Foothills General Surgery

Best-of-Class Surgery. Lifesaving Results.

130 Forest Glen Road, Suite B, Columbus, NC 28722
Office: (828) 894-5627 Fax: (828) 894-5879


Joshua Knolhoff, MD

Led by Dr. Josh Knolhoff, Foothills General Surgery, part of Foothills Medical Associates, provides caring and timely, minimally invasive, elective, and emergent surgical care. Dr. Knolhoff is a very talented, world-class surgeon with a breadth of global experience. He is a board-certified surgeon who graduated from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He completed his residency through the Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, AZ, and is certified in laparoscopic surgery.

The doctor comes to us with exceptional credentials and vast experience in general surgery. His impressive background includes open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. In addition, his proficiency encompasses breast, hernia, biliary, colon, skin, non-operative management, image-guided diagnostic, elective and emergent endoscopy, and acute care surgery. Dr. Knolhoff also has extensive burn and trauma experience.

The Surgery Experience

For some, even minor surgery can cause concern and anxiety, but from the very beginning, our patients know they are in good hands. At St. Luke's Hospital, our surgeons take time to answer questions and explain plans, outcomes, and expectations. This community environment also allows you to often move through care faster and with more time with your physician.

Professional and skilled, our perioperative staff and certified nurse anesthetists go above and beyond to provide a positive experience. Whether it's a screening colonoscopy, colon resection, or a mastectomy, our team provides the know-how for smoothly handling surgical procedures, going above and beyond to cater to patients and families.

Another benefit of surgery at St. Luke's is convenience! Patients scheduled for surgery will meet with an Outpatient Surgery Nurse for a preoperative interview/assessment and preliminary surgical workup before the day of the procedure. Then, when the patient arrives on the morning of surgery, every step is geared toward surgery and recovery.

General Surgery

St. Luke's Surgery Department handles a large and diverse variety of procedures, big and small, simple and complex. Highly skilled general surgeons are trained and experienced to perform our surgery cases, including advanced laparoscopic procedures, for a shorter recovery time and reduced hospital stay.

Anesthesia Services

Our skilled team of certified nurse anesthetists (CRNA) works closely with the surgeon and OR team to ensure that during surgery, patients maintain normal blood pressure, proper respiration, good cardiac readings, and a host of other monitors while kept at a safe level of anesthesia.

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit

When the procedure is over, known as post-op, our staff are experts at making patients comfortable and tending to all immediate physician orders. Many patients are pleasantly surprised that their OR nurse continues caring for them in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. At that time, seeing friendly, familiar faces nearby was nice.

Perioperative Services staff provide round-the-clock emergency surgical care every day of the year. Their ability to function as a team is exemplary and unique. An extremely low turnover rate evidences devotion to the team spirit in the department and the positive responses to our follow-up phone calls, surveys, and letters.

Appointment Information

We see patients by appointment; however, walk-ins are allowed. So you may have a short wait, but we'll treat our patients as quickly as possible.

Office hours are Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. - noon. Please remember to bring insurance information and any appropriate referrals.

New Patient Forms

New Patient Form
Patient Registration Form
Authorization for Release of Health Information Form

My St. Luke's Chart

To access patients' private online healthcare information 24/7, Foothills Medical Associates offers a secure, convenient patient portal MyStLukesChart.org. The portal allows patients to view lab results, medications, medical records, safe messaging, and other helpful features. We designed My Chart to encourage patients to partner with Foothills Medical Associates to ensure every possible resource is available throughout treatment.

Fees and Insurance

We offer several options for payment of professional services. We accept checks, cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express. In addition, we participate in several managed care plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. For insurance plans in which we participate, we will file your claim. You will be responsible for only the co-pay, co-insurance, and deductible during your visit. Fees for services rendered are due at the time of service unless you've made prior arrangements. If necessary, we offer payment plans.