While both boys were seen at OrthoCarolina's Urgent Care and received great care, it has been the follow up care that is what makes OrthoCarolina stand apart from any other orthopedic care I believe you will get in Charlotte.
My older son who broke his foot ended up in a bind, he was missing the end of his soccer season, the state tournament and try outs for the following season. To add insult to injury we were unsure he would be rehabbed in time to go to sleep away soccer camp the end of June. His break was pretty significant and has required him to be in a boot for 6-8 weeks. When we went for our follow up with Joseph Cofer, PA-C he tuned in right away that my son is an athlete and that a string of disappointments were piling up on him. There was nothing we could do about the season, state or try outs but Joseph was determined to find a way to get him healthy for camp so he didn't have to miss one more thing.
The treatment plan Joseph put into place was conservative and geared towards my sons needs. The plan he laid out was as follows:
3 weeks in the boot
Follow up Xray
3 more weeks in the boot
Follow up Xray
Move to ankle brace for home and weekend but boot at school until the end of the year
Sports PT Rehab for 3 weeks
The part of this plan that should jump out at you is the specialized PT that he has put into place for him. I didn't ask about it, Joseph is just that good at what he does, he could have skipped PT or just sent us to a regular PT but instead he recognized that as a soccer player getting back to training he is going to require different treatment. He is going to need to regain strength and agility in his foot. He needs a PT that understands the special needs of young athletes to try and avoid repeated injury or long term impact.
Maybe your child isn't an athlete, maybe you haven't had a child break a bone or require a visit to an orthopedic specialist but at some point you may. The fact that OrthoCarolina's providers understand each child's specific needs for treatment and recovery is something that you shouldn't forget. It is easy for someone to write a script for PT or OT but it takes a provider who is in tune with the specific needs of that child who walks in their doors to provide the child with the very best care for their situation.
The focus on preventing long term injury or re-injury has already reinforced why we use OrthoCarolina's providers (often). Yes, OrthoCarolina is a client of SCMK, no this post is not sponsored or prompted by that relationship, it is just one mom who has crazy active kids sharing her story so that if (or when) you are faced with making a decision about where you need to take your child for orthopedic care you have some knowledge of what will be waiting for you at OrthoCarolina.
That's why when my other son broke his finger 3 weeks later we knew exactly where to go and no, they don't have a frequent visit card. Trust me I have asked! P.S. the PA's at Ortho are amazing! We actually never see a doctor, we always see a PA several of who know my boys by name at this point.
To find out more information about OrthoCarolina's Urgent Care locations and providers check out OrthoCarolina.com for some great patient information check out OrthoCarolina's Patient Education.
