Hip and Knee Care

Dr. Adam Goodyear is a native of Kansas who grew up in Auburn, a small town southwest of Topeka. Although he has lived in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado, he considers Kansas home and came back to care for its wonderful people.
His areas of interest are hip and knee replacement and revision, as well as non-operative management of arthritic hip and knee conditions.
“For the most part, people that have arthritis that need a replacement will typically get great relief with one of these surgeries,” he said. “There have been a lot of knee and hip replacements put in throughout the years and a lot of them that will need to be revised. I like the opportunity to offer that service to patients as well.”
After earning his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, Dr. Goodyear completed a residency at the University of Kansas Hospital in Orthopedic surgery and a fellowship in adult reconstruction at the University of Colorado Hospital and Denver Health.
Why should patients choose OrthoKansas?
“The patient experience is what we like to go back to. We have a good team here, not just the physicians but our physician assistants, physical therapists, medical assistants, nurses - everybody is on board with helping each patient individually,” he said. “We want to give you the broadest orthopedic experience you can have and be able to offer every service orthopedically that there is to offer. We want to be a regional orthopedic center and we do everything we do very well.”

As a native of Lawrence, Dr. James Huston knows the pride that the community has in supporting local businesses and each other. Dr. Huston graduated from Lawrence High and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in human biology from the University of Kansas and his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Dr. Huston believes that orthopedics is a field where he can make an immediate and profound impact on a patient’s quality of life. He enjoys being able to see the improvement in people’s daily lives.
“At OrthoKansas, we take great pride in providing world-class care to our friends, neighbors, the community and region,” he said. “We’re passionate about providing cutting-edge, evidence-based, thoughtful care close to home.”

It wasn’t until he was nearing the end of medical school that Dr. Luis Salazar realized that sports medicine was his calling.
“My brother was an athletic trainer for the Cleveland Indians and that exposed me to a lot in regard to the care provided to professional athletes,” he said. “I saw it as an opportunity to blend science, sports, disease prevention and medicine and take care of all aspects of the athlete and their care.”
Dr. Salazar is board-certified in family medicine and fellowship-trained in primary care sports medicine. He enjoys the intricacies of foot and ankle injuries and his special interests include caring for athletes of all abilities; ultrasound medicine; and the use of biologic treatment options. He also participates in Exercise is Medicine, a global health initiative committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health and is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his sports medicine fellowship at The Ohio State University Medical Center. Dr. Salazar has experience treating NCAA and NAIA collegiate athletes, including his work with Division I athletes at the University of Kansas as part of Kansas Team Health. He enjoys engaging in teaching future physicians part of the faculty for the Sports Medicine fellowship at the University of Kansas Health System.
“My practice is pretty vast,” he said. “I take care of anybody who moves, not only athletes at all competitive levels from elementary to collegiate and Olympic level and professional, I’ve had experience in all aspects across a lot of age groups.”
What advice does Dr. Salazar have for his patients?
“Patients need to be their own advocates and demand the care that they need. They need to push us as physicians to not be stagnant. It’s not the physician’s way, it’s what the best care for them as a patient is,” he said. “We need to listen to them, value their time and offer options, but we also need to be truthful and up front. Find the care that you need. If it’s not me, that’s fine but we need to demand the most that we can.”

“When I first came to town, and I’ve been here for many years, I did pretty much anything and everything – sports medicine, ACL reconstructions, fractures and trauma. As we’ve added new doctors in our group – most of whom are fellowship-trained in these other areas – I’ve been able to drift toward my interest, which is joint replacement.”
Dr. Richard Wendt is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with special interests in arthritic hip and knee conditions, total joint reconstruction, arthroscopy and trauma. After earning his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, he completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in affiliation with the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita.
“Patients should come to OrthoKansas, whether they’re local or regional, because the people we have here are high-quality and excellent physicians, every one of them,” he said. “We have a nursing staff and staff in the therapy department that’s as good as it can be and we hope people come here knowing that and we’ll do the best we can for them.”

