Besides his role as chief orthopaedic surgeon at Lakeside Memorial Hospital, Dr. Michael E. Leit is also affiliated with Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He says Lakeside administrators have been incredibly supportive of the project to expand orthopaedic care at the Brockport hospital. “We can’t do everything here, but the things we do we want to do as well or better than anywhere else,” Leit said. Photograph by Walter Horylev.

Lt. Col. Michael E. Leit recounts military missions with pride and patriotism. His military career includes service in the Middle East.

Lakeside surgeon’s careers blend military and community service

As chief orthopaedic surgeon at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, Dr. Michael E. Leit says he welcomes the opportunities to provide specialized care to area communities large and small. His professional life blends the atmosphere of this small, suburban hospital and that of a big city medical center at the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital, each offering unique challenges in his field of expertise.

Leit and his wife, Candice, an attorney, come from families with proud traditions of service to the community and the country. Leit admits that it was never really a question whether he would live the life of a public servant. He probably couldn’t have guessed, however, where that life would take him.

The field of orthopaedics called him at a young age. Leit, who wrestled through high school, and earned a spot on the US Olympic team, fractured his wrist during a high school practice. As the pain began to set in, his instincts as a future physician took over.

Noticing that his arm was out of shape, Leit bent down, pulled his arm under one leg and jerked up on it. “The first wrist fracture I reduced was my own when I was 15,” he said.

Leit took that passion with him to Yale. There he earned four degrees including two master’s degrees, one in psychology and one in cell biology. From there he went to the University of Pittsburgh to do his residency. His first community service was as a public health servant.

In service to the country
The doctor wears two uniforms -- surgical scrubs and military garb. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, Leit is a decorated veteran who has participated in many missions.

Leit’s military career began in 1996 when he went into active duty and served as the chief of orthopaedic surgery for RAF Lakenheath in England. He then joined a mobile field surgery team that was responsible for providing medical support for military operations. It was during this time that Leit was selected to provide medical care for President Bill Clinton’s trip to Africa.

In 1999, he was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base and left the military in 2001 to enter private practice and join the National Guard as a special operations flight surgeon. Leit said he was called to active duty on September 11, 2001 and in 2002 was deployed to the Middle East with service in Afghanistan and Iraq. He recounts each mission with pride and patriotism.

During his military service, Leit has witnessed a lot of action, some he can not even speak about. While he has seen probably everything, Leit said the emotion never dulls.

“I don’t think you ever get accustomed to human suffering,” Leit said. “It is tough to reconcile an 18 year old who steps on a landmine.”

Intense challenges, but Leit hasn’t been one to shy away from taking the hard road. His military service is work in which he takes great pride.

“Serving in the capacities I have has given me the opportunity to, in some small way, positively impact the defense of the country and other peoples’ freedoms,” he said.

The road to Lakeside
During the summer of 2003, Leit came to Rochester to do a fellowship in hand, elbow and shoulder surgery at the University of Rochester. It was there that he was contacted by Lakeside representatives. Their efforts eventually brought him to the Brockport hospital to expand the orthopaedic surgery unit.

While Lakeside is a long way from the military front line, Leit said he is finding his current mission to be rewarding.

“The hospital was incredibly supportive. They threw all of their weight behind the project,” Leit said, adding that he is committed to the hospital’s goal to provide quality care close to home. It’s exciting, he said, that his unit is able to treat most patients at Lakeside without sending them on to a larger hospital. “We can’t do everything here, but the things we do we want to do as well or better than anywhere else,” Leit said.

When not at Lakeside, Leit serves as professor of orthopaedics at the University of Rochester and as a consultant on orthopaedic instruments and implants. He is also an accomplished author, having published more than 30 articles and book chapters on subjects in his expertise.

Christine Miller, Lakeside’s assistant vice president for Physicians Practice Management, said hospital administrators are excited to have Leit on board. “Dr. Leit is providing Lakeside with an invaluable service with his orthopaedic care,” Miller said. “We are fortunate to have Dr. Leit and the clinical expertise he brings to the health system as well as the community.”

While his careers up until now have taken him great distances, Leit said he’s happy with his ‘close to home’ Lakeside experience. His wife and four children enjoy Rochester and he has plans to continue building orthopaedic services at Lakeside.

“My family and I really enjoy living in the Rochester area,” Leit said. “I don’t even mind the snow.”