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july 2008 | VOLUME 28, NUMBER 11 |  |
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2008 top docs
Top Docs Profiles
By Lori Brandt & Anna Riggenbach
DR. TANYA EDWARDS
Family & Integrative Medicines
Cleveland Clinic
Practicing family medicine is not exactly the pathway Dr. Tanya Edwards saw herself following as an undergraduate. “I wanted to become a vet,” she says, chuckling when describing one of the animal-related science courses she was required to take. “It was awful, and I was miserable.” Edwards changed her direction and, after a few twists and turns, pinpointed the destination she was intended to reach: becoming a medical doctor. She fell in love with family medicine in her fourth year of medical school because, she says, “I could sit down on the bed next to patients, hug them and hold their hands; it was OK, and they loved it.”
Four years ago, Edwards joined the staff at Cleveland Clinic, not only to continue practicing family medicine (now in her 18th year) and teaching medical students at Case Western Reserve University, but also to help develop and lead a clinical integrative medicine practice. She characterizes integrative medicine as combining strongly supported safe and effective alternative therapies (such as acupuncture, supplements and herbs, and guided imagery) with conventional Western medicine. “I try my best to assess patients as a whole person – body, mind and spirit – and pay close attention to possible deficiencies that may be causing their illness, and then treat them with as natural ways as I can to help get them back in balance without the use of drugs,” she explains. “The goal is to heal patients’ underlying problems.”
Edwards comments on the benefit of the holistic approach while caring for one particular patient struggling with a disease that would allegedly leave her blind, explaining that within six months of treatments, the patient was driving and reading again with 100 percent improvement in her retinopathy. “There was a transformational experience this woman needed before she could be healed, and it happened. I was speechless and humbled.” This incident effectively defines the compassionate doctor’s favorite part of her job: seeing miracles happen. As far as the indirect route to becoming an MD, Edwards says,“This was my path; I just didn’t realize it at the time.”
DR. ALAN DAVIS
Specializing in Orthopaedic Surgery
Fairview Hospital
Becoming one of the team doctors for the men’s US national ice hockey team all began with a father standing at the side of a Rocky River ice rink cheering for his young sons playing youth hockey. While watching his boys, Dr.Alan Davis would kindly take care of people who got hurt on the ice, and eventually became the group’s team doctor. His sons later went on to play professional hockey, and one of them was recruited to play for the US team. Due to Davis’ involvement with the sport, the Fairview Hospital orthopaedic surgeon was asked to become the US team’s physician.“I did it,” he says, “and I got the amazing opportunity to travel with them and watch my son play all over the world.”
While an active participant in the US hockey program on an intermittent basis and in his current longtime volunteer role as team physician for the hockey players in the Rocky River school district, Davis also treats athletes involved in other sports. Specializing in ankle and foot issues, this director of orthopaedics at the Cleveland Clinic Westlake facility says one of the most common problems he comes across is overuse injuries from improper sports training. “It’s important to get proper coaching, and build up gradually,” he says.“Learn what your threshold is.”
Davis, a multisport athlete (although not a hockey player) from a very young age, currently enjoys rowing, entering triathlons and, most recently, has become involved in masters sprinting. The determined doctor’s goal is to continue being proactive in community efforts, advocating proper nutrition and exercise to improve the health of the general public, especially through showing by example. “I commute to work every day by bicycle,”he says,“and encourage others to do the same.” His devotion to the care of others remains strong: “I love orthopaedics because it helps my patients become more functional so they can have more enjoyment and fulfillment in their lives.”
DR. JEFFREY COHEN
Neurologist, specializing in MS
Cleveland Clinic
“I was struck by this challenging disease, and the great need for better treatment,” explains Cleveland Clinic neurologist Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, when describing his experience on rotation in medical school. He says, “I saw patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” a disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS),“and I knew then that I wanted to be part of this field, where we were about to make some exciting progress.”
