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.