Dr. Prokuski was born and educated in the great state of Iowa.  This Midwestern upbringing instilled the values of hard work, personal sacrifice, and the importance of community. She graduated magna cum lade with a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry in 1988 from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She then attended the University of Iowa College Of Medicine. Initially unsure of her career path, a third year rotation on the orthopedic trauma service provided the pivotal moment that would define her career. A patient with a femur fracture, seen on the day of injury in traction, was walking in the hall after surgery to stabilize the fracture. The rapid improvement of this patient’s function left an impression. From there, all paths pointed towards a life dedicated to the care of injured patients.

After graduation from medical school in 1992 she chose the orthopedic residency at the University of Iowa. A storied institution of orthopedic excellence, residency was time to gather knowledge and skills, but also instilled the importance of lifelong teaching and service. Under the mentorship of J. Lawrence Marsh, MD, she continued research and study, ultimately landing a coveted position as an orthopedic trauma fellow at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. There she studied under revolutionary leaders in the field including Andrew Burgess MD and Robert Brumback MD. 

In 1998 she started practice at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. There she joined Drs. Richard Lange and Gerald Lang at one of only two Level I trauma centers in the state. There she developed clinical skills, and participated in research and teaching activities. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006.

At the University of Wisconsin she continued with efforts at advancing orthopedic education. Education of orthopedic residents and medical students was a daily activity. She was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award for the entire Madison campus in 2004. She has been a participant in the Orthopedic Trauma Association Residents Fracture course for 10 years and chaired the course from 2008-2010. She has contributed to numerous courses as an AO Instructor, Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor, and presenting at numerous instructional courses at national association meetings.  Scholarly pursuit has been present throughout her career resulting in multiple papers, book chapters, posters and presentations. She is on the editorial board of The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Patient safety has always been a priority for Dr. Prokuski. She has participated on the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ Patient Safety and Infections committees. She is the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ representative on the Surgical Care Improvement Project, participating on the forefront of development of healthcare policy. Minimizing patient complications, particularly postoperative infections, has been a lifelong pursuit.

Looking for a new challenge, in 2009 Dr. Prokuski joined Drs. Rhorer, Ortega and Miller at Sonoran Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons. This is the only private group of fellowship trained orthopedic trauma surgeons with similar beliefs of clinical service, scholarly advancement and community service. She was named Director of Orthopedic Trauma at John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital in 2013.

In 2010 Dr. Prokuski participated in two collaborations between the United States Military and the Orthopedic Trauma Association. In response to the earthquake in Haiti she was selected to serve in Operation Unified Response on the U.S.N.S. Comfort. Civilians and military side by side provided the highest level of surgical care for those injured in this natural disaster. She was also selected as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar and served at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, working side by side military orthopedic surgeons treating injured soldiers.

Dr. Prokuski treats patients with acute fractures of the arms, legs, and pelvis. She also takes care of complications that arise from injuries including non-unions, mal-unions, infections, and amputations. Her elective specialty is post-traumatic elbow reconstruction with over a decade of expertise in making stiff elbows move again.