Community invited to meet new osteopath and orthopedic surgeon
By LOIS KINDLE
Dr. Benjamin Maxson recently joined the orthopedic team at South Bay Hospital. The community is invited to meet him May 6 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 106 at the hospital, 4016 Sun City Center Blvd. To RSVP, email christina.trimborn@hcahealthcare.com (LESLEY LYKINS PHOTO)
Most people want a doctor who is highly skilled and comes across in a caring manner, makes time for their concerns, listens and explains things clearly. Sun City Center and the communities surrounding it recently got one with the arrival of orthopedic surgeon Benjamin Maxon.
South Bay Hospital has organized a special event May 6 to introduce Dr. Maxson to the public and give folks a chance to meet and greet him. It will take place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 106 at the hospital, 4016 Sun City Center Blvd. To RSVP, email christina.trimborn@hcahealthcare.com.
The osteopath/surgeon recently joined the South Bay Hospital orthopedic team, and officials there couldn’t be happier.
“We’re very excited to welcome Dr. Maxson to South Bay Hospital, and, at the same time, congratulate Dr. Robert Maddalon on his retirement,” said Chief Executive Officer Sheldon Barr. “South Bay Hospital has benefited from a strong orthopedic program in the past. Today, with our new orthopedic robot and the skills and expertise offered by two exceptional surgeons, Dr. Anthony Infante and Dr. Maxson, we now have the most advanced orthopedic program in the area. I’m excited for our South Shore community, which will benefit from pain relief and joint healing as a result of these advances.”
Melanie Fitzgibbon, director of surgical services, agrees. “We are proud to be welcoming Dr. Maxson to South Bay Hospital,” she said. “Working alongside Dr. Infante, our team of skilled nurses and this new orthopedic robot means patients will have access to an advanced, state-of-the-art program for joint replacement in their own community.”
Additionally, the hospital has a team of occupational and physical therapists who work closely together and with patients, said Paul Melancon, director of rehabilitation services.
“Last year we launched our Journey to Recovery program that includes a pre-op class covering the preparations each patient should make ahead of surgery,” he said. “We’ve also built an entire unit in the hospital to provide life-like experiences we can help patients work through as they recover from joint surgery. This make a significant difference in their recovery, and we’ve found it gives them more confidence and comfort when they [are] heading home after surgery.”
As an osteopath, Maxson takes a holistic, whole-patient approach to patient care. He looks at more than a patient’s symptoms and seeks to treat the problems underlying them. His specialty is orthopedic trauma, which gives him the broadest range of opportunities for using his training and skills. He diagnoses and treats patients for arthritis, joint replacement (including knees and hips) and total joint reconstruction; osteoporosis; bone fractures; knee and shoulder arthroscopy; carpal tunnel syndrome; hand surgery; foot and ankle trauma surgery; ligament reconstruction; and more.
In addition to seeing patients in his Sun City Center and Riverview offices, Maxson treats hospitalized patients after a car accident, fall or other major trauma. He’s affiliated with Brandon Regional and South Bay hospitals, has privileges at Tampa General and Memorial hospitals and takes calls at St. Joseph Hospital in Tampa and Blake Medical Center in Bradenton.
From humble beginnings
Born in Redding, Pa. in 1980, Maxson spent his early years in the small, one-street town of Stroudsburg in the Poconos region of northeastern Pennsylvania. He grew up in Warsaw, Ind., known by some as “the orthopedic capital of the world.” Three major orthopedic implant pioneers are still headquartered there.
“I remember telling my mother I wanted to be a doctor when I was 5,” he said, and that’s exactly what he did.
Maxson obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grace College and Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind., in 2003, before going on to earn his medical degree from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania six years later. He spent his internship and residency at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, and completed a fellowship in his subspecialty, orthopedic trauma, at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) in Temple Terrace.
He’s been practicing since 2015 and is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, an American Osteopathic Trauma member and board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
When Brandon Orthopedic Associates and FOI merged recently and Maddalon decided to retire, Maxson moved his offices from northern Hillsborough County to the South Shore area.
“Orthopedics gives me the opportunity to provide tangible improvement in a patient’s symptom or problem, which helps them improve their quality of life,” he said. “What makes orthopedics so challenging is I work in all areas of the body, and each has its own anatomy and (issues) to address.”
Married 18 years, Maxson and his wife have two daughters, ages 6 and 11. They are soon-to-be residents of South Tampa. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, doing home repairs and working on cars, loves Jeeps and appreciates wine.
Maxson’s offices are currently at 11286 Boyette Road, No. 101, Riverview, and 1901 Haverford Ave., Suite 107, Sun City Center. More than 30 forms of insurance are accepted. For an appointment, call 813-978-9797.
