A Legacy Practice: Dr. Mark Prevost II of Southern Orthopedic is following in his father’s path
Words by Anna Vaughn | Images by Justin Hunter
Dr. Mark Prevost II always knew he would follow in his father’s footsteps. Growing up, he would shadow him on weekends, learning more about the field of orthopedic surgery. Indeed, Dr. Mark Prevost made a name for himself in the Walker County area for a medical practice that focused on treatment of the bones and spine.
“People always asked if seeing my dad work scared me away from the medical field,” says Mark. “But I always saw him enjoying it. I never once questioned following that same path.”
Mark grew up in Jasper, attending the First Baptist Church and playing soccer and football at Walker High School. After his graduation in 2007, Mark said goodbye to his hometown for 15 years to pursue an education.
He continued his love for football at Samford University for one year, then transferred to The University of Alabama to play football for the Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban. After two years, Mark left football behind to focus on school.
“I loved playing football, but after a couple of years, it was time to get serious about my schooling,” says Mark.
Mark married his high school sweetheart, Anna O’Mary, before completing his degree in biology at Alabama. He then transferred to the University of South Alabama in Mobile to complete medical school and a five-year orthopedic residency. Then it was on to Plano, Texas, to participate in a one-year spine fellowship at the Texas Back Institute.
While enduring a lengthy education process, Mark struggled to balance married life, children, and school. “I married my high school sweetheart, and we started our life and had kids, but I was in school until I was 33. It was such a relief to be done,” says Mark.
In 2022, he completed his education and moved back to Jasper to work with his father. Now at Southern Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Mark serves as a spinal surgeon, operating on a wide range of patients and repairing spinal injuries and complications on the neck and back. A couple of times each month, Mark also travels to Birmingham to assist at a satellite clinic.
“I do my best to treat patients conservatively, using things like injections or physical therapy,” says Mark. “But unfortunately, not everyone gets relief conservatively. Those people can be helped surgically.”
Mark also offers a disk replacement procedure that is scarcely available in the state of Alabama, allowing him to provide a service unique to Jasper.
Since moving back, Mark and his family have adjusted to being home. Mark, Anna, and their two children – three-year-old Mary Ellen and one-year-old Mark – attend Jasper First Methodist Church and enjoy getting acclimated with the ever-growing community.
In the end, Mark has achieved his goal of continuing the legacy his father started many years ago.
“It’s so cool to see how Jasper has grown over the last 15 years,” says Mark. “I’m happy to be back here, continuing what my dad started over 20 years ago.” 78