John Atwater, MD — Dr. Atwater is a spine surgeon at the Downstate Illinois Spine Center in Bloomington, Ill., and practices with McClean County Orthopedics, also in Bloomington. Dr. Atwater treats a wide range of spinal conditions and performs many types of spinal surgery. He currently serves as a medical consultant to several medical device companies. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and interned at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He completed an orthopedic residency at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a spine fellowship at the University of Louisville. During medical school, he was a member of the “Spinal Chords,” an all-male chorus that performed for patients at local hospitals.
David Abraham, MD — Dr. Abraham is the founder of The Reading Neck and Spine Center in Wyomissing, Pa. He is also a partner at The Reading Surgery Center in Wyomissing and at the Surgical Center of Pottsville (Pa.). Dr. Abraham, whose interests center around ambulatory and minimally-invasive spinal surgery, attended Jefferson Medical College, performing his internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and his residency at the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia. He completed a fellowship in adult spine surgery at William Beaumont Medical Center in Detroit.
Scott Blumenthal, MD — Dr. Blumenthal is a spine surgeon with the Texas Back Institute and the first surgeon in the United States to devote his practice solely to the research and application of artificial disc replacement. Dr. Blumenthal is a leader in spinal arthroplasty working with a large number of discs currently on the market and in trials. He serves as a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas and as an ongoing contributor to the first non-profit created for arthroplasty patients, ADRSupport.org. He also currently serves as a spine consultant for the Dallas Mavericks. Dr. Blumenthal graduated from Northwestern Medical School in Chicago and completed his general surgery internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas. His fellowships include work at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for physical medicine and rehabilitation and at Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for spinal trauma surgery. Dr. Blumenthal was recently featured in ON Magazine in the publication’s “ON Personality” section.
Charles Branch, MD — Dr. Branch is a neurosurgeon who specializes in the spine and is currently president of the North American Spine Society. He practices at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, N.C. Dr. Branch attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed his residency in neurological surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Branch has been published in numerous medical journals and once served as editor-in-chief for The Spine Journal. He recently was profiled by Spinal News International, where he discusses his family’s involvement in the field. Two of his children are currently enrolled in medical school and his oldest will pursue neurosurgery. His father, Charles Branch, Sr., was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgery in 2004 for his medical mission work in Nigeria
John R. Caruso, MD — Dr. Caruso is a neurological surgeon with more than 16 years experience. He currently practices with Neurosurgical Specialists in Hagerstown, Md., where he has performed numerous spinal procedures including minimally invasive procedures to complex instrumentation of the cranial, thoracic and lumbar spine. He also serves a chairman of the board and medical director of Parkway Surgery Center in Hagerstown. Dr. Caruso attended Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., and completed residencies at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine in Norfolk and at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
Leonard Cerullo, MD — Dr. Cerullo is a neurosurgeon with more than 30 years experience and the founder and medical director of Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. He helped pioneer the use of lasers in neurosurgery and has published several articles and books on this subject. He also serves as a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Dr. Cerullo attended medical school at Jefferson medical College in Philadelphia and completed his residency training in neurosurgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Dr. Cerullo held fellowships at the Neurological Institute of New York and Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, both in New York City, and at Hôpital Foch in Surenes, France. Dr. Cerullo has been featured repeatedly in Chicago Magazine’s “Top Doctors” issues.
E. Jeffrey Donner, MD — Dr. Donner is an orthopedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in the management of spinal disorders. His specialties include spine surgery and general orthopedics. He is a co-founder of Rocky Mountain Associates in Loveland, Colo., and also works at Loveland Surgery Center, a spine center of excellence for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Dr. Donner is recognized internationally as an expert in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of chronic cervical whiplash disc injuries. His orthopedic residency included rotations through Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Dr. Donner’s fellowship in spine surgery was completed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University Hospital, both in Philadelphia. Dr. Donner has published articles in several scientific journals and is the past president of the Larimer (Colo.) County Medical Association.
