Sometimes, a visit to the doctor can significantly change one’s life.
Orthopedic physician Dr. William Payne shared an inspiring story: ‘I had a patient come in who was in a wheelchair, who couldn’t walk. But now the patient is able to dance. That’s why I’m doing this. Things like that inspire you to want to help as many people as you can.’
Dr. Payne, who resides in Flossmoor and works with Specialty Physicians of Illinois, has positively impacted countless patients’ lives.
He remarked, ‘I can’t make you an Olympic athlete if you weren’t one, but if you want to ice skate with your friends, I can help you get back there.’
Originally from Compton, California, Dr. Payne moved to Flossmoor 26 years ago with his wife, Tina, and their two sons, William and Chris.
Dr. Payne expressed his sense of community: ‘I love the fact that I live, work, and play in the same community. When I help take care of a person, I expect to see them at church or in the grocery store. I’m mindful that these are my neighbors and friends, and I want the best for them.’
His colleague, Dr. Leonard Robinson, noted, ‘Dr. Payne has been a colleague of mine for over 20 years. His professionalism and expertise in orthopedics have been indispensable to my internal medicine patients. He has been a pillar to this community, and we are extremely proud to have him.’
Dr. Payne’s education includes attending UCLA for medical school, an internship at Harvard-UCLA Medical Center, a residency at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles, and a spine fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
Throughout his career, he has witnessed many advancements in orthopedic medicine, such as robotic surgery, computer technology, and minimally invasive techniques. He performs about 30 surgeries each month.
Dr. Payne stated, ‘I love doing surgery. I also love the immediacy of what we do. When a bone is broken, you see that it’s fixed right before your eyes.’
His passion for orthopedics can be attributed to his uncle, an orthopedic surgeon who had a significant influence on him: ‘I could see someone who looked like me who was doing it.’
Dr. Payne emphasized the breadth of orthopedic care: ‘You treat the full spectrum…from cradle to grave. You treat men, women, children, and adolescents. I like helping people restore lifestyles to live their best version of their own life.’
Recently, he has noticed trends in sports injuries among female soccer players, including an increase in ACL injuries, as well as pickleball injuries, such as torn rotator cuffs. He has also observed changes in car accident injuries, with modern safety features leading to fewer long bone injuries and more foot, ankle, and hand injuries.
A major trend in healthcare is shifting towards outpatient surgery, which allows less invasive procedures with quicker recovery times. For instance, patients can now often go home the same day following hip and spine surgeries, thanks to improvements in pain management.
In general, Dr. Payne says that if spine surgery can improve quality of life, it is worth considering for patients.
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