Dr. Marvin Kym Leading the Team in Expanding Access to Exceptional Orthopedic Care
Gritman Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Marvin Kym always wanted to be a helper.
“Since fourth-grade, you kind of fall into a niche, into a pattern of loving sciences, loving people,” Dr. Kym said of why he first became interested in medicine. “My father’s a pastor so I’ve always been around the helping professions my whole life, so it’s just one of those things that’s a pretty natural progression for me.”
Dr. Marvin Kym, M.D.
The longtime specialist joins Gritman Orthopedic Surgeons to build upon our hospital’s already robust orthopedic program. Dr Kym, who most recently practiced in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, has been an orthopedic surgeon for nearly three decades.
“If people can’t walk, they have pain, they’re unable to do the activities that they love to do, orthopedics can help that,” he said. “With the ability to help people function better, I think we can bring that to this community.”
The orthopedic specialty rises out of Dr. Kym’s natural tendency as a mechanically-inclined person. He likes to work in his woodshop and tinker on mechanical projects, making things work better as a mechanic and as an orthopedic surgeon at Gritman.
Kym and Huffman have operated together for nearly two decades, benefiting patient care and recovery more by working together than either could on their own.
Huffman describes the pair as always working on the same treatment page.
“He is intentional, methodical, would never compromise on care,” she said. “And I love that we can work as team and it never has to be thought about whether we’re doing the right thing for the patient in that moment, or bringing the best care possible.”
Providing that exceptional care requires those one-on-one discussions between surgeon and patient to determine if surgery is the best option, or if physical therapy through Gritman Therapy Solutions or pain management through our Interventional Pain Clinic might be a better solution. It all starts with a conversation with the patient, surgeon and primary care provider, confirming the correct diagnosis and applying the right care plan from the beginning.
The well-known team of Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Marvin Kym and Orthopedic Certified Nurse Practitioner Sunshine Huffman brings experienced surgical care to our already-robust orthopedic care program. “I tell people, I don’t need you to let me do surgery on you,” he said. “I need you to understand your process. And I need to be successful in educating you in what’s best for you. If at the end of the discussion they continue to think not having surgery is what’s best for them, we want what’s best for them and we want them to be confident in that.”
Having recovered from injuries of his own as an avid skier, hiker and mountain enthusiast, Dr. Kym knows how important it is to have that comprehensive orthopedic care close to home—and close to friends and family—all with a goal toward healing and recovery.
“I think care of our patients as close to our support systems as possible is very important to healing and I think Gritman is making a lot of good strides in that here on the Palouse,” he said.
That tight-knit team approach, combined with compassionate expertise and the advanced technology available through the Gritman system, are among the motivators for Dr. Kym and Huffman in bringing their practice to Gritman and the greater Palouse region.
Gritman Orthopedic Surgeons operates from the Gritman Medical Park, 2301 W. A St., Moscow. Learn more at gritman.org/orthopedic.
The Gritman Orthopedic Surgeons team excels at total joint replacement, revision surgery, sports injuries and procedures for chronic pain. Meet Dr. Marvin Kym with Gritman Orthopedic Surgeons