Cohen proudly describes some of the major discoveries he has seen over the years that have improved lives of MS patients: the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose the disease, better systems to monitor the disease, and approved treatments used to recognize MS as a treatable disease.
In addition to caring for patients at the clinic since 1994, the energetic, highly motivated doctor spends a good portion of his time developing new treatments for MS through clinical trials.“ With the help of my patients, I can identify avenues for research and then take those research studies and apply them to the care of my patients,” says Cohen. He has also recently been inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Volunteer Hall of Fame for Health Professionals, recognized for his contributions in collaboration with the local chapter of the National MS Society.
Cohen says he reaps his rewards by seeing patients, who might have been scared and discouraged about their diagnosis, become more hopeful about the future after he educates them on what MS is, what they can expect from the disease and how to manage their symptoms. “I continue to reassure them there is a great deal of research and progress being made on MS and new treatments on the horizon." Immune therapies for MS can now prevent damage to the CNS, explains the neurologist, but his hope, and goal, is to learn how to repair damage already caused by the disease. “The good news is,” Cohen says passionately, “we are working on making headway with this problem right now.”
DR. ERIC JENISON
Specializing in Gynecologic Oncology
Akron General Medical Center
You could describe Dr. Eric Jenison, Akron General Medical Center gynecologic oncology service chief, obstetrics and gynecology chair, residency training program director and practicing physician, as one busy man. But his professional titles and demanding lifestyle do not fully portray the genuine qualities of this native Ohioan – a concerned doctor who always makes time for his patients and students.
As a surgeon specializing in gynecologic oncology, sympathy and honesty are two characteristics Jenison possesses, which are imperative when delivering a diagnosis of cancer. “It’s important to offer support in terms of my time, staying with patients and families as long as necessary to answer their questions,” he says. After the patient has had some time to heal from the initial diagnosis, Jenison motivates his patients to help themselves because, he says,“A positive mental attitude is so important to improve the health of the immune system to help fight cancer, and support the quality of time left.”
Jenison strives to impart his valuable traits and knowledge to his medical students. “I really enjoy teaching,” he says, “because it’s an opportunity that affects so many people.These students will potentially save thousands of lives over their careers.” He especially pushes the importance of understanding the need for early detection: “I deal with cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers, and all of these have early warning signs and are curable 90 percent of the time if caught in the early stages.”
Labeled a talented student who entered medical school at the young age of 19 and a brilliant specialist who assisted in the development of the CA-125 blood test in the early 1980s durtopdocs ing his Harvard Medical School fellowship (a current procedure used to help detect ovarian cancer), Jenison conveys his idea of true accomplishments “Success for me is telling a patient she is a statistical cure when she has been cancer-free for five years; a cancer patient responding well to treatment who will have good quality survival time; or watching my students graduate from their residence program and becoming successful in their careers and practices.”
DR. JOSEPH CALABRESE
Psychiatry
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
The desire to help patients in need is why Dr. Joseph Calabrese, director of the mood disorders program at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, decided to go into the field of psychiatry.“It is a huge opportunity to meet unmet needs,” says the Ohio State University College of Medicine graduate.
Calabrese works specifically with bipolar disorder, which includes symptoms like mood swings, depression and mania.“Every time I see someone cycle from being depressed to a hypomanic mood swing, I’m always amazed,” he says.“There is a huge difference in how people look, present and interact.”
Meeting with patients is Calabrese’s favorite part of his job,and he finds himself very comfortable working with them. “People who have bipolar disorder are talented and frequently gifted people who are verbal, engaging and pleasant to be around,” he said.“Patients with this illness are very engaging, and appreciate the help that they get.”
Calabrese has two main focuses for bipolar disorder: studying underserved populations, including those who are undiagnosed and those who are in jails and prisons; and treatment breakthroughs “My first interest has always been a development of new treatments, not just medicines,” he says. “I think in general, people just don’t understand it is a serious illness that needs to be treated.”