Stephen Doran, MD — Dr. Doran is a neurosurgeon and chairman of the board and medical director of Midwest Surgical Hospital in Omaha. Neb. This facility brought together a preeminent group of neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, ENT and pain medicine physicians and partnered with a large local healthcare system. Dr. Doran is an active lobbyist for physician involvement in healthcare. He is also a clinical assistant professor of surgery at University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Doran’s areas of interest include spinal instrumentation, stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, deep brain stimulation and disorders of the spine. He has received national recognition for his research in gene therapy related to the central nervous system and his research has been published nationally. Dr. Doran received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and completed his internship and residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. According to Todd Flickema, senior vice president at Surgical Management Professionals, “Dr. Doran is a very articulate, intelligent and caring physician. He has a vision that is beyond his practice and hospital that encompasses his community and healthcare in general with extremely high ethical standards. He is one of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Wesley H. Faunce, III, MD — Dr. Faunce practices with the Southwest Florida Neurological Associates in Cape Coral, where he focuses on degenerative spine disease of all areas of the spine. He has been involved in a variety of medical research studies and is an accomplished author or coauthor of numerous studies, publications and presentations. Dr. Faunce received his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He then earned his medical degree at the same university. He also completed an internship at the university’s department of surgery and residency training at its department of neurosurgery. While at the University of Florida, Dr. Faunce served as president of the University of Florida’s AMA Medical Student Section and was awarded the Lyerly Neurosurgery Award.
Thomas Forget, MD — Dr. Forget is a St. Louis-based neurosurgeon focusing on cerebrovascular disease, stroke and general neurosurgery. He is an owner and medical director of The St. Louis Spine Surgery Center, a spine-focused ASC in Creve Couer, Mo. He also leads the Division of Neurosurgery at Neurological Specialists of West County. Dr. Forget has co-authored two books, as well as multiple book chapters, articles and presentations. He attended medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D. C., and completed his residency at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.
James Hansen, MD — Dr. Hansen is a spine surgeon with the Spine & Rehabilitation Center in Austin, Texas. He has affiliations with 10 hospitals and surgery centers, including the South Austin Surgery Center. Dr. Hansen has pioneered the expansion of outpatient spinal procedures utilizing minimally invasive methods at the South Austin Surgery Center. He attended medical school at Michigan State University in East Lansing and completed his internship at Michigan State’s Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. He completed his residency at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Richard Harrison, MD — Dr. Harrison is a spine surgeon focusing on the comprehensive management of spine conditions, including minimally invasive surgery to spinal reconstruction and fusion procedures. He practices at the Bay Care Clinic in Green Bay, Wis., among other locations in Wisconsin and Illinois. Dr. Harrison attended medical school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and completed his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. He completed a fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England. He has been featured by his local ABC news station, Action 2 News, for his work.
Richard Kube, II, MD — Dr. Kube is a spine surgeon at the Prairie Spine & Pain Institute in Peoria, Ill., which he owns and operates. He regularly performs procedures at the Peoria Day Surgery Center. He previously practiced at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and with the Bonutti Clinic in Effingham, Ill. Dr. Kube attended medical school and post-graduate training in orthopedic surgery at Saint Louis University. He completed a spine fellowship at Spine Surgery PSC in Louisville, Ky. Dr. Kube’s research on motion preservation has been presented on an international level at several different venues. Dr. Kube is a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. According to Bryan Zowin, business manager of Peoria Day Surgery Center, “Since joining Peoria Day’s medical staff, he has been instrumental in assisting staff and management with cost-effective equipment needs along with working with us to provide high-quality spine treatment surgery services for our community. This is a new service line for our center and his knowledge and assistance to the center has been outstanding.”
Michael Janssen, MD — Dr. Janssen is a surgeon at the Center for Spinal Disorders in Thornton, Colo. He founded the Spine Education Research Institute, a non-profit dedicated to clinical research, physician education and youth science and community education. Dr. Janssen also serves as a clinical associate professor at the University of Colorado. He received his medical education at the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Mo. His internship and residency were completed at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, and he completed a spine fellowship at Lakewood Orthopaedic Clinic in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Iain H. Kalfas, MD — Dr. Kalfas is a neurosurgeon who works for Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health. He is also the head of spinal surgery for the clinic’s department of neurosurgery. His specialties include complex spinal surgery and reconstruction including instrumentation and fusion, image-guided spinal navigation, neck and back disorders and minimally-invasive surgery. Dr. Kalfas attended medical school at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio, and completed his internship and residency in neurological surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. He completed fellowships at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix and at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburg, Pa. Dr. Kalfas recently edited the book, Spinal Reconstruction: Clinical Examples of Applied Basic Science, Biomechanics And Engineering, and has written numerous book chapters.
