Region's Top Orthopedic and Neuro Surgery Practice Celebrates 35 Years of Community Service

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Rebound Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Group Grows from Modest Beginnings

VANCOUVER, Wash. — June 7, 2004 — When Ben McGough, M.D. first started practicing orthopedic medicine 47 years ago, the standard treatment for a broken thigh bone was several weeks in traction and up to six months in a body cast. Today that same patient would likely put weight on the leg shortly after surgery and would return to work in three weeks, not six months.

"The advances in surgical technique and treatment for orthopedic and neurosurgical patients are nothing short of astounding," said McGough, founding physician of the original orthopedic practice which eventually morphed into the modern Rebound Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Clinic, based at Southwest Washington Medical Center.

The Rebound physician practice is marking a major milestone this year as it celebrates 35 years of service to the community. The practice has grown tremendously over the years and is now the largest combined orthopedic and neurosurgery practice in the Portland metropolitan area. Rebound physicians are team physicians for the Portland Trail Blazers, Winter Hawks, Concordia University, and Portland State University.

Dr. McGough has seen many changes in medicine in the years since he first set up practice in Vancouver 35 years ago. Advancements in orthopedic care during his tenure include knee replacement surgery and total hip replacements, now common procedures performed by Rebound physicians.

A former Army surgeon, Dr. McGough paid his dues early treating hundreds of amputees and seriously injured soldiers in Okinawa, Japan during the Vietnam conflict. The 72-year-old McGough continues to perform complex orthopedic surgery and accepts overnight on-call duties three to five days a month.

McGough is quick to credit the success of the practice to the talent of his growing list of physician partners; including his original partner Dr. Robert Bump, who joined McGough at the Vancouver Orthopedic Group in 1970.

Many other physicians would join the growing orthopedic group over the years, but the merger of the Vancouver Orthopedic Group (VOG) and Vancouver Neurosurgical Group (VNG) in 1994 set new ground for the practice. Physicians who had been notoriously competitive in the past were now working side by side at the new Vancouver Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Group (VONG).

"We just thought why not expand the group. The more voices you have the more influence you can have on the course of medicine, the better control you have on your path," said McGough.

Other milestones and mergers would follow including a name change to Northwest Surgical Specialists (NSS) in 1997 and a merger between NSS and the Orthopedic Fracture Clinic in 1997. In 1998 the Rebound name was adopted to encompass both medical divisions of the practice, Rebound Orthopedics and Rebound Neurosurgery.

Rebound's innovative facilities combine clinical diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation at three convenient locations, the Southwest Medical Center Campus and Memorial Health Center in Vancouver and the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The modern practice features cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment facilities including digital x-ray technology, electronic medical record, and MRI scans.

Rebound is the premier orthopedic and neurosurgical practice in the Portland Metropolitan area with 21 physicians (14 orthopedic surgeons, 5 neurosurgeons, and 1 physiatrist), 117 employees, and 67,536 patient visits last year. Rebound physicians also provide emergency room coverage for Southwest Washington Medical Center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.