People news: Community Memorial Hospital adds orthopedic surgeon to staff

HAMILTON, N.Y. — Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richelle Takemoto has joined the staff at Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Hamilton, the hospital announced.

Takemoto is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who completed fellowship training in orthopedic trauma. She specializes in comprehensive fracture care, post-traumatic reconstruction, and total joint arthroplasty of the shoulder, knee, and hip. In February 2022, she was the first female surgeon in the world to use the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution and developed a robotic surgery program at CMH. She will continue to expand that service as part of the CMH team, the hospital said.

She began seeing patients March 13 in her office at the north end of the CMH campus, near the Reid Athletic Center at Colgate University. Prior to joining CMH, Takemoto worked with a local orthopedic surgical practice.

“I am very committed to serving the patients of our community and believe that partnering with the hospital will help to better support patient care,” Takemoto said in a press release. “My goal is to provide efficient, high-quality care for our community that will remain in place long after my career. I am dedicated to providing excellent, quality orthopedic services and working collaboratively with the entire orthopedic surgical team providing services at Community Memorial.”

Takemoto earned her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College in 1999 and is a graduate of Temple University School of Medicine, where she earned her medical degree in 2002. She completed a residency in orthopedic surgery from NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City under the tutelage of renowned surgeon Dr. Joseph Zuckerman.