RANDOLPH, Vt., Nov. 1, 2023—Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Douglass Weiss has joined Gifford’s Orthopedics team, seeing patients at Gifford Specialty Clinics in Randolph and at Sharon Health Center.
Weiss most recently provided care as a Commander with the United States Navy, based at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, N.C. His service included a six-month deployment in Afghanistan.
“It was an honor and privilege to care for military personnel and their families,” he said, adding that the experience “changes your perspective.”
Weiss, who treats a wide range of conditions and injuries, describes his philosophy of care as personalized and focused on maximizing outcomes.
“I treat patients with respect, and develop a rapport with them—how you’d want family members treated, whether it’s your 24-year-old nephew or your 8o-year-old dad,” he said. “I treat their condition and diagnosis appropriately to maximize their chance for a successful outcome using different modalities, operative and nonoperative.”
Weiss was drawn to a career in health care by a desire to help people.
“I wanted to better the lives of other people, while challenging myself to become proficient in the field of medicine and subsequently the field of orthopedics,” he said. “Orthopedics seemed a natural fit. I enjoy the diagnostic and treatment pathway that subsequently leads to a patient having a successful outcome.”
Weiss chose to provide care at Gifford, he said, because its mission aligns with his.
“I’ve had great opportunities over my career,” said Weiss, who also serves as a team physician with USA Hockey. “I spoke with the staff and administration here, and I felt it was a good fit. Gifford’s mission is in line with my goals of helping people. And I’m from New England, am familiar with this area, and prefer a community-minded hospital like Gifford.”
Weiss is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy Association of North America, New Hampshire Orthopaedic Society, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Medical Association. He recently served in the U.S. Navy, providing care in the Department of Orthopaedics, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, N.C. He completed fellowships in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine at Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., and Orthopaedic Surgery at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., where he also completed his residency. He earned his doctor of medicine degree from Dartmouth Medical School and completed his internship in general surgery at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H. Weiss’s service as a team physician for USA Hockey spans 15 years and includes coverage during several world championships. He also previously served as a team physician for U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
When not at work, Weiss enjoys the outdoors—running, hiking—and home renovation.
For more information about Orthopedics at Gifford, visit giffordhealthcare.org.
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Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester, and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; an adult day program; 49-unit independent living facility, and a nursing home. The hospital’s mission is to improve individual and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.
