Gillette's newest orthopedic surgeon wants to give people another opportunity to walk and run again

As a young boy growing up in Germany, Dr. Robert Grunfeld secretly wanted to be a cowboy. Gillette's newest orthopedic surgeon got his wish when came to Gillette in August 2015.

Dr. Grunfeld moved from Germany to Canada at the age of 14 and stayed to complete undergraduate work in Industrial Organizational Psychology in Ontario. He attended medical school at Penn State University and completed his residency at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Penn. Dr. Grunfeld went on to complete a fellowship in foot and ankle at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.

He became interested in orthopedics because he could give people another opportunity to walk and run again.

"I like the idea of being able to fix things," said Dr. Grunfeld.

Dr. Grunfeld will see patients for general orthopedics, and his fellowship training gives patients in the community something they haven't had before, the ability to stay in Gillette for complex foot and ankle surgeries like ankle replacement. His approach is to try more conservative therapies first, and surgical intervention when necessary.

"I want to understand where patients are coming from and how their condition relates to the entire context of their life," said Dr. Grunfeld. "You can't treat people without feeling empathy."

Dr. Grunfeld and his wife Beth Stephens are looking forward to finding a permanent home here in Gillette. Right now they're staying in an apartment while waiting for their things to arrive.

"This place is a real gem," said Dr. Grunfeld. "People have no idea what is available here."

When he's not working, Dr. Grunfeld enjoys mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting.

*The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care