Meet Our Doctors
Dr. Stephen L. Helgemo, Jr. is a highly regarded Board Certified Arm and 
Hand Surgeon, and a Board Certified Orthopedic Doctor. Dr. Helgemo received his MD from Johns Hopkins University where he also completed an Orthopedic Surgery Residency. He limits his practice at Florida Hand Center to conditions affecting the arm, wrist and hands, allowing him to become an expert in this area. Pain in these regions can be quite debilitating, and his role as a physician and hand surgeon allows him to help his patients gain back the pain-free use of their hands and arms.
Dr. Helgemo is an active member of the American Society of Surgery of the Hand and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Helgemo is the only hand surgeon to treat exclusively hands and arms in Charlotte County, and he is Florida's leading endoscopic carpal tunnel surgeon, according to ACHA data. His Hand Surgery Fellowship was done at the prestigious Union Memorial Hospital, named the "National Center for the Treatment of the Upper Extremity" by the United States Congress. He returned to Florida in 1997, and started Southwest Florida Hand Specialists, now known as Florida Hand Center, in 1999. Dr. Helgemo is currently affiliated with Charlotte Regional Medical Center, Peace River Regional Medical Center and Fawcett Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Helgemo is a native Floridian and enjoys boating, scuba diving, salt water aquariums, fishing and photography when not performing hand surgery. He is married to Dannette Helgemo and has three children.
Dr. Helgemo just passed his re-examination for dual board certification, Board Certified in Orthopedics, and Hand Surgery. He specializes in minimally invasive techniques, offers many non-surgical treatments, and remains up-to-date in medical advancements to continue offering the best care available for his patients.
Dr. Ivan G. Olarte is a Board Certified General Surgeon who received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Baylor University, in Texas. While at Baylor, Dr. Olarte served as president of the Neuroscience Societyand played NCAA college tennis for Baylor's prestigious men's tennis team. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from Ponce School of Medicine. He completed a General Surgery residency at St. John Hospital Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan, where he ascended to Chief Resident. He then went on to receive subspecialty hand and microsurgery fellowship training at the University of Mississippi.
Dr. Olarte has presented at local and national hand surgery meetings. His professional interests lie in microsurgery, trauma, tendon repair, fingertip injuries, arthritis, and hand rejuvenation. Currently, Dr. Olarte is a candidate member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, a member of the American Medical Association, and The American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Olarte is bilingual speaking both English and Spanish.
For more information visit the Spanish section of our website.
Dr. Olarte and his wife are the proud parents of three daughters. He is committed to providing quality patient care for hand problems and looks forward to meeting you at the Florida Hand Center.
