About Us

Background and Development

Drs. David Palmer and Robert Meisterling joined forces in 1977 in Stillwater, MN to create St.Croix Orthopaedics, P.A., recognizing the need for quality orthopaedic services in the St.Croix Valley region. In October of 1977, Dr.Palmer began seeing patients at Lakeview Hospital, while construction on St. Croix Orthopaedics’ first office building was being completed. Dr.Meisterling went on to pursue a Fellowship in Sports Medicine, returning to join Dr.Palmer in July of 1978. In the interim, the new Clinic site opened its doors in January 1978; it was located at Highway36 and Greeley Street.

While this Clinic site remained the practice’s location for five years, it became apparent that the space needs were becoming insufficient for the increasing growth of the practice. Plans for a larger facility at the Clinic’s current location on Curve Crest Boulevard were developed and in December 1982, the physicians began seeing patients at its new building.

Expansion into the Maplewood, MN area was developed in 1987, when the Clinic opened its Beam Avenue site, adjacent to the growing HealthEast-St.John’s Hospital. The expansion continued in 1998 with the addition of clinic space and a surgery center at High Pointe Health Campus in Lake Elmo, MN. In 2000, the Woodwinds clinic location in Woodbury, MN was opened and our growth continued. In 2002, the Maplewood Clinic site was remodeled to expand our ability to service our patients.

The expansion continued with the addition of several more physicians. This was vital to ensure the growth, stability and expansion of sub-specialty services at SCO. Space constraints became a major concern, so in April of 2002, the administrative offices were relocated to the Northwestern Avenue South in Stillwater, MN. Subsequently, the Curve Crest location was remodeled in 2003 and an MRI suite with C-arm capabilities, St. Croix Imaging, was added at the Curve Crest Avenue So, Stillwater, MN in 2005.

Throughout this history and at the present time, St. Croix Orthopaedics, P.A. has maintained a strong dedication to serve the Western Wisconsin region of the St.Croix Valley. The physicians have developed outreach service sites at several community clinics/hospitals, including: Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center, Wyoming, MN and Amery, Baldwin, Hudson, New Richmond, Osceola, and River Falls in Wisconsin.

With this continued growth and practice development, the physicians have developed one of the most respected orthopaedic practices in the region. This has been maintained through a strong commitment to deliver quality orthopaedic care within the communities we serve. Leading edge orthopaedic care has permitted the physicians to gain national recognition throughout the entire patient population spectrum – from infant to elderly; from chronic to acute; from beginning to professional sports athlete.