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From L-R: Sarah Lance, physician assistant, and Dr. Jay Moore teamed up to provide comprehensive, full-body orthopedic care for people of all ages at NewSun Energy & Harney District Hospital Specialty Care Clinic.

Have you heard the good news? Orthopedic services have resumed at NewSun Energy & Harney District Hospital Specialty Care Clinic!

Orthopedics is the branch of medicine that focuses on the musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles, joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue.)

Dr. Jay Moore and Sarah Lance, physician assistant, teamed up to provide comprehensive, full-body orthopedic care for people of all ages (from pediatric to geriatric) right here in Harney County. Together, they provide clinical evaluations of knee, hip, shoulder, foot, and ankle pain and care for wounds, fractures, and traumatic injuries. They currently provide acute and elective surgical interventions, which will include hip and knee replacement starting in 2024.

Dr. Moore is an orthopedic surgeon who commutes to Harney County two weeks out of every month to provide the full spectrum of orthopedic care. He sees patients in the Specialty Care Clinic, consults on emergency room patients and orthopedic trauma, and performs surgeries at Harney District Hospital. Sarah Lance is a physician assistant who specializes in orthopedics. Lance is a Harney County resident who sees orthopedic patients in the Specialty Care Clinic on a full-time basis with supervision from Dr. Moore. They also provide post-operative care for local patients, regardless of where their surgeries were performed.

Providing these services locally dramatically reduces the number of 100-plus-mile trips that Harney County’s orthopedic patients must take to Bend or Boise, Idaho to receive care.

Meet Dr. Moore
Dr. Moore has been providing comprehensive orthopedic care, including joint replacements, at The Center — a Bend-based orthopedic and neurosurgical facility — for the past 18 years. He’s also practiced general orthopedics in Prineville for the past 15 years, and is comfortable working on all body parts.

When asked why he decided to become an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Moore explained that no other subspecialty in medicine has the ability to fix problems like orthopedics.

“It is gratifying to be able to fix a problem and help restore function,” he said. “I love helping patients remain active and improving their quality of life.”

He also has a passion for biomechanics and enjoys working with his hands and using the tools and technology of his trade.

Dr. Moore grew up and attended high school in Spokane, Wash. After graduating from Ferris High School, he graduated cum laude from the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in zoology and minoring in French. He then completed a dual degree program at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La., earning both a Medical Degree (MD) and a Masters of Public Health (MPH) with an emphasis on Health Systems Management.

Next, Dr. Moore moved to Denver, Colo., where he completed a five-year residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Colorado. He was trained in pediatric orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, trauma, sports medicine, spine, and foot and ankle. He worked at Denver Health (a Level 1 trauma center), University of Colorado Hospital at Anchutz, the children’s hospital, and the veteran’s hospital, and helped care for the University of Colorado Buffalo football team. He served as chief resident, received awards for his research, and was recognized as an outstanding teacher.

Dr. Moore then completed the University of Washington foot and ankle fellowship at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He specialized in ankle replacement surgery and advanced foot and ankle reconstruction and served as an advanced clinical instructor for the University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Orthopedics.

In addition to taking him around the country, Dr. Moore’s educational and career pursuits have taken him to various locations around the world. He studied abroad in France during his undergraduate education and practiced international medicine in Honduras and Nepal. He can communicate with patients in English, Spanish, and French.

Dr. Moore and his family currently reside in Bend. He and his wife have been married for 26 years, and they have a son who is a senior at Summit High School and a daughter who is in her second year of college. As an Eagle Scout, Dr. Moore loves the outdoors and staying active.

He is excited to bring his skills to Harney District Hospital and looks forward to building relationships with staff, patients, and the community. He said there’s a real need for orthopedics in Harney County, and he’s committed to providing state-of-the-art orthopedic surgery services in Burns, with the addition of robotic joint replacement surgery, starting in 2024.

Meet Sarah Lance
Lance lived in Harney County even before she pursued her advanced education to become a physician assistant. She and her husband fell in love with the area when they were passing through, and they decided to trade their fast-paced lives in California for a ranch filled with horses, cows, chickens, dogs, and cats. They’ve been in Harney County for about four years now, and they don’t plan to leave any time soon!

Lance’s introduction to medicine came at a young age. She grew up in Sacramento, Calif. and frequently traveled to Central America to assist her grandmother with medical missions. She moved to Spain at the age of 17 before returning stateside to attend college at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she majored in neuroscience and conducted neurodegenerative research. She later decided to become an emergency medical technician (EMT), working with Spanish-speaking communities in and around the Los Angeles area.

After moving to Harney County, Lance decided to pursue a career as a physician assistant. She attended George Fox University, simultaneously completing master’s and doctorate degree programs. During this time, she received specialty training in orthopedics, completing a rotation at The Center in Bend. While she was wrapping up her doctorate degree, Lance got hired at the Specialty Care Clinic in Burns. She completed some additional on-the-job training at The Center before establishing a full-time presence at the local clinic.

Lance, who enjoys working on cars and motorcycles, said orthopedics is the medical field that most closely resembles mechanics. Like Dr. Moore, she enjoys working with her hands, using the tools of the trade, and improving patients’ quality of life. She noted that something as simple as a knee injection, can make a major impact.

One of Lance’s primary goals is to coordinate with health care professionals at the Specialty Care, Family Care, and Physical and Sports Therapy clinics through referrals and direct communication. For example, she works closely with Athletic Trainer Kaitlin Patterson to care for patients with sports injuries and Registered Dietitian Tori Garner to integrate diabetic care and nutrition with orthopedics. She also works alongside patients’ primary care providers to ensure that they’re receiving timely and appropriate care.

Accepting new patients
Lance and Dr. Moore are accepting new patients. Call NewSun Energy & Harney District Hospital Specialty Care Clinic at 541-573-4099 for additional information or to make an appointment.