Fort HealthCare Welcomes New Orthopaedic Surgeon - Hand & Wrist Care Specialist - Matthew S. Bliss, MD

Fort HealthCare is pleased to welcome a new orthopaedic surgeon-hand and wrist care specialist to its team of providers. Matthew S. Bliss, MD joins orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine providers Isidoro Zambrano, MD and Paul Schuppner, DO at the Fort HealthCare Orthopaedic Associates clinic located at 1504 Madison Avenue in Fort Atkinson.

Dr. Bliss provides a full range of orthopaedic care for all ages with an emphasis on joint replacement surgery and treatment for injuries and nerve disorders of the upper extremities (hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists) including sports injuries, arthritis treatment, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, complex fracture management, and microvascular surgery.

Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Dr. Bliss has lived in Wisconsin for the past 15 years and counting, most recently at a practice in Madison. “I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. I spent my childhood camping and traveling throughout New Mexico with my parents exploring Native American pueblos, national parks, and the occasional trout stream with my Dad.”

“I attended college at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD majoring in Ocean Engineering, and then spent five years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force as a nuclear engineer stationed throughout the Pacific” He received military career honors including the Navy Achievement Medal with Gold Star, Navy Expeditionary Medal, and the National Defense Medal.

“After the Navy, I followed my father’s footsteps into medicine. I attended the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, and then completed a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. That was followed by a Fellowship (Hand and Microvascular Surgery) at the University of Cincinnati – Mary S. Stern Hand Surgery Foundation Hand Surgery Specialists in Ohio.”

Dr. Bliss also went on to earn a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, belongs to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

His specializing in hand care is supported well by the Certified Hand Therapists that see patients at Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport Center at the same building location in Fort Atkinson.

“It is critically important for me to take the necessary time with each patient to ensure they understand all treatment options for their arm or hand problem and then to set realistic expectations for each. When a patient is active in the decision-making regarding their treatment plan, their outcome (function, strength, and pain relief) is always maximized.”

Dr. Bliss strives to be a resource to his patients and colleagues regarding any upper extremity concern. His list of treatment areas include:

• Arthritis treatment
• Joint replacement of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other upper extremity nerve disorders
• Complex wrist and elbow fracture management
• Microvascular surgery
• Nerve, bone, skin, and tendon grafting
• Hand, wrist, and elbow trauma
• Tendon and nerve lacerations
• Benign and cancerous mass excision and reconstruction
• Congenital hand malformation treatment
• All pediatric upper extremity injuries
• Upper extremity sports injuries

“When not busy with our six children, my wife and I love to spend time win the kitchen making Jamaican cuisine and spoiling our tabby cat named Walter. We enjoy bike rides, yard work, and tossing the Frisbee on the beach in Miami.” Dr. Bliss is also fluent in Spanish.

Fort HealthCare Orthopaedic Associates is an expert team of board certified orthopaedic surgeon-specialists who, applying the sciences of medicine and the advanced technology of Fort HealthCare, are helping persons young and old return to their highest possible levels of wellness and health through education, consultation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and recovery – including injury prevention and rehabilitation in partnership with the Fort HealthCare Center for Joint Replacement and Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport Center teams.

Fort HealthCare participates in most insurance plans, including Dean Care, Dean Care Gold, Unity, Physicians Plus, MercyCare, Humana, United Healthcare, and more. For a complete listing, visit FortHealthCare.com/Insurance.

Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life, while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long term basis. For more information, visit FortHealthCare.com.