DR. BLAISE CONGENI
Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Akron Children’s Hospital and Medical Center
In one word, variety is what Dr. Blaise Congeni likes most about his job. As the director of pediatric infectious diseases at Akron Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Congeni is constantly meeting new patients.
“The thing that makes infectious disease a little bit different is the fact that we don’t have a large quantity of patients who are chronically ill,” says the doctor, a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine. “We meet patients, see them for awhile and they are hopefully cured, and we don’t see them again.”
After completing his residency at the University of Michigan and his fellowship at Case Western Reserve University at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital (now MetroHealth), Congeni went to the Akron hospital to give a presentation. At the time of his lecture, the adult infectious disease doctors were covering pediatrics. Congeni was asked whether he would be interested in fulfilling the pediatric position, and 31 years later, he is happy he said yes.
“That was the logical position, for me to assume the pediatric role,”he says.
In addition to working with patients, Congeni also has the opportunity to work with students.
“Teaching has been so important to my professional happiness and satisfaction,” he says.“In contrast to many other specialties, I get to see a variety of patients with fascinating illnesses and teach patients, residents and attending physicians.There are so many fascinating things happening in my field. It’s just never boring.”
Currently focused on research in the area of new vaccines, Congeni, a father of three, is also celebrating his son’s graduation from medical school. Apparently, enthusiasm is catching.
DR. RICHARD MARTIN
Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine
Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
Having good colleagues can make the workday go by quicker, but for Dr. Richard Martin, quality coworkers were key to his success.Martin is the chief of the center for neonatology at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. The hospital’s neonatal center has been recognized nationally and internationally in the care of premature and newborn infants.
“The reputation doesn’t just come from one individual, but a whole group,” Martin says. “The success of neonatology at Rainbow is a result of a team of physicians and nurses, and other caretakers who are so deeply committed to their jobs, to their institution and to their patients.”
The native Australian graduated from the University of Sydney School of Medicine and came to Rainbow in 1974. After his pediatric training in the mid- 1970s, he says the survival of premature infants was only just becoming possible.
“I was fortunate to be inspired by the unique successes that were beginning to occur around the country, including the program here,” he says. “My interest is not so much in pediatrics as it was a fascination and problem with newborn infants, and the tremendous obstacles they face in survival.”
Martin divides his time between basic research activities, teaching and clinical care. He frequently lectures out of town, which requires him to be very focused on the program when he is at the hospital.
“I cram a lot into every day,” he says.“Every day is different and full of surprises.”
When not being invited to give presentations by the pediatric academic community,Martin spends his time jogging and enjoys traveling.Martin and his wife, a psychiatrist with a private practice, have two children. “One of the great challenges and joys in my life is that both of my children are training in psychiatry,” he says.
DR. JEAN STEVENSON
Surgery
MetroHealth Medical Center
Screening 900 patients and educating more than 6,000 people in less than three years may seem an impossible feat for one woman, but Dr. Jean Stevenson has done just that.
Stevenson, a surgeon and assistant professor of surgery at the MetroHealth Cancer Care Center, developed the Bringing Education, Advocacy, and Support Together (B.R.E.A.S.T.) program in 2005, and, more recently, the Amigas Unidas program. The programs are focused on screening black and Hispanic women for breast cancer. “There was a real need and desire of these women to get screened,” Stevenson says.
Before developing the B.R.E.A.S.T. program, Stevenson would often see uninsured patients, many with advanced breast cancer. “Often the patients were either minorities or uninsured,” she says. “I just felt we had to do something.”The Medical College of Virginia grad tried a program targeting Hispanic women in the fall of 2003, but only saw 14 patients. “In my mind, that was a failure,” says Stevenson.“I felt we could do so much better than that.”
