Accepting new patients

Lara C. Atwater, M.D.

Accepting new patients

  • Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine

Expertise

  • Orthopaedics and rehabilitation

Special focus

  • Foot and Ankle
  • Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation
  • Foot and Ankle Sports Injuries

Locations and contact

I see patients at

About me

Dr. Lara Atwater is a fellowship-trained Foot and Ankle Surgeon. She offers advanced treatment options and specialized care for a wide variety of foot and ankle injuries, conditions and disorders. Clinical interests include total ankle arthroplasty, minimally invasive surgical techniques, deformity correction and sports injuries. She treats fractures, arthritic conditions, and soft tissue injuries including ankle sprains and Achilles ruptures. During both residency and fellowship training, Dr. Atwater was mentored by Dr. Lew Schon, a top inventor and thought leader in the field of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Dr. Atwater graduated with a degree in American History at Princeton University. She attended Georgetown University Medical School where she was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), the medical honor society. Dr. Atwater completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at Johns Hopkins University, where as a Chief Resident she received the prestigious Miller Coulson Award for Clinical Excellence. She also was honored with the Byank Servant Leadership Award in Orthopaedics, an honor voted on by junior residents to recognize teaching and mentoring by a senior resident.

Following residency, Dr. Atwater completed a fellowship at the prestigious Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She has authored and published multiple peer-reviewed studies and book chapters, in addition to speaking at national conferences.  She is a reviewer of scientific articles for Foot and Ankle International, the flagship publication of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

Dr. Atwater chose to pursue her medical training at Georgetown University because the program was grounded in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. She chose a career in orthopaedics because it helps maximize patients’ quality of life.

When she is not working Dr. Atwater enjoys spending time with her young family, hiking, spin classes, outrigger canoe paddling, cooking/farmers markets and watching water polo games.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2007, Princeton University
    • M.D., 2012, Georgetown University School of Medicine

  • Residency

    • Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2018

  • Fellowship

    • Foot and Ankle Reconstruction, Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 2019

Memberships and associations:

  • American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Diplomate
  • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Fellow
  • American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Association, Active Member
Read faculty profile

Insurance

Before scheduling your appointment, we recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any copayments, co–insurance, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with OHSU providers, your out of pocket liability may be higher. Visit the billing and insurance section of our site for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 (153 Ratings, 72 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized NRC patient surveys.

  1. I was so impressed by how everyone was so friendly but straight to business. I was taken into the Dr. Office with in a few minutes. The Dr came in with in a few minutes. I didn't even have time to play a game on my phone. She is great and explained everything about my surgery and really put me at ease. Very happy with Dr. Atwater.

  2. I've worked with, and had orthopedic surgery by Miss Atwater previously and was extremely satisfied. This recent visit and our tentative plans for my R-foot problems look encouraging. I have a VERY high opinion of Miss Atwater in all regards.

  3. It's a very wonderful office to have come to. They are so accommodating and kind. And Dr. Atwater was extremely thorough with her explanations and listened to our concerns and I'm just very pleased.

  4. Dr. Atwater and her resident staff are always professional and kind. They listen carefully to my concerns and are responsive to my needs.

  5. Dr. Atwater was professional and knowledgeable but also relatable and a good listener. She gained my trust immediately. I would highly recommend her! She also had a great staff.I would like to give a shout out to Connie in your mychart office. She walked me through the procedure with kindness and humor!

  6. Very down to earth and professional at the same time. Bedside manners were amazing. Smart, knowledgeable, and felt like I was being heard.

  7. I felt that they did a really good job with me. They made me comfortable and everything went well. And they've done good follow-up with me. So I really appreciate it.

  8. Dr. Atwater was very professional and explained everything very thoroughly so that I could understand everything wrong with my ankle. I really appreciated her kindness and her good bedside demeanor.

  9. The doctor was really professional and really thorough and all the staff was just awesome. So, I was very impressed with the care I got with Dr. Atwater. Thank you.,

  10. I was seen by Dr Atwater's team to evaluate my left foot. I was able to share my surgical and mobility history. I appreciated the input given by Atwater. Surgery was not recommended. In the event of future problems, I would talk with Dr Atwater again.

