Orthopaedics East

Orthopaedics East was created on March 1, 1999, by the merger of Eastern Orthopaedic Group and Pitt Orthopedic Service. Eastern Orthopaedic Group was founded in 1955 by Dr. John L. Wooten who was at that time the only orthopaedic surgeon in the area. He practiced out of a small house on Greene St. in downtown Greenville and performed surgeries in the old red brick hospital which now houses the Pitt County Administrative Offices. In 1961 the office was moved to the site of the current Medical Pavilion on Fifth St. In 1965, Dr. James Bowman was recruited and the group expanded to a two man practice. As the town of Greenville and the surrounding area continued to grow, Drs. Sellers L. Crisp and Gene T. Hamilton joined the practice. In 1975 Dr. Bowman set off on a solo practice and founded Pitt Orthopedic Service. Dr. Randolph Williams joined Dr. Bowman in 1976. Pitt Orthopedic Service continued to grow in the ensuing years, eventually adding Drs. Denis M. McGillicuddy, Bruce D. Wilhelmsen, James C. Harvell Jr., Chris M. Barsanti, and Phil S. Perdue. Eastern Orthopaedic continued to grow as well with the addition of Drs. Ed C. Bartlett, S. Lamont Wooten, Tally E. Lassiter Jr., and Deanna M. Boyette. The two orthopaedic groups in Greenville worked harmoniously side by side over the years as Pitt County Memorial Hospital evolved into the present day University Health Systems of Eastern North Carolina. It became clear that the two groups could better serve the needs of the patients of Eastern North Carolina by joining together. This merger has allowed the surgeons to provide greater sub-specialization and expertise in dealing with complicated musculoskeletal problems and to put into practice the newest developments in orthopaedics for the benefit of the population of Eastern North Carolina.