ONE Stands Out

Known colloquially as the orthopedics capital of the world because of its biomedical manufacturing sector, northeast Indiana naturally serves as home to an abundance of orthopedic health care providers. ONE stands out in particular: Orthopaedics Northeast.

Founded in 1962, ONE has grown from a single orthopedic surgeon to more than 100 providers covering a vast array of orthopedic subspecialties. Since its first day, ONE has remained independently owned while building a reputation for pioneering surgical techniques and operating at the forefront of medical advancements.

“We were the first group in the state to subspecialize, and we provide a high quality of service. What everyone else is trying to do now, we’ve been doing for a long time,” says Dr. Christopher Johnson, orthopedic oncology and adult reconstruction surgeon and ONE president. “Orthopedic leaders come to ONE for research and advancement.”

A key factor in ONE’s ability to offer state-of-the-art resources is its partnership with Parkview Health. Although the practice remains locally owned and independent, ONE partners with the hospital system to deliver surgical care. ONE physicians staff the Parkview Ortho Hospital, SurgeryONE and hospitals and clinics in the surrounding communities, evidence of a relationship Dr. Johnson calls “symbiotic.”

“Our relationship with Parkview allows us to optimize the best of both worlds,” says Dr. Johnson. “It allows ONE to be nimble, to be physician-led, and to prioritize the needs of patients while combining the resources of Parkview.”

Parkview Health Orthopedics leaders share this view.

“By bringing ONE’s fellowship-trained surgeons and Parkview Health’s best-in-class facilities together, we help people live better, more comfortable lives,” says Marceline Rogers, senior vice president of Parkview’s orthopedics service line and chief operating officer of Parkview Ortho Hospital and Parkview SurgeryONE. 

Dr. Alan McGee, president of Parkview Health Orthopedics, adds, “Using state-of-the-art procedures and cutting-edge technologies, we offer a range of solutions that aim for quicker recovery and less time in the hospital. Our goal is to provide exceptional care that results in optimal outcomes.”

To be sure, accolades for ONE and its collaboration with Parkview continue to accumulate. In 2024, Becker’s Hospital Review cited the Parkview Ortho Hospital as one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals with great orthopedic programs. NRC Health named Parkview Ortho Hospital its Excellence in Patient Experience award winner in the specialty hospital category. U.S. News & World Report recognized it as one of its 2024-2025 High Performing Hospitals in the categories of spinal fusion, hip and knee, and it’s on the 2024 roster of Best Places to Work in Indiana. Locally, ONE has been voted Best Orthopedic Care Office in fortwayne.com’s Reader’s Choice Awards for 10 years running, along with Best Spine Surgeon for the last few years, including Dr. Micah Smith in 2024.

In addition, an upcoming public television episode of Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid features ONE as a premier orthopedic practice in the U.S. In it, Dr. Smith is shown performing robotic spine surgery. ONE is leading the region in minimally invasive spine surgery.

“At ONE, we use robotics and navigation that are groundbreaking, allowing us to provide the most state-of-the-art care to patients,” says Dr. Smith. “For example, I perform an endoscopic spinal surgery for decompressions and discectomies, when appropriate. This can be done with a one-centimeter incision.”

His ONE colleague, Dr. David Conner, works with similarly advanced technology in sports medicine.

“An area that is unique to my practice is hip arthroscopy, which has allowed my patients to return to high levels of activity and ultimately return to the sports they love,” says Dr. Conner, ONE Sports Medicine surgeon and director of Parkview Sports Medicine. “There are only a few surgeons in the region performing this type of surgery.”

In fact, the group has led the market locally with minimally invasive procedures ranging from bunions to joints to fracture repair. In many cases this allows patients to go home the same day as their surgery, which can improve outcomes, according to studies. 

To further underscore ONE’s leadership position, its surgeons lead the Adult Reconstruction Fellowship, accredited by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. It is the only one in northern Indiana and one of only 122 in the country.

“This allows us to take part on the national stage, presenting papers all over the country with the fellow,” says Lori Pagan, chief executive officer of ONE. “It’s a great recruiting tool because it shows people we’re big enough to offer access to technology and small enough that they can make a difference on a daily basis.”

The same forward-thinking approach applies on the business side at ONE, too. The group has begun to explore artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with some of its back-office functions, though Johnson and Pagan both maintain it will never replace the human experience. 

“We use AI to help run the business,” explains Dr. Johnson. “It doesn’t replace human interaction.”

They are also working to innovate ways to improve price and value by offering direct-to-employer contracts.

“We have two in place for joint replacement that we have received excellent patient and employer feedback on. We are working on a menu to add additional surgeries to the offering,” says Pagan. “Value based direct-to-employer contracts are a health care delivery model that focuses on the patient with a customized, navigated experience tied to quality and satisfaction, which benefit the patient and the employer. This is another way we are moving from an older delivery model of care to strategically position our patients and ourselves for the future.”

As ONE looks ahead, the practice is positioned for growth, both in its capabilities and its reach.

“We have five surgeons starting this fall. We’re expanding education and research. We’re building an ambulatory surgery center in Warsaw, the orthopedic capital of the world, and we have entered into a joint venture for another in Angola,” says Dr. Johnson. “We are growing.”

Dr. Johnson calls ONE a hidden gem. He wants people, not only in northeast Indiana but also across the country, to understand what this practice has to offer.

“We’re among the nation’s best groups, and a lot of people don’t realize that,” reflects Dr. Johnson. “This is an incredible place and we’ve been taking care of the community for a long time.” 

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