Our Providers
Michael J. Krnacik, MD, PhD
Dr. Krnacik specializes in joint replacement, sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, and fracture care.
With both medical and doctoral degrees hanging on his wall, there is no question Dr. Michael Krnacik is a man of science. In fact, had his career path not taken a surprising turn early on, he might well be spending his days in a research lab instead of caring for patients.
But despite his extensive science background and the fact he relies on it daily to identify and solve the bone- and joint-related problems his patients bring to him, Dr. Krnacik often expresses what he does in more basic terms.
“Diagnosing and treating my patients’ conditions, of course, requires a very scientific approach,” he says. “But I also view what I do as a trade, in many ways not really different from, say, a plumber or carpenter. I work with my hands and tools to fix problems.”
The mechanical nature of orthopedics is certainly a natural fit for the Michigan native, who did a lot of tinkering on cars, even electrical work, when he was going through school. He considers himself an orthopedic generalist, as opposed to focusing in the care of conditions of one or two joints.
“I like the variety of patients I see and problems I have to solve,” he says. “I take a people-oriented, scientific approach to what I do. You really have to listen to what patients are telling you about their condition. Then you use your knowledge, which you keep up to date by following literature and pursuing continuing education, to provide them with the most advanced care possible.”
Dr. Krnacik wound up in Roseburg after following the advice of a colleague and putting the decision where to relocate in the hands of his wife. “He said if my wife was happy where we lived, I’d be happy. That was sage advice,” says the father of two girls. “We’ve been very happy here.”
In his spare time, Dr. Krnacik enjoys mountain biking, horseback riding and other outdoor activities.
SPECIALITIES
- Joint replacements
- Sports injury
- Hand surgery
- Fracture
- American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons
- Oregon Medical Board
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI – Orthopedic Surgery
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
- American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
- Oregon Association of Orthopedic Surgery
Sandesh Pandit, MD
Dr. Sandesh Pandit joined Umpqua Orthopedics in 2013, adding primary care sports medicine credentials to our community. Dr. Pandit specializes in non-operative solutions to athletic injuries such as ultrasound-guided injections, ultrasound examinations, and concussion care.
As far back as Dr. Sandesh Pandit can remember, he was determined to be a physician. Growing up in Nepal, he got to see his grandfather, a traditional healer, work with patients on a regular basis.
“I saw first-hand how satisfying the healing profession could be,” Dr. Pandit says.
He’s not sure if that planted the seed for his future profession or just nurtured it. He just knows, “No other profession ever crossed my mind.”
Dr. Pandit describes himself as a “kind-hearted” person, which made a medical career feel like an almost automatic choice for him. His love of sports, particularly soccer, made his focus on sports medicine equally natural. He treats people with a wide range of conditions, many who have suffered sports-related injuries, but also others who need treatment for other bone-related issues, like osteoarthritis.
Dr. Pandit doesn’t perform surgeries so, when necessary, he works with his surgical colleagues to provide efficient and coordinated care. But, he adds, “90 percent of sports injuries don’t require a surgical solution.”
He says the most rewarding aspects of his practice are helping patients get better and regain functions lost because of an injury or ailment, and working with young athletes to help them return to their sports safely after an injury.
He and his wife have two children. He enjoys taking road trips, playing sports with his children, continuing to educate himself through reading and serving as the team physician for Roseburg High School football and soccer.
SPECIALITIES
- Sports injuries
- Diagnostic ultrasound
- Concussion management
- Ultrasound-guided injections
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy
- Board-certified sports medicine
- Registered in musculoskeletal sonography
- Oregon Medical Board
- Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- University of Missouri, Columbia, MO – family practice
- Saint Vincent Health System, Erie, PA - Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship
- American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
- American Board of Family Medicine
- American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
- American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons
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