Jess grew up in Carmel, Indiana. She then graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Jess received her medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, and then completed orthopedic surgery residency training at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.
Outside of helping patients to get back to better function, Jess enjoys utilizing her own joints to rock climb, snowboard, and trail run. Additionally, she likes to spend time outside hiking, foraging, and bouldering with her two Texas blue lacy crag dogs, Stella and Asher.
Hip Preservation: hip arthroscopy, PAO, DFO, core decompression, hip fixation, gluteus medius repair, hamstring tendon repair
Adult Reconstruction: Robotic Assisted Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty (MAKO certified)
Jess is an active member of Women in Arthroplasty (WIA), AAHKS, ISHA and AAOS.
Hip preservation surgery is a quickly evolving field of orthopedic surgery. Therefore, many hip preservation centers are either tied to academic programs, or conduct independent research. All providers at the CU Hip Clinic, as part of the University of Colorado frequently publish cutting edge research, and also contribute as academic surgeons by presenting in national and international conferences with the goal of continuing to educate and stay the most current with advances in surgical technology and technique.
As an active person, I would tire of hearing people say during my marathon training that I would need a hip replacement if I kept running. Similarly, I cringe when people accept very casually that they will need a hip or knee replacement because of their active lifestyle without understanding the limitations of a joint replacement. The fact is, habitual marathoners have a lower incidence of hip and knee arthritis necessitating a total joint replacement than the general population. While it is true that certain people (people with hip dysplasia and impingement pathologies) are more prone to developing premature hip arthritis than the general population, the vast majority of patients stand to benefit from an active lifestyle.
In the setting of normal anatomy, nothing is as good as the undamaged original. And if the original, or the way patients are made once they reach full skeletal maturity, would benefit from hip preservation surgery, I am pleased to say that the training I have received in performing hip arthroscopy, PAO, DFO and other hip preservation surgery strategies has been excellent, high volume and diagnostically complete. I also have the unique privilege of joining my hip preservation mentor and fellowship director as partner.
That being said, once a native (original) joint is no longer viable for salvage, a joint replacement can offer significant pain relief and improved function, thereby allowing patients to regain some of the mobility/activity that they lost in the arthritic disease progression. Few things in life give me greater joy than being able to help people regain their mobility. And I do really enjoy hip and knee replacement surgeries from the beginning of the process, identifying goals, current limitations and symptoms experienced to planning how the implants should look, to implanting the prosthetic joints, to the end result of working with patients as they heal from surgery and get back on their feet.
My goal therefore is to implement nonsurgical and surgical treatment plans tailored to the individual whether that means changing pathological anatomy, or replacing joints to afford each patient the best option available to them all things considered.