Stephen Plachta, MD - Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon - Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

I am a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Memorial Healthcare System. I care for patients (children, teens and adults) with spinal concerns including spinal deformity, scoliosis, kyphosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and injuries due to trauma.
I am dual fellowship trained in pediatric orthopedics and comprehensive and complex spinal care. I am also interested in limb deformity and neuromuscular disease.
I always knew I wanted to be a surgeon and had a passion for working with children. But it wasn’t until mentors in medical school encouraged me to consider orthopedics that I considered the specialty. After experiencing a scoliosis procedure - witnessing the collaborative team effort and the impact of the procedure on the patient - that I knew I had found my place in medicine.
Now, I’m committed to following in the footsteps of my mentors, including their commitment and devotion to their patients, their clinical and research efforts, and advancing the field of spinal care.
Like many of the physicians at Memorial, I always offer the care to my patients that I would want for my own family. First and foremost, I want my patients to know that I am here to listen, answer questions, and explain everything in detail to make sure you understand everything that is going on. If something comes up that requires a more collaborative approach with other specialists, which can happen with complex cases, I will do everything necessary to help them find the care that they need and deserve.
One of my favorite parts of my job is working with children. Kids have an incredible tenacity to recover and get back to their normal life and daily routine. They’re also brutally honest and an overall joy to be around. It is so motivating know that every day, I can have a positive impact on a young child, as well as their family, that is going to last a lifetime.
I am also always amazed by parents' commitment and resolve to ensure the best care and outcomes for their child. Working with parents has fostered my philosophy: "it's never enough, and it's never too late."
In addition to caring for patients and working with families, I am also passionate about teaching and helping to make healthcare more accessible to people around the world. I want to use the incredible privilege of my education to advance meaningful solutions to healthcare problems at home that can scale around the world.