After two more sessions with similar results, Stevenson decided to keep trying to work through the program’s problems and uncover the barriers women had to medical care. She gained a grant through the Susan G. Komen Foundation and hired a bilingual coordinator, which she says was a giant step in the right direction. Her program is now seeing about 50 women per screening. “We take all services to the community, instead of expecting them to come to us.” The program teaches women how to do self-exams, with the hope that women will share the information with their families and friends. Stevenson is currently trying to add cervical cancer screenings to her already successful programs.
This year, Northern Ohio Live presents an exclusive list of the best doctors
in the region, as researched and compiled by Castle Connolly Medical.
Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Using mail and telephone surveys, and electronic ballots, they ask physicians and the medical leadership of leading hospitals to identify highly skilled, exceptional doctors. Careful screening of doctors’ educational and professional experience is essential before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers. Physicians selected for inclusion in this magazine’s “Top Doctors” feature may also appear as Regional Top Doctors online at www.castleconnolly.com, or in one of Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors Guides, such as America’s Top Doctors or America’s Top Doctors for Cancer.
ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY Lily Pien CARDIAC CARDIOVASCULAR |
Steven Nissen William Stewart James Young CHILD NEUROLOGY Elaine Wyllie |
COLON & RECTAL Ian Lavery Harry Reynolds Jen-Nan Yuh |
DERMATOLOGY Kevin Cooper Paul Hazen Eliot Mostow |
DIAGNOSTIC
Brian Herts
Carlos Sivit |
ENDOCRINOLOGY,
Angelo Licata Thomas Murphy |
FAMILY
MEDICINE Tanya Edwards Matthew Finneran Jeanette Moleski S. David Wakulchik |
GASTROENTEROLOGY Bret Lashner GERIATRIC MEDICINE Sathya Reddy
|
Peter
Rose Steven Waggoner HAND SURGERY David Shapiro |
HEMATOLOGY Jaroslow Maciejewski Roy Silverstein INTERNAL MEDICINE Jackson Wright Jr. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY |
MEDICAL ONCOLOGY Ernest Borden Stanton Gerson Matt Kalaycio Derek Raghavan NEONATAL-PERINATAL MEDICINE |
NEPHROLOGY John Sedor NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY Edward Benzel Alan Cohen Ali Rezai
Warren Selman |
NEUROLOGY Anthony Furlan Jose Rafecas Jerrold Vitek NEURORADIOLOGY Michael Modic |
OBSTETRICS &
GYNECOLOGY Robert Egdell Patrick Naples Brenda Rice Steven Weight Margie Wenz |
OPHTHALMOLOGY Elbert Magoon ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY Joseph Iannotti Michael Joyce George Muschler |
OTOLARYNGOLOGY Nicole Maronian PAIN MEDICINE PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY Larry Latson Ernest Siwik |
PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGYONCOLOGY Jeffrey Hord PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY Robert Katz |
PEDIATRIC
PULMONOLOGY PEDIATRIC SURGERY PEDIATRICS Brian Berman Charles Davis Diane Langkamp Michael Macknin |
PHYSICAL
MEDICINE & REHABILITATION PLASTIC SURGERY Maria Siemionow PSYCHIATRY PULMONARY DISEASE Eyad Nashawati |
RADIATION ONCOLOGY Timothy Kinsella Roger Macklis Louis Novak John Suh RHEUMATOLOGY Alexandra Villa-Forte |
SPORTS
MEDICINE SURGERY Julian Kim Eleftherios Mamounas Christopher McHenry James Schulak Allan Siperstein Jean Stevenson |
THORACIC
SURGERY Muhammad Mumtaz Roberto Novoa Nicholas Smedira |
UROLOGY Eric Klein Drogo Montague Andrew Novick |
Allen Seftel Craig Zippe VASCULAR & INTERVENTIONAL
RADIOLOGY This list of doctors is researched and compiled by Castle Connolly Medical.Any corrections or notifications should be made to Castle Connolly Medical.To order America’s Top Doctors ($29.95 paperback), call 800- 399-DOCS or visit www.americastopdoctors.com |
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