Donald J. Lao, DO
Donald J. Lao, DO, a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon, is a native of Utah and joined The Colorado Center for Orthopaedic Excellence in 2023. His clinical expertise is in primary and complex revision hip and knee replacement, prosthetic joint infections, and orthopedic trauma, particularly fractures occurring around hip and knee replacements. He pursued additional fellowship training in minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery, including anterior approach total hip arthroplasty, partial knee replacement, and robotic-assisted hip and knee surgery.
Dr. Lao graduated from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, ID, where he was a captain and all-conference selection for the varsity basketball team. He graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He then obtained his medical degree at A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ, where he was selected to the Sigma Sigma Phi osteopathic service fraternity and served as his school’s chapter president for two years. He was also selected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He completed his orthopedic internship and residency at Research Medical Center, affiliated with Kansas City University, and served as chief resident in his final year. He then completed a rigorous fellowship in hip and knee replacement and orthopedic trauma through the University of Minnesota at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN.
Dr. Lao is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and an Emerging Leader in the American Orthopaedic Association.
In his free time, Dr. Lao enjoys getting outdoors and spending time with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Education:
- BS: Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID. August 2010 – May 2012 – BS Biology, Chemistry minor
University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK August 2009 – May 2010
Snow College, Ephraim, UT August 2007 – May 2009 - MD: A.T. Still University – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona July 2013 – May 2017
Mesa, AZ - Residency: Research Medical Center July 2017 – June 2022
– Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program
– Kansas City University. Kansas City, MO
– Program Director: Charles Orth, DO - Fellowship: University of Minnesota/Regions Hospital combined adult reconstruction and trauma fellowship in St. Paul, MN, under Dr. Scott Marston and Dr. Peter Cole
Board Certifications:
- Board-Eligible – American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS)
Memberships:
- Gold Humanism Honor Society member 2015 – Present
Breanna Bollar, MS, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Breanna is a board-certified Physician Assistant who works with Dr. Donald Lao in both the clinical and surgical settings. She joined The Colorado Center for Orthopedic Excellence in 2024.
Breanna grew up in Colorado Springs and is very happy to be practicing in her hometown. Prior to joining CCOE, she worked with an orthopedic surgery and sports medicine group in Waco, Texas; here, she discovered her desire to work more exclusively with patients who are candidates for total joint replacement. Breanna’s care philosophy is to form a true partnership with her patients, giving them multiple treatment options and finding the one that works best for their lifestyle.
Breanna went to Colorado State University, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies and her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences. She then earned her degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Rocky Vista University in Parker, CO in 2021. She is an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and of Physician Assistants in Orthopedic Surgery.
When she is not at work, you can usually find Breanna at a local coffee shop reading; she has a goal of reading 40 books a year. She also loves hiking, baking, and spending time with her family.
Whitney Hoagland, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Whitney is a southern CO native. She spent the past 10 years in Utah, where she worked as an ER, ICU, and flight nurse. She loved her job as a flight nurse and was able to transport patients across the country, do backcountry rescues, and everything in between.
She recently finished her FNP at Keiser University in Florida. Whitney has two little boys that keep her busy when she is not at work. She loves hiking and live music. She is excited to be on the team at CCOE, a division of OCC!
Whitney works with both Dr. Douglas Crowther, specializing in complex back and neck conditions, and Dr. Donald Lao, specializing in hip and knee replacement. Whitney works clinically in the office caring for new, returning, and postoperative patients, as well as assisting Dr. Crowther and Dr. Lao on their surgical cases at the Surgical Center of the Rockies, Common Spirit/St. Fracis Hospital, Common Spirit/Interquest Hospital.