Julie Switzer M.D., FAOA

My specialties are fracture care in the elderly and upper extremity elective orthopedic care (primarily shoulder arthritis). I think it’s a privilege to be an orthopedic surgeon and to care for mostly older patients. My philosophy is to always treat my patients as I would want my parents, husband or daughter to be treated.

HealthPartners Medical Group title: Director, Geriatric Trauma Program, Regions Hospital; orthopedic surgeon.

Education and training: MD, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California; residency in orthopaedic surgery, University of Washington; fellowship in Vail in sports medicine and trauma, Vail, Colorado.

Overview/research interests: Dr. Switzer’s clinical and research interests include trauma, geriatric orthopedics and diseases of bone metabolism.

Current research activities and funding:

• Geriatric Fracture Program Quality Improvement and Assurance
• Geriatric Mobile Outreach, an intervention in a prospective cohort of patients
• Development of a Geriatric Fracture Registry
• Asymptomatic shoulder function in elderly individuals
• Elder abuse awareness and physician education
• Morbidity and mortality of geriatric proximal humerus fracture
• The role of palliative hip fracture surgery and family caregiver satisfaction