FORT KENT, Maine — The need to travel downstate for major orthopedic surgical repairs could become a thing of the past for patients of Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent.
Two new orthopedic surgeons have joined the hospital. The Surgical Specialties Office at Northern Maine Medical recently added Dr. Ian Dickey, who began seeing patients in mid-March, and Dr. Jason Oliviero, who will begin seeing patients in early April.
“The expansion of our orthopedic surgical services is designed to increase needed access to quality health care services in the St. John Valley and Aroostook County,” said Jeff Zewe, the hospital’s president and CEO.
The move will help increase the financial stability of the nonprofit hospital, which currently sees about 400 orthopedic surgeries on area patients outsourced to southern Maine doctors each year, according to Kris Malmborg, the hospital’s communications director.
“Dr. Dickey and Dr. Oliviero have a passion for rural hospitals and look forward to working with NMMC to expand the surgical services we currently offer,” Malmborg said. “NMMC also has a newly built, state-of-the-art operating facility, which was put to use in early 2022.”
Oliviero is a fellowship trained shoulder reconstruction and sports medicine surgeon who performs a number of specialized surgeries including ligament/tendon repairs, anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions, meniscus surgery, patella stabilizations, rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilization/labrum repair, biceps surgery, and AC joint surgeries.
He is a native of southern Maine.
Dickey is an orthopedic surgeon who has completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at Mayo Clinic. He specializes in primary and complex hip and knee reconstruction, utilizing custom 3D printed instruments and implants.
“Dr. Dickey also looks forward to speaking with our French Acadian population as he is fluent in both French and English,” Malmborg said.
The new doctors will join orthopedic surgeon Dr. John LeBlanc, who remains on staff at NMCC. Both are accepting referrals.
Many times in past years, patients have had to seek surgical services hundreds of miles away, in Bangor or as far as Portland and beyond, Zewe said.
“By bringing these top quality surgeons to NMMC, we are ensuring increased access to orthopedic services, while also reducing the cost and worry associated with traveling,” he said.
