After 27 years of serving Columbus, Beaver Dam and surrounding communities as an orthopedic surgeon, specializing in joint replacement surgery, Robert Coe, MD retired in June of 2022.

“I like being part of a small community hospital,” said Dr. Coe “and I think that we have a very good one.”

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Dr. Coe grew up in Media, Pennsylvania, a town of just 10,000 people. 

Dr. Coe received a BA from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA and an M.D. from Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. He completed his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, CO and his Surgery Internship at Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI.

After nine years of active duty in the military, he moved to Wisconsin and began performing surgeries at Prairie Ridge Health in 1995. In 1998 opened the Family and Sports Orthopedic Center in Beaver Dam. In 2014 he joined the Prairie Ridge Health Clinic in both Columbus and Beaver Dam as part of the Prairie Ridge Health Center for Orthopedic Excellence.

“It really is just a coincidence that the abbreviation of the center’s name is PRCOE,” Dr. Coe said with a smile.  “Joint replacement wasn’t something that we were doing a lot of in the early days, so being a part of the development of the joint replacement program in Columbus was very rewarding. And having community members realize that we were doing things well here was huge.”

Along with the rapid evolution of medical technology and joint replacement, Dr. Coe was also part of the change on how patients recovered. “We had to change our outlook of keeping a patient in the hospital to recover and have them rehab more quickly and efficiently. We are now enablers, not disablers,” he explained. “Getting patients better more quickly was not always what the patients wanted, but it has proven to be more effective.”

“I’m going to miss the amazing teamwork in the OR and in the office,” said Dr. Coe. “Taking good care of people takes input, and we have a good team to provide it.”

Staying active is part of Dr. Coe’s plan for retirement. Skiing, golfing, and carpentry are just a few of his hobbies, in addition to traveling with his wife, Pat, of 44 years and spending time with his children and grandchildren. 

“I want to thank my family and give my wife the most credit. As a physician, you don’t get the family time that most people do. It’s great to have the time now to spend with my children and now their children.”