Joseph “Merle” Schrodt, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and community leader in Illinois, passed away on Friday, March 17, 2023, at the age of 85.
Vietnam Vet and Community Man Joseph Schrodt Dies at 85
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Remembrances#obituary#josephschrodt
Dr. Schrodt served the residents of Decatur, Illinois, and surrounding communities for many years as an orthopedic surgeon from 1970 until he retired. He also held many leadership positions both in orthopedics and in the communities he served.
Schrodt served on the Board of Counselors of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, chairman of the Crossing Healthcare Board, president of the Decatur Memorial Hospital Board and the president of the Macon County Medical Society. For over 30 years, he served as the team physicians for Millikin University sports team.
He served on the Warrensburg-Latham School Board, where his three children attended school, as well as on the Richland Community College Foundation Board and the Millikin University Board. He also spent time as a board member for the Soy National Bank and the Life Foursquare Church.
Schrodt received his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School where he graduated in 1963. He then completed his medical residency in St. Louis before serving in the Vietnam War as a Captain in the United States Air Force, Strategic Air Command.
Afterwards, he did his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois in 1970.
Schrodt was born on August 15, 1937, in Canton, Illinois, to Frances Veronica Schrodt and Ivan Verle Schrodt. He was the second of four sons.
He attended Sullivan High School in Sullivan, Illinois, and then went to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for his Bachelor of Arts.
He married his first wife Martha Marie Highland shortly after graduating from college on September 5, 1959. They were married for 46 years until her passing in 2005. Schrodt met his second wife, Ardath Hazelrigg in December 2006 and they married in the summer of 2007.
Schrodt is survived by his wife Ardath, his three children: Teresa Puskedra, Keith Schrodt and David Schrodt; grandsons: Luke Puskedra, Robert Puskedra, Samuel Schrodt and Noah Schrodt; and great-granddaughters: Sasha, Penelope, Payton and Layla. He was preceded in death by his grandson, Joseph Puskedra.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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