Michael P Hawkinson, MD

Army-trained orthopaedic surgery, close to home

Before he came to VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital, Michael P. Hawkinson, M.D., practiced orthopaedic surgery in places far from, and far different than, Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. He served on an Army forward surgical team deployed to Iraq, at a hospital in Germany and at Georgia’s Fort Benning. During his tenure, Dr. Hawkinson provided medical care to United States Service members from Africa to the Arctic.

The range of injuries Dr. Hawkinson saw during his early career — in soldiers, their families and civilians —shaped the surgeon he is now. “I learned to stay calm under pressure and problem solve, skills that help me daily as a surgeon,” he says.

In Tappahannock, Dr. Hawkinson treats musculoskeletal trauma and degenerative joint conditions. This includes hip and knee arthritis and joint replacement, trauma and sports injuries of the shoulder, knee and ankle, and fractures of all kinds, with both surgical and nonsurgical options. His clinical interests also include joint preservation, shoulder and knee reconstruction and arthroscopic surgery.

Offering that range of expertise in Tappahannock means the patients who need it do not have to go far. “I want to provide local treatment for complex orthopaedic problems, so busy and hardworking people don’t have to spend all their time traveling to other locations,” Dr. Hawkinson says. “My family and I are a part of the community of the Northern Neck and the Middle Peninsula; I want to take care of my community.”

Orthopaedic care at Tappahannock Hospital is a team effort. Dr. Hawkinson works closely with internal medicine, primary care, physical therapy and occupational therapy — both within VCU Health and outside it — so patients are set up for rehabilitation and recovery. Patients describe him as easy to talk to and willing to take the time to explain what a procedure such as knee replacement involves and what follow-up will look like.

Dr. Hawkinson earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and his medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. At the latter, he received the Army Surgeon General’s Award, given to the graduating student who best exemplifies the standard of a military medical officer. He completed his internship and orthopaedic surgery residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center, serving as academic chief resident, and later was a visiting fellow in trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the Royal London Hospital.

Along with being board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Hawkinson is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. The Army recognized his care of patients during two mass casualty events and his leadership as the Chief of Orthopaedics at both Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and Martin Army Community Hospital in Ft Benning, GA.

As an assistant clinical professor in VCU’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Hawkinson teaches physician assistant students in the clinic and the operating room. His current research looks at using point-of-care ultrasound to confirm the alignment of severe ankle fractures during treatment.

Dr. Hawkinson’s advice to patients is to view the operation as the beginning, not the end: “Successful surgery is only part of the road to recovery. Patients need to do their part in eating well, taking care of themselves and working with therapy to realize their full recovery potential.”

Outside of work, Dr. Hawkinson and his wife, Jennie, have four children. They spend their free time on youth sports, water skiing and fishing on the Rappahannock River.