Jordi Kellogg, MD — Dr. Kellogg is a neurosurgeon who has published more than 40 professional articles and abstracts since 1997. He is also a regular speaker at neurosurgery conferences. In private practice in Portland, Ore., since 2001, Dr. Kellogg is an investor-owner in the highly successful East Portland Surgery Center. Dr. Kellogg attended medical school at the Unversity of Southern California in Los Angeles and completed his residency and fellowship at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.
James Lynch, MD — Dr. Lynch a neurological surgeon who specializes in complex spine surgery, as well as minimally-invasive spine surgery. He is director, spine services, for Regent Surgical Health, where he directs Regent’s program to help physicians develop spine-focused ASCs and specialty spine hospitals. He is the founder and CEO of Spine Nevada and chairman and director of spine at the Surgical Center of Reno. He is also on staff at St. Mary’s Hospital and Renown Regional Medical Center, both located in Reno. Dr. Lynch is a frequent lecturer at national meetings on spine topics related to ASCs. He earned his medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, followed by a residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Lynch completed three spine fellowships at the Mayo Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. His work has been published in several professional publications including The Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery and Spine.
James Macon, MD — Dr. Macon is a neurological surgeon with Framingham-Wellesley Neurological Surgery in Framingham, Mass. In addition to being a member of several neurological associations, Dr. Macon is a member of the American Pain Society, International Association of the Study of Pain and American Academy of Pain Medicine. Dr. Macon attended medical school at Harvard Medical School and completed his internship at Stanford University Medical Center. He completed his residency in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Macon worked as a clinical associate for the National Institutes of Health’s Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Md., and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study neuropharmacology in Paris, France. According to Chris Zorn, vice president of Spine Surgical Innovation, “Dr. Macon is companionate, innovative, reputable and patient-focused professional.”
Paul McCormick, MD — Dr. McCormick is a neurosurgeon at Columbia-Presbyterian Neurosurgery in New York City, specializing in disc disease, spinal stabilization and instrumentation, spinal tumors and spinal cord injury. He attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency at the Neurological Institute of New York. He completed a fellowship in spinal surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He currently serves as a professor of clinical neurosurgery at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles.
Greg McDowell, MD — Dr. McDowell is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult and pediatric spine care. He currently practices with Ortho Montana in Billings and is co-director for the Northern Rockies Regional Spine Center. Dr. McDowell completed medical school and his residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Kenneth A. Pettine, MD — Dr. Pettine is a co-founder of Loveland, Col.-based Rocky Mountain Associates and a surgeon at Loveland Surgery Center, a spine center of excellence for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. He has an extensive background in spinal surgery, research and rehabilitation. He is co-inventor and co-designer of the Maverick Artificial Disc, a patented disc replacement device for the neck and back, currently the subject of a clinical trial. Dr. Pettine is currently the chief investigator for eight FDA IDE studies involving non-fusion spine technology. He is a distinguished speaker at national and international symposiums and the author of nearly 20 research publications. Dr. Pettine completed his residency and his master’s degree in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. His medical degree was awarded from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and he completed a Spine Fellowship in Minneapolis.
Joan O’Shea, MD — Dr. O’Shea is a dually-trained neurological and orthopedic spine surgeon. She has concentrated her training and dedicated her career to the treatment of spinal disorders. She helped found the Spine Institute of Southern New Jersey and previously practiced neurosurgery at Cooper Medical Center in Camden, N.Y. She received her medical degree at the State University of New York Upstate Health Center in Syracuse. She completed a residency in neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, N.Y., and completed an additional orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at the Hospital for Joint Disease and the Spine Institute of Beth Israel Medical Center, both located in New York City. She has been an invited lecturer for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons annually since 1996. Ms. O’Shea has been described by a colleague as “very sharp and entrepreneurial. She is excellent at working with and marketing to workers compensation case nurses.”
