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Meet the Docs: Dr. Pfefferle completed his orthopedic
residency at Summa Health and currently
Dr. Klaus completed his orthopedic makes his home in Canal Fulton. The
residency at Summa Health Tiffin, Ohio, native is married and has
and currently makes his home in three children, ages 6, 4 and 1.5.
Fairlawn. The Wadsworth,
Ohio, native is married and has three Kiel Pfefferle, M.D.
children, ages 6, 4 and 2. Total Joint Reconstruction
Derek Klaus, M.D. Why did you choose orthopedics as your specialty?
Hand and Upper Extremity
I feel that in the field of orthopedics I can help people
Why did you choose orthopedics as your specialty? on a daily basis, improve their quality of life and decrease
their pain. It gives me the ability to help someone walk
I chose orthopedics because I was an orthopedic patient again, fix their fracture or help their loved one.
myself as a high school and college wrestler. I saw first-
hand the positive impact that type of medical sub-specialty Why did you choose Summa Health?
could have in someone’s life.
I was able to spend five years at Summa Health during my
Why did you choose Summa Health? residency training and this allowed me to see firsthand
the patient-centered culture. All of my partners share the
I graduated from Wadsworth High School and I owe same passion for orthopedic care. At Summa, we have
everything to that community and region. All my teachers physicians within every specialty providing the highest
and coaches helped guide me in the right direction. My level of care for the community.
wife’s family is also from this area and I always planned on
coming back. How can people own their health?
My time at Summa Health helped me mature as an Patients have to take an active role in their health with
orthopedic surgeon. I’m excited about the opportunity things such as weight loss, stopping smoking, eating
to now be a mentor and educator through our residency better and maintaining an active lifestyle. My goal is
program. to maximize a patient’s health prior to surgery, getting
them as healthy as possible before we perform a joint
How can people own their health? replacement. That allows for a decreased complication
rate, faster recovery time and improved outcomes.
We have the resources available to help patients make
educated decisions about their health. Along with their What do you do for fun?
primary care physician, they can take charge of their health
and wellness. Whatever your issue is, you can come to the I spend the majority of my time outside of work playing
Summa Health Orthopedic Institute and we’ll work together with my kids, but I’m also an avid deer hunter and a big
as a team, surgical and nonsurgical, to meet your specific fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
treatment needs.
What do you do for fun?
I love being outdoors, whether it’s grilling or smoking meat,
or just walking through the local trails with my family. I’m
also excited that I have time now to coach one of my kids’
soccer teams. I also love the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Thrive - Fall 2016 5
