BRADENTON, Fla. — Dr. John Harkess, a total joint specialist with Coastal Orthopedics, recently earned board certification in orthopedics from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Founded in 1934 as a private, voluntary, nonprofit, autonomous organization, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery exists to serve the best interest of the public and the medical profession by establishing educational standards for orthopaedic residents and by evaluating the initial and continuing qualifications and competence of orthopaedic surgeons. By completing this board certification, Dr. Harkess exceeded the standards in the areas of orthopedics, the broad-based medical and surgical specialty dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
A native of Memphis, Dr. Harkess decided to follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, who were both orthopedic surgeons. He completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics at the University of Tennessee and a total joint replacement fellowship at Scripps Memorial Hospital in California.
Dr. Harkess completed his doctorate from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, where he completed his residency in 2016. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia. He was a contributing author on three publications and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
“At Coastal Orthopedics, we aim to provide the best patient experience and care possible,” said Dr. Harkess. “One of the reasons why I chose to pursue this important accreditation is because it serves as an additional layer of protection for our patients.”
Dr. Harkess joined the staff of Coastal Orthopedics in August 2017. An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Harkess specializes in total joint replacement surgery, with a special interest in hip and knee replacements.
With this recent certification, Coastal Orthopedics now has 17 specialty-trained board-certified doctors in the areas of foot and ankle, hand and wrist, joint replacement, orthopedic, pain management, shoulder and elbow, spine and sports medicine.
About Coastal Orthopedics
Founded in 1973 and based in Bradenton, Fla., Coastal Orthopedics is home to 19 orthopedic surgeons and pain management physicians who maintain hospital affiliations with Blake Medical Center, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. In addition to three offices and two ambulatory surgery centers each servicing Florida’s West Coast, Coastal Orthopedics’ board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians and surgeons provide patients with the very latest in pain and orthopedic treatment technology. The company strives to repair and heal injuries relating to the entire musculoskeletal system. For more than 45 years, its highly skilled staff of physicians and surgeons has treated patients in specialty care, including sports medicine, joint replacement, pain management and rehabilitation. Patients can experience restoration of function both surgically and non-surgically through the use of physician-guided strengthening, therapy, medications, injections and stretching. For more information, please visit CoastalOrthopedics.com or call 941-792-1404.