About Us

Located in scenic Stone County, Arkansas, Mountain View Specialty Clinic is committed to providing cutting-edge, comprehensive orthopaedic care to patients of all ages. Our doors were opened in 1996 by fellowship-trained hand and upper extremity surgeon Dr. Charles Varela, who established the Ozark Orthopaedic and Hand Surgery Center. Since then, the practice has grown to include another fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon (Sports Medicine), Dr. John Akins, as well as nurses, radiological technologists and administrative personnel. Together, we strive each and every day to offer a continuum of orthopaedic care to residents of North Central Arkansas.

Dr. Charles Varela

Dr. Charles Varela, M.D.

Dr. Varela opened Ozark Orthopaedic and Hand Surgery Center in 1996, after serving four years as a major in the US Army Medical Corps. He is a native of Santa Fe, NM, and a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Dr. Varela earned his medical degree at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine followed by an orthopaedic residency at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He then completed a fellowship in hand, microsurgery and upper extremity surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.

His orthopaedic specialty areas include hand surgery, knee injuries, joint replacement, trauma surgery and foot surgery. He is board certified in orthopaedic surgery with added certification in surgery of the hand and has published several articles in the field of orthopaedic surgery.

Dr. Varela has three children: Hayley, Jarret and Tyler. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with the family, cycling, farming and outside activities with the kids.

Dr. John Akins

Dr. John Akins, M.D.

A native of Hampton, AR, Dr. Akins relocated to Mountain View in August 2011. He attended Lyon College on a basketball scholarship where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2000. He received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2004. After finishing residency training in orthopaedic surgery at Texas A & M Health Sciences Center in 2010, he completed additional fellowship training in orthopaedic sports medicine at the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, GA.

He is board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and an active fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His orthopaedic interests in addition to arthroscopic shoulder surgery and arthroplasty, include arthroscopic knee surgery and reconstruction, total knee and hip replacement and fracture care. Dr. Akins and his wife Kelly have four daughters, Ellie, Emma, Erin and Eli. Dr. Akins has a keen interest in health and fitness and recently co-founded Stone County Health and Fitness Center, the area’s only public fitness facility. In his spare time, He enjoys basketball, tennis, fishing and snow skiing.

Dr. Emilio Tirado

Dr. Emilio Tirado, M.D.

Dr. Emilio Tirado is please to announce the opening of his general surgery medical practice in Mountain View. Dr. Tirado is a member of the Medical Staff at Stone County Medical Center.

Dr. Tirado looks forward to working with primary care physicians to care for patients referred to him for consultation, evaluation and surgical intervention. His practice also includes screening colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

Carla Langston

Carla Langston, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

The White River Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic in Mountain View recently welcomed Carla Langston, MSN, APRN, FNP-C as a provider. Langston works alongside Orthopaedic Surgeons, John Akins, MD and Charles Varela, MD. Langston provides clinical evaluation and treatment of orthopaedic patients in the clinic. She also assists with surgeries and follow-up care for patients during their stay at Stone County Medical Center. Carla’s previous experience in orthopaedics led her to pursue her career as an Orthopaedic APRN. She worked with an orthopaedic group as the surgical First Assistant Registered Nurse. In 2006, Langston joined White River Medical Center (WRMC) as the Orthopaedic Liaison for WRMC’s total joint replacement program, the Joint Resort. She also managed the WRMC Surgical Services Department before serving as the Director of WRMC Community Care Network while pursuing her Master’s Degree. Langston obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Central Arkansas in 1995. She recently completed her Master of Science in Nursing from the Arkansas State University. Langston received the Daisy Award for extraordinary nurses at WRMC. In 2018, her diabetes self-management research placed first in the Arkansas State Nursing and Allied Health Professions Poster Presentation. “I feel fortunate to be a part of such a great care team,” said Carla Langston. “I feel everything I have achieved up to this point has prepared me for this role. I am committed to providing the best care that I can provide for the patients in Stone County.” A Batesville native, Carla graduated from Batesville High School. She and Bryan, her husband of 23 years, have three children: Zach, 20; Will, 16; and Lizzie, 8.

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