Historic Omaha

involvement with Creighton University and the
University of Nebraska Medical Center. Since its
inception, it has taken on the responsibility of
orthopaedic teaching to medical students and
orthopaedic residents from CU and UNMC.
Several of its doctors have completed residencies
at the combined Creighton and University of
Nebraska residency program. As a symbol of the
firm’s longtime involvement, especially Dr.
Iwersen’s with the Creighton athletes, Creighton
named its strength room after Dr. Iwersen.
Through the years Drs. Gross, Iwersen,
Kratochvil & Klein P.C., provided orthopaedic
consultation and services for a wide range of
teams at many levels and different sports
including baseball, football, basketball and
hockey. At various times, they worked with
grade school teams at Christ the King and high
school teams at Creighton Prep and Gross
High, Creighton, UNO and the College of St.
Mary, the Omaha Lancers Hockey team, the
Omaha Mustang’s professional football team
and Omaha’s AAA baseball affiliate, the Omaha
Royals and the College World Series.
Many of the members of the group have also
been very active in the local and national medical
communities. Dr. Joseph Gross served as the
chief of staff at Bergan Mercy Hospital for three
years. Dr. Iwersen served as the chief of
orthopaedics at Creighton University and as the
orthopaedic consultant for the Omaha Royals
and Creighton University. Dr. Kratochvil served
as the president of the Mid-America Orthopaedic
Association, which has 1,500 members in 20
states. Both Kratochvil and Fitzgibbons have
served a number of years as the Nebraska
representative on the board of counselors of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In
addition, Dr. Michael Gross has practiced
orthopaedic surgery as a volunteer in countries
like Uganda, Bhutan, and Honduras for a month
each year for the last seven years.
Through it all Drs. Gross, Iwersen,
Kratochvil & Klein have remained on the
cutting edge of orthopaedic surgery practices
and techniques. Recently, Dr. Michael Gross,
presented his pioneering work on shoulder
joint replacement to the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons. His research focuses
on improving the quality and durability of a
shoulder replacement by improving the
cement fixation into the shoulder blade.
From a one-man office in downtown Omaha,
Drs. Gross, Iwersen, Kratochvil & Klein has
grown to become the largest group of
Orthopaedic Surgeons in Omaha. Its growth is
due to more than fifty years of following a simple
philosophy—provide the best orthopaedic care
possible and treat your patients in the manner in
which you yourself would want to be treated.
✧
Front row (from left to right): Drs. Timothy
Fitzgibbons, Bernard Kratochvil, Jack
McCarthy, and T. Kevin O’Malley. Back
row (from left to right): Drs. Erik Otterberg,
C. Michael Kelly, Jeffrey Tiedman,
David Huebner, Scott McMullen, and
R. Michael Gross.
QUALITY OF LIFE
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