North Country Orthopaedics and North Country Hospital are pleased to welcome Dr. S. Glen Neale as its new full-time orthopaedic surgeon. The doctor is no stranger to the practice or to North Country Hospital. He has worked at the practice part-time for several years. On September 14 Dr. Neale joined the practice on a full-time basis.
“We’re looking forward to our continued work with Dr. Neale,” Mary Jane Manfredi said. “He will work to meet the Orthopaedic needs of the residents, visitors to the area, and the families of our community. Welcome to North Country Orthopaedics, Dr. Neale!”
Mary Jane is the manager of the orthopaedic practice. It is located on Medical Village Drive on North Country’s campus.
Dr. Neale has a wealth of experience in everything from repairing simple fractures to hip and knee replacement surgery. In addition, he has a strong background in sport’s medicine, repairing sports related injuries and helping keep athletes healthy. He pointed out not all athletes are young people. Many middle-aged people and older are refusing to allow age to prevent them from engaging in their favorite pastimes. Because of this growing trend, orthopaedic surgeons around the country are seeing more people in their 40's, 50's and older, with sports related injuries.
Although there is a nationwide demand for orthopaedic surgeons, particularly in urban centers, Dr. Neale said he wasn’t interested in trading in the quality of life found in Vermont for the city lights.
“I want to work in a small town doing general orthopaedics,” he said. “I like the hands on closeness that one has with a small town practice.” Besides that, he said a small town practice allows physicians to develop quality doctor/patient relationships that prove beneficial to patients.
Originally from Rhode Island, Dr. Neale has lived in Vermont since the late 1970s. After graduating from McGill University with a Bachelor's Degree in Science, he went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Physiology from the University of Vermont (UVM). He remained at UVM throughout Medical School where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society (A professional organization for medical professionals who have been recognized as leaders and exemplify the highest standards of professionalism). For two years he trained in General Surgery at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, before returning to Vermont to study and train in Orthopaedic Surgery at UVM.
He founded Mansfield Orthopaedics in Morrisville in January 2006, a practice he was affiliated with until February 2010. In addition, he has served as one of the medical directors for Mt. Mansfield's Ski Patrol since 1992.
Not all of Dr. Neale’s knowledge has been gained through books, classes, and years of experience – he has also been a patient. He has undergone double hip replacement surgery.
“My hip joints wore out at a young age,” he said. “Before I had the replacement surgery I couldn’t walk a hundred yards without a lot of pain. Now I can ski, hike, bike, play golf, and work. Artificial parts are never as good as Mother Nature but they are a whole lot better than suffering constant pain. Because of my personal experience I can tell people exactly what hip replacement surgery is like.”