Mammoth Orthopedic Institute

02/27/2026

Today we celebrate Thank a Fellow Day by recognizing an outstanding orthopedic sports medicine fellow — Dr. Kyle Minkel.

Your dedication to patient care, commitment to excellence in orthopedic sports medicine, and tireless work ethic make a lasting impact on every athlete and patient you serve. From the operating room to the sidelines, your passion for restoring function and getting patients back to the activities they love does not go unnoticed.

Thank you, Dr. Minkel, for your leadership, teamwork, and pursuit of excellence. The future of sports medicine is brighter because of physicians like you!

02/25/2026

Our Graduate Medical Education Coordinator, Sarah Lang, attended the Annual Conference hosted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in San Diego from February 17–19.

The conference provided valuable opportunities to expand knowledge, stay current on accreditation updates, and collaborate with colleagues from across the country. Sarah connected with fellow GME professionals, including Lake Tahoe’s coordinator, Cassi Cader, and University of Texas at Tyler's Sarah Lang, strengthening relationships and sharing best practices to support our residency programs.

We’re proud of Sarah’s commitment to continuous learning and advancing excellence in Graduate Medical Education!

02/12/2026

Welcome Kat Fritz, PA-C!

We’re excited to welcome Katherine Fritz, PA-C to our team! Katherine is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant (NCCPA) with a strong background in emergency and urgent care medicine, and a passion for serving rural communities.

Katherine earned her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland (2017–2019), where she graduated with honors and was recognized as part of the Rural Scholar Track. She completed her undergraduate studies at Grove City College in Pennsylvania (2006–2010), graduating magna cm laude with high honors in psychology, and was also named a Maryland Distinguished Scholar.

Her career began in the emergency departments of two rural Washington hospitals, followed by experience in a high-volume urgent care clinic in Portland, making her a wonderful addition to our patient care team.

Originally from rural Maryland, Katherine’s path has been shaped by both medicine and the outdoors. After college, she moved to the mountains of Colorado, where she worked as an instructor for the Colorado Outward Bound School and as an EMT.

Katherine is excited to officially call the Eastern Sierra and Mammoth home, an area she has loved for many years. When she is not working, she can usually be found rock climbing, skiing, trail running, fly fishing, or learning to sew her own clothes. She loves exploring the mountains with her partner, Maarten, and at home she is rarely without the company of her three cats.

Please join us in giving Katherine a warm welcome. We’re so happy to have her here!

01/22/2026

MOI@NIH: Mammoth Orthopedic Institute Surgeons Now Seeing Patients in Bishop

We’re making expert orthopedic care more accessible for our community.
Mammoth Orthopedic Institute (MOI) surgeons are now seeing patients locally at the NIH Orthopedic Clinic in Bishop.

Here’s what you need to know:

✅ Local visits, local surgeries:
Patients seen in Bishop will have their surgery in Bishop.
Patients seen in Mammoth will have their surgery in Mammoth.

📍 Location:
NIH Orthopedic Clinic
152 Pioneer Lane, Bishop, CA

📞 Schedule an appointment:
Call (760) 873-2605

This partnership—MOI@NIH—brings trusted orthopedic specialists closer to where you live, work, and play.

One Team. One Goal. Your Health.

01/07/2026

Each year, Dr. Knecht travels to Guatemala as part of a medical mission team dedicated to providing life-changing surgical care to communities in need. Their team includes surgeons, PAs, nurses, PTs, scrub techs, and sterile processing techs—each playing a vital role in restoring health and hope.

Last year, over just four intense days, the team performed 98 transformative surgeries. Dr. Knecht and his foot & ankle team alone completed 28 surgical cases, helping patients regain mobility and dramatically improving their quality of life.

As we start 2026 the year with a new sense of gratitude and joy, we invite you to consider supporting this incredible cause.

