Arden Ballard II Joins North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center as Physician Assistant

Arden Ballard II, MS, PA-C, ATC, has joined North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center in Hammond as a Physician Assistant. Ballard will work alongside fellowship-trained Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Specialist Matthew C. Lafleur, MD.

Ballard brings 15 years of extensive experience as a PA to North Oaks gained while working across the Greater New Orleans area and Northshore in the specialties of orthopedics, sports medicine, urgent care, and industrial and occupational medicine. From 2006 to 2022, he also was a trackside athletic trainer and physician assistant for pro-racing supercross and motocross events put on by the American Motorcyclist Association in the U.S. and Canada.

“I have assisted professional athletes on their field of play, with their surgeries and helped rehabilitate them back to competition,” explains Ballard. “This has equipped me with knowledge of the entire spectrum of the healing process. There is nothing more enjoyable to me than helping my patients optimize their quality of life. It makes every day worth it.”

After graduating cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, Ballard earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Philadelphia University in Pennsylvania. He is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

“Joining the North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center team feels like coming home. I’ve had close ties to North Oaks since my days as an athletic training student at Southeastern,” notes Ballard. While at Southeastern, he also was a varsity cheerleader.

Physician Assistants are nationally certified, state-licensed medical professionals who practice on medical teams under the supervision of a physician. PAs are qualified to assist in surgery, take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, develop treatment plans, offer preventive care counseling, write prescriptions and round on hospitalized patients.

Ballard emphasizes the importance of patient collaboration, stating, “I’m very collaborative and approachable with my patients. At the end of the day, I want my patients to fully understand the plan of care and rest assured that any additional questions they have are welcome and will be answered in an easily understandable way.”

North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center’s Hammond clinic is located in Suite 100 of the North Oaks Clinic Building at 15813 Paul Vega, MD, Dr. Providers who practice in Hammond include: Foot and Ankle Specialist Patrick Barousse, MD, MPH; Spine Specialist Matthew C. Lafleur, MD; Total Joint and Trauma Specialist Vince Lands, MD; General Orthopedics and Total Joint Specialist Robert McAfee, MD; Hand and Wrist Specialist Nader Shourbaji, MD, MBA; Sports Medicine and Shoulder Care Specialists Steven Jones Jr., MD, and Jeffrey Witty MD; Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician Michelle Sliva, MD, MS; Physician Assistants Andrea Legendre, PA-C, and Marc Pitre, PA-C; and Nurse Practitioners Lindsey Hollywood, APRN, FNP-BC, Janet Morse, ANP-C; Jade Pizzo, FNP-C, and Rae Hebert, APRN, FNP-BC.

To schedule an appointment with North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center in Hammond, call (985) 230-2663 [BONE]. Hours of operation are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays. To learn more about the services and providers of North Oaks Orthopedic Specialty Center, call North Oaks Public Relations at (985) 230-6647.