Main office
Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance
Columbia
1050 N James Campbell Blvd. Suite 200
Columbia, TN 38401
Orthopedic surgery in Columbia
For referring physicians
How to refer a patient to Dr. Hunter.
For physicians
Referring a patient
Dr. Lee Hunter practices hand, wrist, and elbow orthopedics in Columbia, Tennessee, and is affiliated with Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Campbell Clinic and earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
His practice centers on a defined set of conditions: trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, fractures, and tendon injuries of the hand, wrist, and elbow. For trigger finger, Dr. Hunter offers an in-office, sutureless digit release, allowing appropriate candidates to avoid a formal operating-room procedure.
That focus, paired with his Campbell Clinic residency training, is the basis for referring trigger finger, carpal tunnel, and other hand and wrist cases to his practice. More on his training and background is available, and the criteria for referring by condition and urgency are detailed separately.
Dr. Hunter is accepting new patients.
Training and credentials
Education and training
Medical school at University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Residency at Campbell Clinic.
- ResidencyCampbell ClinicOrthopaedic Surgery Residency
- Medical schoolUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterDoctor of Medicine
- Board statusAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryBoard certified
For physicians
Which hand, wrist and elbow patients should I refer to Dr. Hunter?
Trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand and wrist arthritis, upper extremity fractures, and tendon injuries make up the core referral base for Dr. Hunter's practice in Columbia.
Dr. Hunter completed orthopaedic surgery residency at Campbell Clinic and limits his practice to the hand, wrist and elbow, so referred patients are evaluated specifically for those conditions rather than triaged generally. For trigger finger, Dr. Hunter offers an in-office, sutureless trigger digit release, an option worth flagging before a referral is routed to a surgical center for the same complaint. Measurable urgency thresholds for each condition, including which findings warrant a same-week referral, are set out in the practice's referral guide for physicians.
For physicians
What should accompany the referral?
Send the clinical note, any imaging already obtained, and a summary of conservative treatment tried to date.
For hand and wrist complaints this means duration of symptoms, exam findings such as grip strength or provocative test results, and whether splinting, activity modification, or injection has already been attempted and with what result. For fractures, send the films themselves rather than only the read. A referral that arrives without this information still gets scheduled, but the first visit is spent gathering what could have come with the chart.
For physicians
How do I reach Dr. Hunter's practice to refer a patient?
By phone or fax directly to the Columbia office; no prior phone consult is required before sending a referral.
The practice, affiliated with Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, is currently accepting new patients, including direct referrals from primary care and emergency medicine. For complex or borderline cases, Dr. Hunter's training and clinical focus, detailed on his profile, can help a referring office decide whether a case fits before the chart is sent.
For physicians
What happens during the first visit after a referral to Dr. Hunter?
The visit centers on confirming the referring diagnosis, not starting over.
Dr. Hunter examines the hand, wrist, or elbow directly, reviews any imaging or records sent ahead of the appointment, and discusses the exam findings with the patient before any treatment plan is proposed. His residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the Campbell Clinic concentrated on hand, wrist, and elbow conditions, and that focus shapes how the visit is structured: patients referred for trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, fractures, or tendon injuries are seen for that specific problem rather than a general orthopaedic intake. More on his training is on the physician profile.
For physicians
How are exam findings and treatment plans sent back to the referring office?
A written summary follows every visit.
It states the confirmed diagnosis, the exam findings, and the recommended next step, whether that is continued observation, a non-surgical option, or a procedure. For a confirmed trigger finger diagnosis, that next step is often in-office, sutureless trigger digit release, a technique Dr. Hunter performs without a hospital or surgical-center visit. The summary goes to the referring physician on record, not just to the patient's chart.
For physicians
Does Dr. Hunter coordinate ongoing follow-up with the referring physician?
Most patients return to the referring physician's care once the hand, wrist, or elbow issue is resolved or stabilized.
Dr. Hunter's office handles any follow-up tied directly to the treated condition, such as post-procedure checks after trigger digit release, and sends a closing note back to the referring physician when that phase ends. If a new or related hand, wrist, or elbow concern comes up later, the referral criteria guide outlines when another referral is appropriate.
2 locations
Our offices
Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance
Spring Hill
2160 Reserve Blvd. Suite 100
Spring Hill, TN 37174
Appointments
Ready to talk about your hand, elbow and wrist?
Call the office or request an appointment. Accepting new patients.