Healthcare Heroes: Dr. Heath Melugin

Dr. Heath Melugin

The Bone and Joint Center Springfield General Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedics Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Runner-Up

Dr. Heath Melugin understands the importance of getting back in the game. A former college athlete himself from his time on the Missouri State University soccer team, Dr. Melugin saw a bit of himself in one of the first patients he treated at CoxHealth, a college athlete with a complex hip problem.

The patient was walking every day with a significant amount of pain. Due to the complexity of the surgery required to fix it, his patient was referred to see specialists in St. Louis and Kansas City. After reviewing the case, Dr. Melugin felt his team could help the patient and prevent them from being forced to travel out of the community for care.

Dr. Melugin performed the surgery, it was the first time this particular combination of complex procedures had taken place in the Springfield community. “It changed my perspective,” Dr. Melugin says. “I saw that there was a need in our community and health care system to work to provide all services we can within this community so our patients don’t have to travel and seek care in other communities. I saw the significant strain it puts on these patients and families to travel and really connected with this patient.”