Your generosity directly impacts patients who otherwise would not have access to essential surgical care.
Donate here:

Team Hope in Motion is a volunteer medical humanitarian organization that provides the gift of mobility through life-changing joint replacement surgeries at no cost for those in need in the U.S. and globally

11/15/2025

Let’s go Mammoth!! 🏐

Go Huskies

11/09/2025

After announcing plans to take the Mountain Orthopedic Rendezvous (MORe) to Taos, NM, we’re excited to share that the 2026 course will remain right here in Mammoth Lakes, CA! This decision follows thoughtful feedback from our participants, who shared their appreciation for the setting, community, and unique atmosphere of Mammoth. While we may still explore a future MORe in Taos, we’re thrilled to welcome everyone back home for 2026.

This Year's Focus: The Knee
MORe 2026 will spotlight the knee, from arthroscopy to arthroplasty, revision surgery, and everything in between. Expect an in-depth discussion of current controversies, surgical pearls, and case-based learning focused on one of the most complex and high-volume areas of orthopedics.

https://site.pheedloop.com/event/MORe2026/home

11/07/2025

Dr. Karch gave a keynote at MIT in Cambridge, MA In his address, Dr. Karch spoke on the ethical and human-centric integration of artificial intelligence into modern healthcare, emphasizing that the future of medicine will depend on systems that elevate clinical judgment rather than replace it.

Following the address, Dr. Karch led the AI in Healthcare Think Tank Workshop, an interactive session featuring small-group breakouts and fireside strategy discussions. The workshop focused on identifying and designing “tech collisions” — points where patient-owned data, robotics, agentic avatar health educators, and human expertise converge to create new value chains in digital health. https://www.mammothortho.com/in-the-news-mammoth-orthopedic-institute.html

Send a message to learn more

10/11/2025

In case you missed our farewell, here is Orthopedic Physicians Alaska welcome for Dr. Rucker Staggers!

In Case You Missed It:

We’re excited to officially welcome Dr. Rucker Staggers, Orthopedic Surgeon, to OPA Wasilla!

Dr. Staggers is fellowship-trained in orthopedic sports medicine from the Mammoth Orthopedic Institute in California, where he cared for athletes at every level — including members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team.

His expertise spans advanced surgical and nonsurgical care for sports injuries, fracture care, joint replacement, and complex orthopedic conditions. With more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, his research has contributed to advancements in ACL reconstruction, fracture management, joint replacement, and sports injury treatment.

Outside of medicine, you’ll find him mountain biking, snowboarding, fishing, hunting, or turning wrenches on his 1995 Jeep Wrangler.

➡️ Join us as we give Dr. Staggers a warm Alaska welcome by saying "hello!" and sharing this post!

10/09/2025

🩻👻 Clinic’s open late tonight…

The orthopedic clinic’s been quiet since midnight — but the exam rooms are full.

Every bed has a patient.

They drift in without footsteps, whisper their old injuries, ask if their bones still remember the fall.

We treat the boy and ghouls, take the X-rays, and schedule the follow-ups.

When the lights flicker, they vanish.

Still, the charts keep filling themselves out.

09/11/2025

We are excited to announce the 2025–2026 MOI Research Foundation Research Fellows!

This year we had 15 outstanding applicants, making the selection process very competitive.

✨ Chris Fernainy – a 2nd-year medical student at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. A former collegiate swimmer, Chris presented at the Mountain Orthopedic Rendezvous last June and has already shown a strong passion for research and orthopedics.

✨ Kathleen Hopps – a 1st year medical student at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Well known in the Mammoth Lakes community from her work at the Mammoth Orthopedic Institute, Kathleen has already contributed to three research projects as an undergraduate

We look forward to an exciting year of research and collaboration with Chris and Kathleen!.

09/09/2025

Botanical Expert Britt showcased her exquisite flowers at the fair and garnered several medals once again. If you have inquiries about dahlias, soil, or broken bones, she will undoubtedly make your clinic visit engaging!