Here are 10 spine surgeons at community hospitals.
Joseph Aferzon, MD (Middlesex Hospital, New Britain, Conn.). Dr. Aferzon is the section chief of neurosurgery at Middlesex Hospital, where he specializes in spinal surgery. He is also the co-director of Connecticut Spine Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery. During his career, Dr. Aferzon has consulted with several spine companies and authored patents related to minimally invasive spinal instrumentation. He was among the first surgeons in Connecticut to become a member of the Society for Lateral Access Surgery and is a member of the National Association of Spine Surgeons. He also performs disc replacements and endoscopic microdiscectomies. Dr. Aferzon earned his medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo and completed his residency at the University of Connecticut Health Center and Hartford (Conn.) Hospital.
John R. Cassidy, MD (Venice Regional Medical Center, Venice, Fla.). Dr. Cassidy is a neurological surgeon at Venice Regional Medical Center. He has previous experience at Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital, Englewood (Fla.) Community Hospital and Doctor's Hospital of Sarasota. He is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Cassidy earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Virginia School of Medicine in Richmond and completed his internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Michael S. Chang, MD (Chandler Regional Medical Center, Chandler, Ariz.). Dr. Chang is a spine surgeon at Chandler Regional Medical Center and a partner with Sonoran Spine Center in Phoenix. He has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery and treating both adult and pediatric spinal deformity. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Chang is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston and completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. His additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.
Terence Chen, MD (John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek, Calif.). Dr. Chen is the medical director for neurosurgery at John Muir Health and a spine specialist with John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. He has a professional interest in performing minimally invasive spinal surgery, treating patients with tumors and cervical spine disease. John Muir Medical Center currently holds the Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and was among the first medical centers in the United States to offer stereotactic radiosurgery to treat certain types of brain and spine tumors. Dr. Chen earned his medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., where he also completed his residency.
Thomas Donner, MD (Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, Thibodaux, La.). Dr. Donner is a spine surgeon at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, which includes a Spine Center of Excellence. He has a special interest in minimally invasive procedures and brain tumors. Thibodaux Regional Medical Center includes a nurse navigator program to coordinate patient care, whether surgical or otherwise. Dr. Donner earned his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his internship at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. His additional training includes a residency at Louisiana State University.
Kevin R. Eck, MD (St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Dr. Eck is a spine surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital and a physician with Physicians' Clinic of Iowa. He also has affiliations with Mercy Medical Center and Surgery Center of Cedar Rapids. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Eck is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Eck earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington Hospital in St. Louis. His additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at Barnes-Jewish and Washington Hospital.
James W. Hardacker, MD (St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, Carmel, Ind.). Dr. Hardacker is the medical director of St. Vincent Carmel Spine Center. He has a professional interest in complex adult and pediatric orthopedic spine surgery, including spinal deformity and spondylolisthesis. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Hardacker focuses on research with an interest in spinal biomechanics, instability, biologics and stem cell research. He is also interested in bone graft replacement and upright MRI imaging research. Dr. Hardacker is a member of the North American Spine Society, Scoliosis Research Society and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He earned his medical degree from State University of New York Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where he also completed his residency in orthopedic surgery. His additional training includes an adult and pediatric spinal deformity fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
M. Adam Kremer, MD (Holland Hospital, Holland, Mich.). Dr. Kremer is a spine surgeon at Holland Hospital and a partner with the Brain + Spine Center in Holland. He has a professional interest in treating patients with complex spinal and brain surgery, including degenerative conditions, fractures and tumors. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Kremer is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Michigan State Medical Society and American Medical Association. His research interests include concussion injuries among athletes, treatment for vertebral compression fractures and minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery. Dr. Kremer earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his residency in neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Patrick J. Murray, MD (Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, Mass.). Dr. Murray is the chief of neurosurgery at Cape Cod Hospital and a member of the Neurosurgeons of Cape Cod. He has a special interest in treating spinal disorders such as disc protrusion and spinal stenosis. In 2010, his practice expanded to a new facility that includes physical therapy, neurology and pain management for a more integrated approach to care. The Neurosurgeons of Cape Cod are able to provide minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Murray earned his medical degree at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and completed additional training at McGill University in Canada.
Cyril Anthony Raben, MD (Wooster Community Hospital, Wooster, Ohio). Dr. Raben is a spine surgeon at Wooster Community Hospital and practices with Wooster Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Dr. Raben is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Board of Spine Surgery. He is also a member of the North American Spine Society, Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and International Spinal Injection Society. He earned his medical degree from Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City and completed his residency at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa. His additional training includes a fellowship at Texas Back Institute in Plano.
Correction: The original article listed Joseph Aferzon, MD, as chief of the department of neurosurgery at Central Connecticut Hospital, when in fact Ahmed Khan, MD, is the chief of neurosurgery at Central Connecticut Hospital. We apologize for the misprint and updated the article accordingly.
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