Craig Boerner
Vanderbilt dominates list of top doctors
A total of 49 Vanderbilt University Medical Center physicians are recognized as being in the top 1 percent of their respective fields in America's Top Doctors 2005, a book to be released within the next two weeks by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
The esteemed Vanderbilt group collectively represents 82 percent of Nashville doctors recognized by their peers — 49 of 60 — and nearly two-thirds of the total of 76 doctors listed in Tennessee.
“This list demonstrates, again, what I often say as I talk about Vanderbilt around the country, and that is our faculty make us one of the leading medical centers in the nation,” Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Harry Jacobson, M.D., said.
America's Top Doctors, in its fifth edition, is recognized as an authoritative guide to finding the nation's top specialists in their respective categories.
The guide identifies more than 5,000 top specialists in more than 60 medical specialties and subspecialties for the care and treatment of more than 1,700 diseases and medical conditions.
The physicians are collectively affiliated with nearly 600 hospitals across the United States, which is less than 10 percent of the nation's total.
"The Vanderbilt Medical Group (VMG) represents one of the largest and best medical practices in the United States,” said Chief Medical Officer C. Wright Pinson, M.D., who made the 2005 list as one of America's top surgeons.
“This particular rating demonstrates the significant concentration of well-recognized, outstanding physicians at Vanderbilt.”
Castle Connolly's physician-led research team surveys more than 10,000 M.D.s in medical leadership positions and private practice when compiling its list of specialists and subspecialists.
Nashville's Saint Thomas Hospital placed six doctors on the list, with Centennial Medical Center (3) and Baptist Hospital (2) also contributing locally.
“It is a great honor to be included because this reflects the opinions of your peers,” said School of Medicine Dean Steven Gabbe, M.D., who made the list for his Obstetrics and Gynecology work.
“It is especially important for our medical center because it indicates that our medical students, residents and fellows are training with many of the top physicians not only in Tennessee, but also in the country. So they have great role models.”
In Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital placed five of its physicians in the rankings, with Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center adding four, Methodist Healthcare-University Hospital placing three, and four other hospitals in the state with one doctor in the top rankings.
“The VMG has approximately 1,200 practitioners comprising almost every specialty and subspecialty in existence. This particular listing of America's Top Doctors helps to highlight some, but certainly not all, of the superb clinicians we have in every field,” said Pinson, who serves as the H. William Scott Professor of Surgery and as director of the Vanderbilt Transplant Center.
Physician profiles are arranged by specialty or subspecialty and are organized geographically within each specialty/subspecialty. Doctors are also listed alphabetically and by a special interest index that connects them to a disease, condition, procedure or technique.
America's Top Doctors, priced at $29.95 per copy, is available at all major national bookstore chains, online at www.CastleConnolly.com or by calling Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. at (800)-399-D-O-C-S.
Vanderbilt faculty in "America's Top Doctors"
Mark Anderson, M.D., professor of Cardiology
Dan Beauchamp, M.D., professor of Surgery
Frank Boehm, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Joseph Bruner, M.D., associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Brian Burkey, M.D., associate professor of Otolaryngology
Benjamin Byrd, III, M.D., professor of Medicine
David Carbone, M.D., professor of Medicine
Karla Christian, M.D., associate professor of Cardiac Surgery
Brian Christman, M.D., associate professor of Medicine
John Currie, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Davis Drinkwater Jr., M.D., professor of Cardiac Surgery
Kathryn Edwards, M.D., professor of Pediatrics
Gerald Fenichel, M.D., professor of Neurology, Pediatrics
Frank Fish, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics
Steven Gabbe, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Alan Graber, M.D., professor of Medicine
Neil Green, M.D., professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation; associate professor of Pediatrics
John Greer, M.D., professor of Medicine, Pediatrics
Kevin Hagan, M.D., associate professor of Plastic Surgery
Kenneth Hande, M.D., professor of Medicine
Raymond Harris, M.D., professor of Medicine
Harold Helderman, M.D., professor of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology
Gordon Jensen, M.D., professor of Medicine
David Johnson, M.D., professor of Medicine
Howard Jones III, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Howard Kirshner, M.D., professor of Neurology
Christopher Lind, M.D., associate professor of Medicine
James Loyd, M.D., professor of Pulmonary Medicine
Thomas McCurley, M.D., associate professor of Pathology
Douglas Milam, M.D., associate professor of Urologic Surgery
Wallace Neblett, M.D., professor of Pediatric Surgery
James Netterville, M.D., professor of Otolaryngology
Mathew Ninan, M.D., assistant professor of Thoracic Surgery
David Page, M.D., professor of Pathology
Clarence Partain, M.D., professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
C Wright Pinson, M.D., professor of Surgery
Alvin Powers, M.D., professor of Medicine
Joe Putnam Jr., M.D., professor of Thoracic Surgery
David Raiford, M.D., professor of Medicine
Bruce Roth, M.D., professor of Urologic Oncology
Mace Rothenberg, M.D., professor of Medicine
Martin Sandler, M.D., professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
John Sergent, M.D., professor of Medicine
Joseph Smith, M.D., professor of Urologic Surgery
Dan Spengler, M.D., professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Kurt Spindler, M.D., professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Paul Sternberg Jr., M.D., professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Noel Tulipan, M.D., professor of Neurological Surgery
Arthur Wheeler, M.D., associate professor of Medicine