Dr. Willis joins the OrthoKansas clinic at Newman Regional Health, providing orthopedic care to Lyon County and the surrounding area. He earned his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University and his medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Willis completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, followed by a fellowship in orthopedic sports surgery at Mississippi Sports Medicine in Jackson and Tulane University in New Orleans.
During residency, Dr. Willis worked as an Assistant Team Physician for Newman and Wichita State Universities and served as the Assistant Team Physician for the Wichita Force, a semi-professional indoor football team, and the Wichita Thunder, a minor league hockey team.  He served as a team physician for the University of Mississippi and Tulane University during fellowship. Dr. Willis is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association. 

Dr. Emily Heronemus is board-certified in family medicine and fellowship-trained in primary care sports medicine. She provides patients of all ages with comprehensive sports care, concussion care, uses ultrasound for evaluations and injections and treats a variety of conditions affecting muscles, bones and joints.
“I was an athlete growing up, playing a number of sports, and I played softball in college,” she said. “I’ve had injuries so I’m able to sympathize with patients and can understand what they’re going through in their process of healing.”
Dr. Heronemus received her bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg and earned her medical degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. She completed a family medicine residency at Via Christi Family Medicine and her fellowship at Via Christi Sports Medicine. She sees patients at OrthoKansas and also works with athletes in the training room at Baker University in Baldwin City.
“Choosing OrthoKansas gives you a way to stay within your community and receive care,” she said. “We can provide medical care, imaging, and physical therapy - all in a one-stop shop. Our caring, compassionate, dedicated team - from the front desk, to physical therapists and physicians – work together to give you a personalized experience.”

Nathan Kasting, PA, earned his undergraduate degree and a Master of Physician Assistant degree from Wichita State University. He is board certified by the NCCPA, with an additional certificate of added qualification in orthopedic surgery (CAQ-OS). He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Associates, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Physician Assistants in Orthopedic Surgery.
“I chose to become a PA because I was heavily involved in athletics, so I wanted to do something that allowed me to treat people of all ages and help them return to being active.”
Kasting began his career as an operating room assistant before becoming an orthopedic surgery physician assistant. He worked closely with general and trauma surgeons to provide holistic care to patients.
“I have an interest in total joint replacement, because you can help someone who has a problem that is affecting their day-to-day actives and provide them the opportunity to get back to living an active lifestyle.”

Josh Lahr, PA, graduated from Wichita State University with a Master of Physician Assistant degree. He is a member of the Kansas Academy of Physician Assistants and American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Lahr grew up in a small town outside of Lawrence with his primary care provider primarily being a physician assistant. He became interested in orthopedics through the injuries he sustained while being an athlete.
“My favorite part of being a PA is helping people find the solution and getting back to what they want to do.”
Lahr began his career in orthopedics before moving to orthopedic trauma. He primarily works with joint replacement patients.
“I want my patients to know that I have an open form of communication. If you have any questions, please ask. I want you to be involved in your care.”

“I grew up as a farm kid, so caring for things has always been a passion of mine. It was easy to transition that into caring for individuals.”
Leighton Miller has an extensive history in medicine. He spent five years as the Director of Nursing Services for Meade District Hospital and is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. He has provided care to patients from pediatrics to geriatrics and received his nursing degree from the University of Kansas School of Nursing. Leighton has served as a nurse in different family practice, ER, labor/delivery and acute care departments throughout his career. 
“I thought about becoming a physician at first but I got to know a lot of nurses and that drove my passion into that field,” he said. “I got to know some nurse practitioners. That was a logical stepping stone and I haven’t regretted a single day.”
What would Leighton like his patients to know about him?
“I’m not a serious guy but I’m serious about healthcare. When it’s time to have fun, I have fun. When it’s time to get down to business, we take care of business. Doing so and enjoying life along the way is what’s important.”