Supporting our local community is something most people agree has value for everyone. Shopping with local merchants, spending our dollars to support small business owners, and the local economy is now more than the tagline “shop local.” It is part of daily life for many people.
We look to local farms for our food. We seek locally crafted goods in small, unique shops. We enjoy sipping locally roasted coffee and dining in eateries owned by our neighbors, serving food grown in our county. Despite this commitment, our “shop local” choices don’t actively extend into our healthcare.
When we look for a doctor, we many times feel stuck “in-network” as dictated by our insurance company, resulting in seeing providers employed by large corporations. The doctors and their level of care may be excellent, but the dollars you spend head to corporate headquarters across the country not back into your local community. For many providers, joining a large, corporate-backed group makes sense as the costs of operating an independent medical practice climbs each year.
It’s easy, however, to “shop local” for healthcare at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates. Opened in 1972, Oly Ortho has been owned and operated entirely by the dedicated doctors on staff. These are people who support the local community—from shops and restaurants to charity events and volunteer opportunities. They care about the same things you care about. When you pay for care through Oly Ortho, each dollar goes back into our local economy, providing jobs for your neighbors and an economic anchor in the South Sound that has not only sustained, but thrived through our recent recession.
Dr. John Coker started his small, one-man practice in an office on Ensign Road in Northeast Olympia. He was joined two years later by Dr. Jerome H. Zechmann, followed by Dr. Alan Roser 12 months later. The three surgeons added to the practice slowly over the following two decades. In 1993 Dr. Jerome H. Zechmann retired and passed his practice to his son, Dr. Jerome P. Zechmann who you can still see at Oly Ortho today.
Over the next two decades, the group marked milestones in growth not only in their changing location but through the addition of valued services for their patients. Here’s a snapshot of Oly Ortho’s history as a local business in Olympia:
1972: Olympia Orthopaedic Associates opened on Ensign Road.
1998: Oly Ortho added the Westside Clinic on Yauger Way.
2002: The Tumwater Clinic and Surgery Center were added to the group.
2005: The Eastside Clinic on Lilly Road was built and Oly Ortho moved into a large portion of the facility.
January 2012: Physical Therapy was added to Oly Ortho’s service line to better serve patient needs.
September 2012: The new Westside Facility (Surgery Center, MRI, PT and Clinic) opened.
With all these changes, one thing has stayed the same—a commitment to putting patient care first and focusing on serving patient needs above all.
The doctors do not answer to a corporate board for decision making, allowing them to put their philosophy first. They make decisions internally to best serve their community and changing patient needs. Through their partnership structure, Oly Ortho is responsive to the needs of the South Sound without navigating the red-tape often present when dealing with corporate leadership.
When an on-site, outpatient surgery center was clearly a need for the growing practice in 2002, the group provided one. As physical therapy was used more and more by physicians to heal injury and avoid surgical solutions, Oly Ortho knew in-house services would be convenient for patients while allowing physicians to work smoothly, in tandem, with therapists, helping patients heal faster.
It’s not just the group’s ability to adjust to the needs of the area’s growing, aging population that sets them apart but their solid financial contribution to the local economy. Currently, Oly Ortho employs 260 people in addition to its 19 physicians. These employees live, work and play right alongside you, holding secure jobs with a local company, providing for their families in the process.
Oly Ortho is also able to give directly to local non-profits and organizations in the South Sound, impacting the greater community. As needs arise, Oly Ortho can pitch-in with dollars and volunteers. They strive to care for their employees, too, adding their support to causes near to the hearts of the Oly Ortho family.
It’s become almost second nature for many to “think locally.” It’s time to expand our thinking to include one of the most important aspects of our lives—our health. We can see Oly Ortho has grown. They’ve built an amazing new facility to better serve patients. People travel from over a 100 mile radius for the group’s quality care. And it’s all for good reason.
Olympia Orthopaedic Associates has grown to care for its patients. They’ve expanded in response to need. They’ve built bigger in anticipation of their community’s bright future. To learn more, visit Olympia Orthopaedic Associates‘ website.
