Decatur County Memorial Hospital expands orthopedic care close to home

Decatur County Memorial Hospital will add Kalen Farr, DPM, to its Greensburg practice on July 6, bringing what the hospital says is the first new orthopedic care option of its kind in the region. Farr is a fellowship-trained podiatric surgeon who specializes in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, including Achilles tendon and ankle ligament repair, fracture care, bunion and hammertoe correction, and complex foot-and-ankle reconstruction.

The addition builds on DCMH’s existing orthopedic partnership with Southern Indiana Orthopedics on the DCMH campus, where patients already seek treatment for chronic joint pain, sports injuries, arthritis and fractures. The hospital has also used Dr. Douglas J. Federle and Dr. Eric Tannenbaum in its orthopedic outreach and education efforts, signaling a broader service line that reaches beyond one provider’s schedule.

For Decatur County residents, the practical change is that more specialty care will be available close to home instead of sending patients to other regional providers for every step of evaluation and treatment. That matters most for older adults with arthritis, workers recovering from fractures, athletes with repeat ankle injuries and families trying to line up appointments without long drives out of county.

The new service fits into the hospital’s recent investment in space and equipment. DCMH opened its Rehabilitation and Medical Offices building in 2024, a 26,000-square-foot, two-floor facility with orthopedics and sports medicine on the first floor and on-site X-ray. The hospital held a ribbon cutting for the building in 2024, then began using the space to concentrate rehab and specialty care in one place.

DCMH tied the expansion to its Community Health Needs Assessment, which said the facility and services were meant to improve access to orthopedic care closer to home. Interest has already been strong. The hospital said its 2025 Total Joint Day drew a record number of registrations, and the event offered free screenings and education for adults with knee, hip or shoulder pain, along with free X-ray access for patients who needed it.

Founded in 1922, Decatur County Memorial Hospital is a county-owned, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit hospital serving Greensburg and Decatur County. With Farr joining Southern Indiana Orthopedics on July 6, the hospital is adding another layer to a service line built around local access, same-campus imaging and specialty care that residents can reach without leaving town.