Philip Heath Gattey MD, Renowned Great Plains Surgeon Dies Age 67

Philip Heath Gattey, M.D., a well-known orthopedic surgeon in the Great Plains of north central United States and south central Canada, passed away on July 12, 2023 in Bismark, North Dakota, just 800 miles—which, given the distances that characterize the Great Plains, was a mere days drive—from where he grew up in Calgary, Alberta.

Dr. Gattey was a Great Plains surgeon whose specialty was the complex cases that most orthopedic surgeons pass on.

Philip Heath Gattey, earned his medical degree from the University of Saskatchewan Medical School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He completed his orthopedic residency and fellowship in Toronto between 1985 and 1986.

After completing his training, he opened an orthopedic practice in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, a community of some 30,000 people located along the Trans-Canadian railway in southern Saskatchewan. He served Moose Jaw and surrounding communities from 1986 to 1993.

Dr. Gattey then joined a group practice in Prince George, British Columbia, and stayed there from 1993 to 1995. Before retiring in 2016, Dr. Gattey moved to Bismark, North Dakota, where he treated patients at MedCenter One Orthopedic.

Dr. Gattey was born on November 21, 1956, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

He and his wife, Marcie Knox had four children. Overall, the family lived in Saskatoon, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Moose Jaw, Prince George, and finally Bismarck.

Besides his love of medicine, Gattey also enjoyed fixing up the house, tending the garden, reading—especially about history.

He is survived by his children: son, Nathan Gattey; daughter, Lynelle Kolden; son Evan Gattey and son Jared Gattey.

He also leaves behind his 11 grandchildren and his brother Kevin. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marcie, his mother and father, and his brother Scott.