Olympia Orthopaedic Associates, with three locations in the South Sound, is growing. The single-specialty group is hiring physicians and staff for their practice serving all of Southwest Washington. However, just looking at the statistics doesn’t show that the group is attracting nationally-recognized experts choosing to make Olympia Orthopaedic Associates their home.
One of these experts is Dr. Tim DuMontier, now seeing patients at Oly Ortho’s Westside Clinic.
Born and raised on a ranch just north of Missoula, MT, in the town of Arlee, Dr. DuMontier has always had a connection to the land. “My job at the ranch was feeding horses, exercising horses, putting up hay – all that is involved with keeping a ranch running,” he explains. Dr. DuMontier credits his upbringing with instilling a solid work ethic that follows him to this day including in his work as an orthopaedic surgeon.
While he loved the rural life in “Big Sky Country”, Dr. DuMontier looked for something new after high school and headed to USC in Los Angeles. “I wanted to go someplace different. It was sunny and there was a good football team,” he says, laughing. Coming from a high school of 130 students total, USC would certainly offer a big change.
After graduation, Dr. DuMontier headed north to The University of Washington Medical School where he also completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency. “It’s one of the top programs in the nation and I felt fortunate for the opportunity to be there,” he says.
After getting married, Dr. DuMontier and his wife settled in Seattle for the challenging years of residency. But, he knew he was headed east, back to Montana, to start a practice near his hometown. “I tried to really pay attention to all aspects of the orthopaedic training, not just one specialty,” recalls Dr. DuMontier. “I knew if I was in a small town in Montana, I wouldn’t just be dealing with one part of the body – I’d have finger injuries, knees, shoulders – the whole gamut.”
During his residency he spent time at Harborview Medical Center, a level one trauma center. Here he became fascinated with foot and ankle injuries. “The effort and quality of the very talented surgeons impressed me and I was drawn to the idea of working with these types of traumatic foot and ankle injuries,” shares DuMontier.
This led him to spend the next 18 months completing a fellowship in foot and ankle, this time in Michigan, before coming full circle and returning to Montana.
It wasn’t just longing for home that brought him back. “When I left for USC, part of my schooling, as well as part of my medical school, was paid for by an Indian Health Service Scholarship. To pay it back, you are required to serve an Indian population for four years,” he explains.
He spent those four years on the Flathead Indian Reservation, only about 10 minutes from his childhood home. He focused about 40 percent of his time on foot and ankle and the rest on general orthopaedics, grateful he had gained a solid base in general orthopaedics during his schooling.
In year five, Dr. DuMontier began work in Kalispell, MT, in a larger medical center. “I did some general orthopaedics but foot and ankle was my focus,” he explains. “It was a large service area and people came from far around with complex problems so it was very challenging and rewarding.”
Always seeking challenge and personal growth, Dr. DuMontier began looking for an opportunity to delve even more deeply into his passion of foot and ankle.
He saw an opportunity at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates advertised and knew Dr. Agtarap already as he served as Chief Resident at UW during Dr. DuMontier’s medical school years.
“I just had a good feeling about it. They were looking for someone to do foot and ankle and help establish a Foot and Ankle Center and I thought, ‘wow – that would be an exciting challenge and a great way to utilize my expertise.’” Dr. DuMontier is excited to join a team where he remains laser focused on his work in foot and ankle all the while knowing there is a comprehensive group of orthopaedic experts on-site supporting him all the time.
Dr. DuMontier and his family visited Olympia during the summer of 2013 and something clicked. “I just knew we could be really happy here,” he says.
One attraction for Dr. DuMontier was the water. He is an avid sailor and can’t wait to sail on the Puget Sound. He runs and stays active with his whole family including his three children ages 7, 9, and 12, along with their Schnauzer, Walter.
When I asked him about his hobbies off the water he shares, “I love to raise orchids, I dabble in yoga, and have classic cars.” Yes, Dr. DuMontier could be described as well-rounded.
And, he couldn’t be more ready – or excited – to join the Oly Ortho team. “The reason I do what I do is that foot injuries can be significant and life altering. The limitations you experience when your foot is injured are huge,” he explains, when referencing Oly Ortho’s motto of “Life in Motion.” “It’s very rewarding to help people get back to function; back on their feet so to speak.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. DuMontier call Olympia Orthopaedic Associates at 1-800-936-3386.
