Physician Recruitment Collaboration Highlighted
Dr. Corey Welchlin arrived in Macomb nearly two months ago from Fairmont, MN where he spent decades as a general orthopedist. Now he's the newest addition to the hospital's medical staff — and the first physician recruited through a joint partnership between McDonough District Hospital and Memorial Hospital in Carthage.
The collaboration marks a significant shift in how the two rural health systems approach physician recruitment. Board members highlighted the partnership Monday as a potential template for attracting specialists to underserved communities.
'This is the first time we've done a partnership between the two of us to recruit an orthopedic surgeon to the area,' CEO Bill Murdock said. 'So far it's worked out very well, and we're happy that he's here and seems to be happy here. By bringing more synergies, we just have more to offer candidates as they look at us for opportunities.'
Welchlin grew up on a dairy and grain farm in southern Minnesota and practiced in a town of 10,000 in Martin County. He spent his career as a general orthopedist, handling everything from hands and feet to trauma, sports injuries and joint replacements. When his parents passed away and he became trustee of the family farm, Welchlin decided it was time for a change. He sold the farm and moved to Illinois with his partner, Heidi, who relocated from San Antonio.
His schedule is already full. Welchlin works Mondays and Tuesdays in Macomb's clinic, Wednesdays in Carthage (surgery in the morning, clinic in the afternoon) and Thursday is his surgery day at MDH. He sees 10 to 12 patients most days, sometimes more, with some coming from as far as 45 minutes away. Next week, he has a partial knee replacement, a knee scope and a third case scheduled 'I've met nice people after nice people after nice people,' Welchlin told the Board. 'People have been very thankful to have orthopedics locally.'
He added the operating room staff and clinic team have impressed him, as has the technology. Welchlin described using an AI-powered ambient documentation system, which passively listens during patient encounters and auto-generates clinical notes, while filtering out non-medical conversation about grandkids or clothing.
'The AI thing is scary-good,' he said.
He also highlighted a surgical approach he plans to emphasize: partial knee replacements, or 'hemi knees.' According to guidelines from the Hip and Knee Society, 25 to 30 percent of knee replacement candidates should receive a partial replacement rather than a total one. Yet most orthopedic surgeons don't perform the procedure, Welchlin said, partly because patient pressure—often from family members—pushes toward total replacements.
'Knee arthritis doesn't spread like cancer,' Welchlin explained to the board. 'You have patterns. Either wear out the inside, the outside, the kneecap, or two of the three or the whole thing.'
For patients whose arthritis is isolated to one compartment, a partial replacement offers faster recovery, less blood loss, and a more natural-feeling knee.
'The ones that are the right candidate are really happy people,' he said.
Welchlin also co-owns Stretch Zone, a franchise wellness business with his son, Carter, in the Twin Cities. The business offers assisted stretching programs marketed to golfers, pickleballers and other athletes.
In other business at Monday's meeting, a finance committee report noted that the hospital is shifting from quarterly to monthly financial oversight meetings, a change board members framed as improved governance.
After a lengthy scheduling discussion, the group tentatively agreed to meet the second Wednesday of each month at noon, beginning June 10.
In old business, board members flagged an unresolved ambulance and 911 service issue. A county official had promised a 60-day extension at a previous meeting, but the board has received no written confirmation and no response from county attorneys despite outreach roughly two weeks ago.
The board then moved to executive session for personnel matters and resumed approximately two hours later. A motion was made to 'proceed with what we discussed and decided in executive session,' with no details provided as required by the Open Meetings Act, with a roll call vote in which board members voting unanimously on the 'decision made in executive session' See the complete story on page one regarding that decision resulting in the immediate termination of Chief Nursing Officer Wayne Laramie, and CEO/President Bill Murdock receiving a 60-day notice.