Carlton Reckling, MD — Dr. Reckling is a spine surgeon at the newly formed Spine Center Cheyene (Wyo.). He attended medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and completed his internship and residency at the University of Minnesota Hospitals & Clinics in Minneapolis. He completed a fellowship in spinal surgery at Queen’s University Medical Center in Nottingham, England. According to Richard Slater, attorney, friend and patient of Dr. Reckling, “Carlton is the only orthopedic spine surgeon in in our community. Like his father and grandfather who were also physicians, Dr Reckling performs major reconstructive spine surgeries for scoliosis and other deformities. He is also a regional leader in minimally invasive techniques and non fusion technology.”
Mike Russell, II, MD — Dr. Russell is a spine surgeon at Azalea Orthopedics in Tyler, Texas. He holds hospital privileges at the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital, Trinity Mother Frances Hospital and the East Texas Medical Center, all in Tyler. Dr. Russell attended medical school and completed his orthopedic training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed a fellowship in spine surgery at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Larry L. Teuber, MD — Dr. Teuber serves as director of Medical Facilities Corp. and as the physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center in Rapid City, S.D., which he founded in 1997. Dr. Teuber is also the founder and current managing partner of The Spine Center in Rapid City. He provides consultative services and frequently speaks to physician organizations concerning the development of surgical facilities for neurosurgical and spinal care. Dr. Teuber earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He completed his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Dr. Teuber served for 17 years in the active and reserve Army, retiring with the rank of major after serving in Desert Storm.
Daniel Tomes, MD — Dr. Tomes, a neurological and spine surgeon, practices in Lincoln, Neb., where he sits on the Board of Directors of the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital and serves as medical director of the Gogela Neuroscience Institute. Additionally, he led the development of the Southwest Lincoln Surgery Center, a multi-specialty ASC that includes spine and is slated to open in April 2009. Dr. Tomes attended medical school at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Lincoln and completed post-graduate training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Ensor Transfeldt, MD — Dr. Transfeldt is a staff surgeon at Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis, Minn., specializing in deformities and tumors of the spine. He also serves as an associate professor at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Transfeldt attended medical school at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa; completed an internship at Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg; and completed his residency at the University of Toronto, Canada. He completed a spine fellowship at the University of Toronto and held the John H. Moe Spine Fellowship at the Twin Cities Scholiosis Spine Center in Minnesota.
William Watters, III, MD — Dr. Watters is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spinal surgery. He is the current research council director for the North American Spine Society and is the chairman of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon’s Guideline and Technology Assessment Oversight Committee, which oversees all clinical practice guideline development and technology assessments produced by the AAOS. Dr. Watters attended Harvard Medical School and completed two residencies, one in internal medicine and one in orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Jeffrey C. Wang, MD — Dr. Wang is currently chief of the University of California Los Angeles Spine Service and director of the UCLA Spine Surgery Fellowship. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Wang runs a science laboratory where he develops new methods for treating spinal disorders. Dr. Wang has received numerous research grants and is currently involved in many clinical trials in the treatment of spine problems. Dr. Wang attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA and a fellowship in spine surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Richard Wohns, MD, MBA — Dr. Wohns is a spine surgeon and one of the first physicians involved with the development of ambulatory spine practices. He is the founder of South Sounds Neurosurgery in Puyallup, Wash. He also founded Neospine, a spine ASC development company, currently part of Symbion Healthcare. His areas of expertise in the field of neurosurgery include brain tumor and skull base surgery, numerous complex minimally invasive spinal surgical techniques, teleradiology, computer-based neuronavigation and stereotaxis. He was one of the first neurosurgeons in the United States qualified to perform the revolutionary XLIF technique for minimally invasive lumbar fusions. Dr. Wohns attended medical school at Yale University School of Medicine and completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Wohns also holds an executive MBA from the University of Washington and is currently pursuing a law degree from Seattle University School of Law. Dr. Wohns has advanced the knowledge of outpatient spine surgery and minimally invasive techniques through the Mazama Spine Summit, an educational meeting which has organized for the past six years. According to Hiroshi Nakano, CEO of South Sound Neurosurgery in Puyallup, Wash., “Dr. Wohns has been a pioneer in the development of the ambulatory spine world, stressing clinical excellence and business performance. In addition, he has dedicated a great deal of his time to the improvement of the profession and continues to be a voracious learner.”
