Today we’re happy to feature an interview with the latest physician addition to the Azalea Orthoteam, Dr. David Kummerfeld, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating shoulders and elbows.
Although Dr. Kummerfeld comes to Azalea via Los Angeles, he is no stranger to Tyler. Dr. Kummerfeld was born and raised here and is a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School, where he was a member of the cross country team.
He completed his undergraduate, medical degree and residency in Texas, and then spent the last year in Los Angeles where he completed a fellowship in shoulder and elbow reconstruction.
He is happy to be back in Tyler and raise his two girls, Paige, 3, and Lilly, 5, with his wife Katy in his hometown. He isn’t the only Kummerfeld in Tyler, either.
His father, Dr. Kenneth Kummerfeld is a local cardiologist, and his brother Nathaniel is a prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tyler.
Welcome back to Tyler!
Thanks, it’s good to be home and practicing medicine in a place I love.
What brought you back to Texas?
After my fellowship, we knew we would settle down in Texas. Besides my family living here, my wife Katy is an eighth generation Texan; one of her ancestors fought in the battle of San Jacinto. It wasn’t an option to be anywhere else other than Texas.
So shoulders and elbows are your specialty?
I can treat a wide range of orthopedic issues, but I am specializing in shoulder and elbow reconstruction. I just finished a fellowship in those areas with Dr. John Itamura, who is a team physician for the University of Southern California and UCLA sports teams, among other things.
I’m sure the athletes of Tyler will be glad to hear that! I’ve heard church is a big part of your life, can you tell me about that?
When I lived in Galveston I was a deacon at our church. My wife and I have also taught Sunday school in the past. Faith is something very important to us. We haven’t chosen a church yet here in Tyler but my wife and I are trying some out.
What other things do you do outside of work?
Well with my two girls I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I lived closer to the ocean I liked to surf. Here in Tyler we’ve got some great lakes nearby, and I’ve substituted surfing for paddle-boarding. I am also looking forward to wake surfing, which is surfing closely behind a boat in the biggest part of the wake.
I also like to homebrew, which I started doing over a decade ago when I was in college. My roommate was a chemistry major and I was a biology major, so it was right in our wheelhouse.
Anything else you’d like people to know?
Just that I’m happy to be back in Tyler and I look forward to meeting new patients, and using the training and education I gained in my travels back in my hometown.
