A team of University of New Mexico orthopedic surgeons and other providers have joined to create a one-of-a-kind clinic that focuses on the specialized treatment of hip disorders.
Once a month, surgeons and non-surgeon physicians within the UNM Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation bring their diverse education and backgrounds together to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for the entire spectrum of hip pathology in one setting in what they call the Comprehensive Hip (CHip) Clinic.
The clinic operates once a month at the UNM Center of Excellence for Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation, a two-story 50,000-square-foot structure located adjacent to UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC) in Rio Rancho.
The idea for the clinic started when Christopher Shultz, MD, came back to the Albuquerque area after completing a fellowship in sports medicine at Duke University Hospital. Shultz drew up plans for a clinic that would combine the efforts of other providers and put everyone in the same space at the same time.
The CHip Clinic was inspired by the recognition that our understanding and treatment of hip problems has grown substantially over the past 15 years. Each patient is unique, and each problem is unique. Hip pain is best treated with a team approach
“The CHip Clinic was inspired by the recognition that our understanding and treatment of hip problems has grown substantially over the past 15 years,” Shultz said. “Each patient is unique, and each problem is unique. Hip pain is best treated with a team approach.”
The diverse range of surgical hip pathology at the CHip Clinic includes all age ranges – from as young as a few months old to nonagenarians – as well as simple to complex hip treatment and procedures.
“The treatments available range widely, from physical therapy to injections, hip preservation surgeries and hip replacement,” Shultz said. “The driving force of the comprehensive hip clinic is that we provide a team of doctors and therapist, each with specialized skill sets, committed to seeing our patients improve.”
Additionally, surgeons can collaborate and coordinate care through the clinic, minimizing out-of-state or otherwise unnecessary referrals. Michael Decker, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, who works in the CHip Clinic, said many patients were going out of state to find care for their hip problems.
“They’d go to Utah for their osteotomies or for their hip-scopes,” Decker said. “Some people would go to Arizona or Colorado, not realizing we had people here who had that skillset.”
Since the clinic began, a whole new patient cohort has emerged, he said.
“I know that I’ve seen patients in the clinic in the past two months that I’ve never seen in my practice before, and I’ve worked here for four years,” Decker said.
Interest in the center has been increasing, not just among potential patients, but among health care providers too.
Since the clinic started three months ago, at least two new surgeons experienced with hip preservation – surgical procedures to prevent someone from having to go on to joint replacement – have expressed interest in joining. Which means in the coming months, the clinic could see as many as six surgeons under one roof.
“If that’s the case, we may be one of the biggest comprehensive hip centers in the region, if this becomes as big as we hope it does,” Decker said. “We’re just in our infancy, but we see huge growth potential.”
While the clinic operates one day per month, Decker said he hopes the hours of operation will expand as the clinic grows.
“As we see more providers coming in, we hope to expand into longer clinic days and more times per month,” he said.
