Cody Regional Health Welcomes Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Eric Porritt

Cody Regional Health is pleased to welcome Eric Porritt, D.O., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with more than 15 years of experience specializing in hip and knee replacement, orthopedic trauma, and general orthopedic care.

Dr. Porritt joins Cody Regional Health with a philosophy that closely aligns with the organization's commitment to expanding access to advanced, person-centered care throughout the Big Horn Basin: patients should have access to exceptional orthopedic expertise without traveling farther than medically necessary.

"One of the things that drew me to Cody Regional Health was the opportunity to provide specialized orthopedic care in a community like this," Dr. Porritt said. "My goal is to bring patients the level of expertise they might expect to find at a larger tertiary center while allowing more people to receive that care closer to home."

Dr. Porritt has a particular passion for treating patients experiencing hip and knee arthritis. He specializes in the tissue-sparing SuperPATH hip replacement technique and has extensive experience with modern rapid-recovery protocols designed to allow appropriate patients to return home the same day as surgery. He also performs minimally invasive total and partial knee replacement.

His approach begins with understanding the individual patient.

"Every patient is different," Dr. Porritt said. "My job is to make sure patients understand what is happening, what their options are and what we can realistically accomplish. When people have the right information, they are empowered to make the decision that is right for them."

His interest in orthopedic surgery began long before medical school. Having grown up working with tools and building things with his hands, Dr. Porritt describes orthopedics as a natural intersection of science, engineering, and craftsmanship.

Dr. Porritt earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma before attending Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at St. James Hospital/Midwestern University in Chicago.

His early orthopedic career was shaped by military service. Dr. Porritt served on active duty with the U.S. Army at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and deployed to Afghanistan with the 160th Forward Surgical Team. Following active duty, he continued caring for orthopedic trauma patients while practicing in Colorado, New York, and Oklahoma.

Although trauma has remained an important part of his career, joint replacement increasingly became a central focus of his practice. His expertise has also been utilized on design teams working to develop and improve orthopedic implants and surgical instrumentation.

For Dr. Porritt, the move to Cody is personal as well as professional.

An avid skier, hiker, and runner, he had hoped for years to eventually put down roots with his family in a smaller Mountain West community. He and his family found that opportunity in Cody.

"I love being part of the community where I practice," Dr. Porritt said. "I want to know my patients, and I don't mind running into them at the grocery store or a restaurant. That connection is part of what makes practicing medicine in a community like Cody special."

Dr. Porritt and his family have raised five children with an appreciation for outdoor adventure and service. Outside the hospital, he can often be found skiing, hiking, running, or exploring the mountains.

Dr. Porritt's arrival strengthens Cody Regional Health's orthopedic services and its commitment to providing advanced specialty care for patients throughout the Big Horn Basin.

To learn more about Dr. Eric Porritt or orthopedic services at Cody Regional Health, please call (307) 578-2180 or visit CodyRegionalHealth.org.

For more information about this story, contact crh@codyregionalhealth.org.