Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute celebrates half a century in practice
Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute (LBJI) is celebrating 50 years of excellence in orthopedic care and serving their patients by providing specialized bone, joint and muscle care services in the region. With its origins dating back to 1968, LBJI began providing orthopedic care in the Gary and Merrillville communities. Founded by Drs. Albin Jahns, L. Dale Olson and Paul Alvarez, the successful practice rapidly grew, and in 1975, an office in Valparaiso was opened and named the Valparaiso Orthopedic Clinic. These founding physicians were committed to providing excellence in orthopedic care to the communities of Porter and Lake counties.
To continue to meet the needs of patients in surrounding communities, additional surgeons joined the practice. While the vision remained the same, the company quickly expanded and outgrew its Valparaiso location. In 2004, the organization opened an extensive central office in Chesterton. It was then that the Valparaiso Orthopedic Clinic became what is now known as Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute. With steadfast growth, the practice now proudly meets the orthopedic needs of patients throughout all of northwest Indiana and Chicagoland.
LBJI has since opened a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center located in Chesterton and eight additional offices throughout northwest Indiana. The orthopedic surgeons and specialists at LBJI have remained on the forefront of providing surgical and nonsurgical bone, joint and muscle care. Some of the services provided include minimally invasive spine surgery, fluoroscopically guided pain control, bone and joint resurfacing and advanced joint replacement procedures that decrease recovery time, which allow patients to return to the activities they love sooner. Additionally, multiple LBJI locations offer on-site advanced imaging services for superior diagnostics, including bone density scanning, digital X-rays and open MRI, which provides added comfort without compromise to quality. The providers understand the importance of utilizing a holistic approach to healthcare, and LBJI also offers specialty services in spine, foot, hand, sports medicine, osteoporosis, pain management and psychological care.
“We have been honored and privileged to provide specialized care to help area residents reclaim greatness in their lives,” states Dr. Thomas Kay, orthopedic surgeon and practice president at LBJI. “Our founders and current partners are from northwest Indiana and Chicago. We are fully invested in the continued health and welfare of our communities and look forward to continuing to provide advanced orthopedic services to our patients.”
While the practice of 3 founding physicians has since grown to include over 30 providers and 200 healthcare support staff, the framework for providing orthopedic care and mission of LBJI has remained the same: to provide excellence in musculoskeletal care to all of our patients, using state-of-the-art technology, with integrity and a spirit of compassion that encompasses all that we do.