History of the Orthopaedic Department at Loma Linda University

By Philip Reiswig ’61

In the latter part of 1968 the School asked Dr. Vernon Nickel ’44-A to organize a new orthopaedic department and to begin an orthopaedic residency training program at Loma Linda. In spite of an already busy professional life he accepted this position on a part-time basis.

At the time I was a fellow in orthopaedic surgery at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital and I was invited to serve as the executive secretary of the department. Under Dr. Nickel’s direction the department was organized, an orthopaedic residency training program was developed, and the orthopaedic service was strengthened.

The first resident in the program in the then new LLU Medical Center was David Latta ’63. He had just returned from serving in the Army and was an orthopaedic surgery resident at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. With the cooperation of Dr. J. Paul Harvey, chief of orthopaedic surgery at USC, Latta’s affiliation from January 1, 1970 to July 1, 1970, was arranged.

The first group of residents to be accepted for training in LLU’s new training program included Jon Reiswig ’65, Charles Russell ’78-A, Larry Kroll ’65, and Stephen Berthelsen ’69. Jon Reiswig, who began his training on January 1, 1971, was actually the first full-term resident. This group was later joined by Alex Gauzai ’75-res and Eskild Reinhold ’68. In 1971 Richard Rouhe ’65, Bernard Diamond ’75-res, and Mike Crane ’66 were accepted into the program. In 1972 the beginning residents were Jay Neil ’71, Terry Dietrich ’71, and Allan Workman ’69. In 1973 Allen Gustafson ’70, Gordon Lewis ’72, Larry Magnuson ’64, and James Callan ’72 began their residency. The last full year that Dr. Nickel was chairman of the department the group that was accepted to start in 1974 included Dave Davis ’77-res, Marshall Hayes ’78-res, William Bowen ’73, Robert Lang ’61, and Ed Miller ’73.

The department officially began on April 1, 1969, when I transferred from Rancho Los Amigos Hospital to Loma Linda. My initial responsibilities involved duties in the orthopaedic departments of both Riverside County Hospital and LLUMC. Claran Jesse ’44-A was the only resident practicing orthopaedic surgeon. George Carlson ’62, joined the group in August, 1969, and remained on staff for approximately two years before moving to Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Virchel Wood ’60 joined the department in January 1971 after completing his residency training program and a fellowship in hand surgery. He has proven to be a most valuable member of the department and an important member of the LLUSM faculty. Malcolm Heppenstall ’66 also joined the department in 1971 and was very helpful in the early years. He later entered private practice in Redlands, California.

Dr. Chuck Owen, who took his residency at L.A. County-USC Medical Center, where Alonzo J. Neufeld ’35 was chief of orthopaedics, joined the department as chief of orthopaedics at Riverside County Hospital. He was a very valuable member of the orthopaedic faculty and was most helpful in the initial development of the department. He later joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego.

Another milestone was reached in 1973 when Gary Frykman ’65 returned from a hand fellowship with Dr. Kleinert in Louisville, Kentucky. During the 16 years Frykman has been a member of the department he has been a most valuable and productive member of our faculty.

Dr. Herman Schoene and his associates at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana also played an important role in establishing the orthopaedic residency program at LLUMC.