After more than four decades of service, leadership, and compassionate patient care, we are honored to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Kenneth Butters. His career has helped shape our practice, supported generations of patients, and strengthened orthopedic care throughout our region.

A former college athlete, Dr. Butters attended medical school at the University of Louisville, completed his internship at Parkland Hospital, and pursued residency training at the University of Texas. He went on to complete two advanced fellowships, a Hand Surgery fellowship at Roosevelt Hospital and a Shoulder fellowship at the University of Texas. Before entering medicine, he served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force from 1972–1974, an experience that grounded his lifelong commitment to service and teamwork. Dr. Butters moved to Eugene to join Slocum, known at that time as the Orthopedic and Fracture Center, in 1981.

Throughout his tenure at Slocum, Dr. Butters contributed not only as a highly skilled surgeon, but as a leader, educator, and mentor. He participated in national societies dedicated to hand, shoulder, and elbow care, held management roles within the practice, and served as chief of surgery at a major hospital. His passion for teaching extended from the Oregon Health & Science University to the Orthopedic Learning Center, where he helped advance training for future orthopedic surgeons.

Within Slocum, Dr. Butters championed both traditional and reverse mentoring, recognizing that great clinical care comes from continuous learning across generations, disciplines, and backgrounds. His colleagues frequently describe his genuine interest in the personal and family lives of partners, a reflection of the compassion that shaped his clinical practice.

Dr. Butters also made a meaningful impact on the community through his work with University of Oregon Athletics, serving as an associate team physician as part of Slocum’s long-standing relationship with the Ducks. His involvement contributed to a partnership that has spanned decades and remains a cornerstone of Slocum’s identity in sports medicine.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Butters and his wife, Laura, have cultivated a rich and vibrant life. They tend to a backyard vineyard, enjoy cycling, bake bread, care for bees, and stay active in the culinary arts. As we celebrate Dr. Butters’ retirement, we honor his decades of exceptional care, leadership, and service. His contributions will remain part of Slocum’s foundation, and his influence will continue through the many clinicians, staff, and patients touched by his work. Please join us in thanking Dr. Kenneth Butters for 44 years of dedicated service and in wishing him a healthy, fulfilling, and well-earned retirement.