A man like Art Hagebock doesn’t have time to slow down.
The business owner and grandfather doesn’t rest much. He doesn’t even watch much television, aside from the news. As the owner of five weekly newspapers, watching the news is also part of his occupation.
When he isn’t running his newspapers or his full-service print shop, he is also the fire chief for the city of LaMoure, a rodeo announcer and an auctioneer. In addition, he serves on the boards of the LaMoure Community Development Corporation, St. Rose Care Center and LaMoure County Housing Authority.
So when he tore a meniscus in his knee, Hagebock chose Dr. Michael T. Dean, orthopedic surgeon at Jamestown Regional Medical Center. Hagebock had attended a breakfast in January with Dr. Dean and one of his patients, Ralph Danuser. JRMC lovingly refers to Danuser as the “bionic man.”
Dr. Dean scheduled Hagebock for a knee arthroscopy — commonly referred to as a “knee scope” for less than a week after the first appointment. With his schedule, Hagebock said he didn’t want to wait weeks between appointment and surgery. He was grateful for the expediency.
A knee scope requires two small incisions to evaluate the inside of the knee. The procedures are good for people who complain of new onset or chronic knee pain.
“Based on history, clinical exam and sometimes evaluation of imaging such as X-Ray or MRI, knee arthroscopy can be very beneficial for the management of knee pain,” said Patrick Walter, PA-C. “In Art’s case, his torn meniscus was causing pain, so we treated it with debridement. In addition, Art complied with post-operative instructions, returning to activities as tolerated without complaint.”
JRMC reopened time-sensitive procedures for people like Hagebock.
“Art is a busy man. The pain in his knee made it difficult for him to walk and care for his family. That’s why this was a time-sensitive procedure for him,” Dr. Dean said.
JRMC implemented several procedures, like screening stations and restricted visitor policies, to keep patients and employees safe.
At his two-week post-operative appointment, Hagebock was back to walking – no crutches, no walker, no pain.
“I haven’t taken a single pain pill since surgery,” he said.
Hagebock said he has experienced care at larger systems, but not at JRMC. JRMC’s small-town feel and big-city results were a pleasant surprise.
“These people are just fantastic,” he said. “From the admissions team to the nurses and doctors, they need to know how incredible they are.”
Since his appointment, Hagebock said he could get back to business – as well as the business of taking care of family. He and his grandchildren camped at Lake LaMoure less than two weeks after his surgery.
To learn more about JRMC Orthopedics, visit www.jrmcnd.com/orthopedics. To learn more about how JRMC is keeping patients safe despite the pandemic, visit www.jrmcnd.com/covid-safety.
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