Record Number of Atrium Health Physicians Earn “Top Doctor” Recognition
CHARLOTTE, N.C., August 2, 2021 – A record-breaking number of Atrium Health doctors – 205 physicians, to be exact–have been recognized as “Top Doctors” in Charlotte magazine’s annual Top Doctors issue. These doctors, representing an array of specialties, were nominated by their peers as physicians who exemplify excellence in their fields. Then, a research team evaluated each nominated doctor according to criteria that included qualifications, education, hospital appointments, research leadership, professional reputation and patient outcomes.
In addition, this health-focused issue of Charlotte magazine features two stories about Atrium Health:
- How a New Medical School Aims to Change Charlotte explores the transformative potential of Atrium Health’s upcoming medical school to the physical and economic health of the region. Wake Forest School of Medicine - Charlotte, created in partnership with Wake Forest Baptist Health, will “build a Silicon Valley for health care innovation spanning from Winston-Salem to Charlotte,” according to Eugene Woods, Atrium Health president and CEO.
- The Dumbledore of CMC explores a series of children’s books written by Dr. Maria Baimas-George, an Atrium Health surgical resident, that helps sick kids and their caregivers in powerful (and data-proven) ways.
“Treating patients’ fear and stress and anxiety is part of being a doctor—it’s not just treating a ruptured appendix,” Baimas-George, who also illustrated the issue’s cover, said in the story. “It’s about acknowledging, ‘this is scary,’ and helping them feel comfort and hope. That’s a form of medicine we need to practice as well.”
Atrium Health is proud to recognize its fantastic physicians who have been earned the recognition of Top Doctors in 2021:
Allergy & Immunology
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Cardiovascular Disease
- Theodore Frank, MD
- Sanjeev Gulati, MD
- Robert Haber, MD
- Michael Rinaldi, MD
- Geoffrey Rose, MD
- John Symanski, MD
- Ashleigh Maiers, MD
- Rohit Mehta, MD
- Cheryl Russo, MD
- Kushal Handa, MD
- Felipe Navarro, MD
Clinical Genetics
Child Neurology
Colon & Rectal Surgery
Dermatology
Endocrinology
Family Medicine
Gastroenterology
- John Hanson, MD
- Thomas Pacicco, MD
- Robert Reindollar, MD
- Richard Sigmon, MD
- Steven Zacks, MD
- Andrew deLemos, MD
- Mark Russo, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Gynecologic Oncology
Hematology
- Edward Copelan, MD
- Nilanjan Ghosh, MD/PhD
- Saad Usmani, MD
- Peter Voorhees, MD
- Reed Friend, MD
- Michael Grunwald, MD
- Mary Ann Knovich, MD
Hospice and Palliative Care
Infectious Disease
- Joseph Lang, MD
- David Weinrib, MD
- Michael Leonard, MD
- Lewis McCurdy, MD
- Tue Ngo, MD
- Christopher Polk, MD
Internal Medicine
Interventional Cardiology
Maternal Fetal Medicine
Medical Oncology
- Asim Amin, MD/PhD
- Earle Burgess, MD
- Daniel Carrizosa, MD
- Seungjean Chai, MD
- Julie Fisher, MD
- Daniel Haggstrom, MD
- Lane Hellner, MD
- Jimmy Hwang, MD
- Michael Livingston, MD
- Kathryn Mileham, MD
- Ashley Sumrall, MD
- Antoinette Tan, MD
Neurology
Neurological Surgery
- Anthony Asher, MD
- Scott Wait, MD
- Joe Bernard, MD
- Domagoj Coric, MD
- Mark Van Poppel, MD
- Sarah Jernigan, MD
Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Grant Campbell, MD
- Steven Paterno, MD
- Leslie Hansen-Lindner, MD
- Robert Wicker, MD
- Natasha Adams-Denny, MD
- Sarah Baker, MD
- Pamela Cobb, MD
- Astrid Jain, MD
- Jennifer Kalich, MD
- Tamara Meekins, MD
- Shraddha Mehta, MD
- Kathryn Whitten, MD
Orthopaedic Surgery
- Joseph Hsu, MD
- Michael Heinig, MD
- Madhav Karunakar, MD
- Laurence Kempton, MD
- Jeffrey Kneisl, MD
- Eric Kropf, MD
- Joshua Patt, MD
- Stephen Sims, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Pediatric Endocrinology
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Pediatric Hematology Oncology
Pediatric Infectious Disease
Pediatric Nephrology
Pediatric Rheumatology
Pediatric Surgery
Pediatric Urology
Pediatrics - General
- Rachel Bozin, MD
- Renu Doshi, MD
- Anitha Leonard, MD
- Amanda Lanier, MD
- Rhonda Patt, MD
- Anna Schmelzer, MD
- Arthur Spell, MD
- Chpryelle Carr, MD
Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Vishwa Raj, MD
- William Bockenek, MD
- Nicole Rup, MD
- Vu Nguyen, MD
- Sonya Rissmiller, MD
- Puneet Aggarwal, MD
- Tobias Tsai, MD
Plastic Surgery
Pulmonary Disease
Radiation Oncology
Reproductive Endocrinology
Sports Medicine
Surgery
- Roc Bauman, MD
- Roger Denny, MD
- Keith Gersin, MD
- Lejla Hadzikadic-Gusic, MD
- Todd Heniford, MD
- Joshua Hill, MD
- David Iannitti, MD
- Kent Kercher, MD
- John Martinie, MD
- Brent Matthews, MD
- Jonathan Salo, MD
- Terry Sarantou, MD
- Deba Sarma, MD
- Dionisios Vrochides, MD/PhD
- Richard White, MD
Thoracic Cardiac Surgery
- Thomas Maxey, MD
- John Frederick, MD
- Jeffrey Hagen, MD
- Paul Kirshbom, MD
- Jeko Madjarov, MD
- Eric Skipper, MD
- Michael Roach, MD
- Ralph Christy, MD
- Medhat Takla, MD
Urology
- Peter Clark, MD
- Kris Gaston, MD
- Michael Kennelly, MD
- Mark Makhuli, MD
- Stephen Riggs, MD
- Manish Patel, MD
- Ornob Roy, MD
- Angela Schang, MD
- Gillian Stearns-Parr, MD
Vascular Surgery
About Atrium Health
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Atrium Health is an integrated, nonprofit health system with nearly 70,000 teammates serving patients at 37 hospitals and more than 1,350 care locations. It provides care under the Wake Forest Baptist Health name in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, region and Atrium Health Navicent in Georgia. Atrium Health is renowned for its top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. A recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research, Wake Forest School of Medicine is the academic core of the enterprise, including Wake Forest Innovations, which is advancing new medical technologies and biomedical discoveries. Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for cancer treatment and in eight pediatric specialties, Atrium Health has also received the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize and was the recipient of the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all, providing more than $2 billion per year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.