Our History
Olympia Orthopaedic Associates was founded by Dr. John Coker in 1972. Two years later he was joined by Dr. Jerome H. Zechmann and the following year by Dr. Alan Roser at the Medical Resource Center on Ensign Road.
The community continued to grow and in 1982 Dr. Kenneth Partlow, III, joined this patient focused team. In 1993, Dr. Jerome H. Zechmann retired and passed his practice onto his son, Dr. Jerome P. Zechmann. Two-years later Founder, John Coker, retired and P. Brodie Wood, MD, joined the practice to continue the tradition of providing excellence in orthopedic care in Olympia.
The reputation of the Group continued to grow as well as the population. As the patient demands grew from the outlying regions, so did the needs for more progressive treatment. In 1997, the addition of Drs. Anthony Agtarap, Steven Snow, Patrick Halpin, and Spine Specialist, Clyde Carpenter, allowed the practice the opportunity to expand to two Olympia locations for greater patient convenience.
In 1998 Dr. Alan Roser retired, leaving behind the legacy of providing excellent, patient centered care with those physicians who followed him. That same year, the Group began providing patients with state-of-the art in-house extremity Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans for quicker and more efficient diagnostic capability. In 2001 four more experienced Orthopedists, Drs. Dennis Smith, Thomas Helpenstell, William Peterson, and Hand Specialist Ghalib Husseini became associated with the growing practice. Olympia Orthopaedic Associates opened its third clinical office in Tumwater in 2002. Additionally, at this new location, the Group constructed a state-of-the-art Ambulatory Surgery Center dedicated to offering our patients the alternative of same-day-surgery in a more convenient and personalized surrounding.
In 1993, the practice added a larger Full-Body “Open MRI” which provides a wider range of diagnostic capability than the extremity MRI. 2005 found the practice dramatically expanding their capacity by moving into a new, modern and more efficient Eastside facility. In that same year, the practice also installed Computerized Radiography in all clinic sites. This advancement allowed us to provide patients with a quicker, more efficient way to prepare, store, and share their x-rays with their primary care physicians.
The area’s demand for quality orthopedic care has continued to grow dramatically. Continuing to be pro-active in meeting the patient’s needs, the practice has added Certified Physician Assistants at each clinic location to work under direct supervision of the physicians and facilitate a timely team approach to comprehensive quality care. In 2007, an additional state of the art “whole body” MRI was installed to providing quicker and more detailed scans.
In 2004, Olympia Orthopaedic Associates was awarded a “Superior Practices Award” by the Medical Group Management Association proving that Olympia Orthopaedic Associates continues its commitment to quality orthopedic care in a patient focused environment.
