The new physicians are Dr. Jonathan Cluett, Dr. Suk Namkoong and Dr. James R. Whittum. They had been in practice together at Orthopaedic Associates of Northern Berkshire, in North Adams, Massachusetts.
They join Dr. Matthew Nofziger, who has been on the hospital’s medical staff since 2004. SVMC providers are members of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians.
“Growing our health system’s orthopedic group has been a top priority, and the addition of these talented physicians increases access and availability for our patients in our regional communities,” said Thomas A. Dee, president and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care.
The health care network said it continues to recruit orthopedics providers and expects further growth next year.
Work at the facility on Dewey Street includes regrading and other site work; repaving of the parking areas; renovation of the entranceway, waiting room and exam rooms; an updated in-office procedure room; and new furniture.
No cost estimate for the project was provided.
The facility’s four surgeons are board-certified.
Cluett studied biology at Williams College and earned his medical degree from Columbia University in 2000. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at George Washington University Hospital, followed by a sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship with the Santa Monica Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Group in California.
Namkoong attended Princeton University and received his medical degree from New York University in 1998. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was awarded Resident of the Year. He also received fellowship training in sports medicine at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases from 2003 to 2004.
Whittum graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio and attended Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, where he received numerous honors and awards. He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois in 1994.
The SVMC Orthopaedics team can handle sports injuries and arthroscopic surgery, arthritis care and joint replacement, fracture management and orthopedic emergencies, according to a news release. The staff uses both surgical and nonsurgical techniques, combined with a customized rehabilitation program.
