10 Spine Surgeons Directing Residency Programs

Oran S. Aaronson, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Aaronson is an associate professor of neurological surgery and residency program director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also the chief of neurosurgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Nashville. He focuses on minimally invasive techniques, degenerative spinal disorders, such as disc herniations and spinal stenosis, complex spinal reconstruction and spinal tumors. His research interests include kyphoplasty for compression fractures and open versus minimally invasive TLIF study. He is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and North American Spine Society. He earned his medical degree at University of London, St. Bartholomew's Hospital and completed his residency in neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Elizabeth Ames, MD (University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington). Dr. Ames is an associate professor and residency program director in the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, where she also coordinates the musculoskeletal curriculum. She is also an attending surgeon in the division of spine. Her clinical interests include spinal stenosis, spinal tumors, spinal trauma and osteoporotic spine. In terms of research, she focuses on regional bone density in spinal stenosis and lumbar pedicle morphology. Dr. Ames earned her medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, where she also completed her residency in orthopedic surgery. She has also completed a spine surgery fellowship at the Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis.

Nitin N. Bhatia, MD (University of California Irvine, Orange, Calif.). Dr. Bhatia serves as co-director of UC Irvine Spine Center and director of the residency program. He is board-certified and he has a special interest in cervical spine conditions as well as spinal trauma and disc herniations. He also performs minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic and microscopic discectomy, percutaneous fusions, X-Stop lumbar stenosis treatment, Bone Morphogenetic Protein and kyphoplasty. Dr. Bhatia earned his medical degree at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency at the University of California Los Angeles. He has also completed two spine surgery fellowships at the University of Miami and Miami Children's Hospital.

Frank J. Eismont, MD (University of Miami Miller School of Medicine). Dr. Eismont is the Leonard M. Miller professor and chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the Miller School of Medicine. He also serves as the program director of the orthopedic residency training program as well as the spine surgery fellowship training program. He has served as a director of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery for 10 years and has co-authored more than 110 research articles. He is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine and North American Spine Society. Dr. Eismont earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York, and he has completed spine fellowships at Case-Western University in Cleveland and Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Kevin Gill, MD (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas). Dr. Gill is a professor and the vice chair of the department of orthopedic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he also serves as the residency program director. He is board certified and his clinical interests include minimally invasive spine surgery, spinal fusion surgery, herniated disc osteoporosis, failed surgeries and spinal fractures. He is a member of North American Spine Society and Cervical Spine Research Society, and serves as an advisory editor for Spine and the Spine Journal. Dr. Gill earned his medical degree at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He has also completed spine surgery fellowships at the University of Vermont in Burlington and at The London Clinic in the United Kingdom.

John A. Handal, MD (Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia). Dr. Handal is the chairman and director of the spine program in the department of orthopedic residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He utilizes minimally invasive surgery to treat spinal disorders and his clinical interests include scoliosis, fractures, failed back surgery, deformity and cervical spine disorders. His research interests include osteonecrosis of the hip and chemotherapeutic bone cements. He is a member of the American Orthopedic Association and is a frequent reviewer for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He earned his medical degree at Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He has also completed additional training at the Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center/Penn State.

Robert F. Heary, MD (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, N.J.). Dr. Heary is an associate professor and neurosurgical residency program director at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. He is also Director of the Spine Center of New Jersey in Newark. He is an attending neurosurgeon at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J. He is a member of American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine & Peripheral Nerves and the Lumbar Spine Research Society. He has authored 85 peer-reviewed journal articles and 42 book chapters. His research interests include spinal cord injury, minimally invasive spinal surgery, spinal cord tumors and spinal deformity. Dr. Heary earned his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine and completed his residency in neurological surgery at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. He has also completed a spine fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Thomas Kuivila, MD (Cleveland Clinic). Dr. Kuivila heads the section of pediatric and adolescent spinal disorders of the orthopedic and rheumatologic institute and serves as residency program director in orthopedic surgery. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons. His clinical interests include scoliosis, kyphosis and sponylolysis and lithesis. He completed his medical degree at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Portland. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Cleveland Clinic and has completed additional training in pediatric orthopedic surgery.

Joshua Patt, MD (Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, N.C.). Dr. Patt is a surgeon and director of the orthopedic surgery residency program at Carolinas Medical Center. He focuses on musculoskeletal oncology and spine surgery. His clinical interests also include bone and soft tissue tumors, spinal disorders, spinal tumors, traumatic spine and kyphoplasty. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Musculoskeletal Tumor Society and AO Spine International. Dr. Patt earned his medical degree at Tulane University in New Orleans and completed his residency in orthopedic residency at Carolinas Medical Center. He has also completed two fellowships at the University of Washington in Seattle — one in musculoskeletal oncology and another in spine surgery.

Rolando F. Roberto, MD (University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, Calif.). Dr. Roberto is the orthopedic residency program director and associate clinical professor at the UC Davis Spine Center. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and North American Spine Society. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and he focuses on adult and pediatric spine surgery. His clinical interests include scoliosis, lumbar spinal stenosis and herniated discs of the cervical and lumbar spine. Dr. Roberto earned his medical degree at University of California Irvine College of Medicine and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at University of Illinois in Chicago. He has completed a spine surgery fellowship at Minnesota Spine Center in Minneapolis.

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