team are afforded plenty of time with each patient, getting to know them not only as a person but also their hopes, their fears and how their injury compromises their quality of life.
“The beauty of being a small independent practice is that we are here to hear all of our patients’ orthopedic issues, as well as other issues that may or can affect their orthopedic problems,” says Dr. Ross-Adams. “It’s all about communication: By listening to the patient, by hearing what their fears or expectations are, that really helps us understand how we can get them to where they need to be. When a patient is nervous about surgery, I’ll try to find non-operative methods so we can go that route. If there’s no other option, we discuss with them why it’s so important to have surgery, we’ll answer any questions they have, we’ll go over the details of the surgery, we’ll ask them if they want to speak with other people who’ve had the surgery.”
Dr. Lisa Kaplin joined the practice about a year ago but has known Dr. Ross-Adams for more than a decade. Being an athlete as well as a physician, Dr. Kaplin brings with her both firsthand insight into what patients are going through emotionally, as well as a doctor’s extensive training about what will benefit them the most.
“I went through it all so I can commiserate, and I think it helps knowing you come from a similar place,” Dr. Kaplin begins. “Athletes, especially young ones who are looking to play at a very high level, are in a unique position because there’s a lot riding on fighting the odds. … But they have a lot more at their disposal, like physical therapists and athletic trainers who are working with them from Day 1, and they have parents, coaches, primary care doctors and even other subspecialists communicating to be on the same page about that athlete’s recovery.”
Among the modern tools and techniques that the center has seen tremendous patient outcomes with is the advent of PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, which uses a patient’s own biological material to promote a faster healing time.
“The patient’s blood is spun down in a centrifuge, we separate out the components and the platelet-rich plasma potion of the blood, which is at the top, goes back into whatever you’re injecting—the joint, the soft tissue,” Dr. Kaplin notes. There has been excellent data indicating how effective PRP has been in treating mild to moderate arthritis, patella and quadriceps tendinitis, tennis elbow and most recently shoulder tendinitis.
She also uses PRP as an adjunct during surgical procedures such as isolated meniscus repairs and certain types of rotator cuff repairs. “The field of PRP and biologics is rapidly evolving, and it is exciting to see what may be ahead."
It’s not often that the team fields a case beyond their specialties, but treating professional relationships with the same warmth and support they approach their patient ones has resulted in a close-knit network of sub-specialists.
“That is part of the holistic care of the entire person,” Dr. Ross-Adams affirms. “You want to support them from the beginning, from their injury or their orthopedic problem, and see it through to the end. If you can’t do that, you want to put them in the hands of someone who can, so having that network of people you can call on speed-dial to get that patient in right away is all part of that coordination of care.”
It’s also part of the team’s determination to treat their patients quickly and effectively with as many viable options as possible. While it predominantly offers treatments rooted in Western medicine, the center also turns to Eastern remedies, including ayurveda, recorded history’s oldest medical practice with Indian roots, ensuring that the team provides the full gamut of options to everyone who trusts the Ross Center with their long-term orthopedic health.
And the center’s doctors certainly take to heart the glowing patient feedback their all-encompassing, empathetic care has earned.
“We’re treating people, we’re not treating X-rays: What’s right for one person isn’t right for another. You have to make that human connection,” Dr. Kaplin notes. “People appreciate that we have a conversation with them and aren’t just treating them with cookie-cutter solutions.”
“They won’t get better and stay better, if you don’t treat the whole patient,” adds Dr. Ross-Adams. “People come to us for a lot of second opinions because they’ve been to other places and they felt rushed. Then they come to us, and they talk to us about their problems—and I’ve never, ever in 26 years of practice said I can’t help a patient. I will do everything I can to find someone who’ll help them if I can’t. I love it when they say they trust me because I’m going the extra step for them. Earning a patient’s trust is the ultimate compliment.”
Ross Center for Orthopedics
Hainesport
(609) 267-2333
RossOrthopedics.com
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 5 (August 2024)
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