  11. Dr Atwater is wonderful, very attentive and caring

  12. I felt that I was in expert hands.

  13. She was very knowledgeable and very polite and informative, explained everything in details. I was very pleased with the service provided.

  14. She was very helpful and knowledgeable about my foot

  15. Dr. Atwater is an excellent doctor. She's amazing. She's a great communicator, has wonderful bedside manner, is extremely helpful, and she did an absolutely fantastic job on my ankle. Give her a raise.

  16. Great , I was well cared for .

  17. My experience with this provider has been stellar! She is kind, empathetic, intelligent and professional. I have genuinely felt like I was receiving the best care. I would recommend this Dr and also the Hillsboro Orthopedic Clinic on Cornell Rd to anyone. I am very grateful and blessed, to have been referred to such an Amazing Dr/provider! Thanks for asking.

  18. Dr. Atwater was wonderful. She was really attentive and caring. I would recommend her to family members or OHSU to my family members.

  19. Dr Atwater and her staff were great -- knowledgable, friendly, and helpful. The office was clean and comfortable.

  20. Dr. Atwater is down to earth, clear and thorough in discussing options and their pros and cons, and is friendly. I left feeling confident that I had gotten all the information about my condition I need to make an informed decision about treatment.

  21. Dr. Atwater was personable, available and open in her responses to my concerns and needs. I appreciated her candor and recommendations. I came in apprehensive because of my ankle challenges but left very glad I opted for a second opinion.

  22. Yes, she was very professional. That was my first visit with her. I enjoyed hearing that she seemed to know what I was going through. Like I said, it was a brand new first meeting. I see a lot of doctors and I think she was quite professional and very polite. Thank you.

  23. Dr. Atwater always treats me like an equal, takes her time with me and answers all of my questions. Her staff is also extremely knowledgeable and patient.

  24. Dr. Atwater was very warm and comforting and I felt very well cared for in the entire process.

  25. Dr. Atwater took her time to explain everything and an answer my questions.

  26. Yes, I came to Dr. Atwater as a second opinion and it was totally different than my first appointment in Eugene. Dr. Atwater took the time to talk with me. She gave me lots of options of treatment. I thought she was trustworthy and very well spoken and very knowledgeable. I am so happy that I found her. She is the best doctor I have ever been to.

  27. Dr. Atwater is amazing. She listens. She's extremely helpful and has been extremely helpful in guiding my recovery. It has been a wonderful experience to deal with her.

  28. I like Lara a lot. She did an excellent job on my ankle. When faced with my train wreck of toes she was very thoughtful in proposing multiple options. As a scientist, I like that.

  29. She was an excellent listener, and very personable. Very knowledgeable. Would absolutely see her again if needed.

  30. Dr Atwater is wonderful - she is attentive and very good at explaining everything

  31. Just a routine checkup after surgery. Obtained answers to questions I had and causes of pain going forward.

  32. She was very friendly and listened to me and explained everything to me

  33. I hold Dr. Atwater in the highest regard. She is compassionate. She is truly a doctor that you would want on your staff. She's an amazing woman. I've only met her twice and I highly recommend her and I love the woman. She's amazing.

  34. Very attentive, Very informative, Giving us the opportunity to ask questions.,

  35. Very polite demeanor, takes the time to listen, and understand the pain I've been going through for years. She has my full trust. Thank you so much for letting me see Dr. Atwater.

  36. Dr Atwater has been very thorough in explaining what she thought was best for my issues. Very personable

  37. Excellent care and service from all teams

  38. Lara is great, we've got a lot of work to try and save my foot and she's continuing to dig in and work on the rebuild. I don't know anyone else I could go to in the area, I'd checked with other providers and nobody was willing to give it a shot.

  39. She asks questions about my ankle , the healing and mobility, and listened to my answers. She offered solutions and options for future consideration.

  40. Dr. Atwater is fabulous.

  41. on time and professional, listen to me and gave great feedback, office staff exceptional