Friday, September 2, 2011

Five USA Physicians Named 'Top Doctors'

From left to right: Dr. Michael Finan, professor and chief of the gynecologic and oncology division at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute; Dr. William Richards, professor and chair of surgery at the USA College of Medicine; Dr. Arnold Luterman, Ripps-Meisler professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine; Dr. Johnson Haynes Jr., professor of internal medicine and director of the USA Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center; and Dr. Eddie Reed, clinical director for the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute.
This year, five physicians from the University of South Alabama Physicians Group and USA Mitchell Cancer Institute appear in the Top Doctors directory issued by U.S. News and World Report.  They are the only doctors in our region to receive this honor.

USA physicians Drs. Michael Finan, Johnson Haynes Jr., Arnold Luterman, Eddie Reed and William Richards, were each listed among the top physician specialists in the United States. In addition, the report lists Drs. Finan, Haynes and Luterman as being in the top one percent of their peers in their respective specialties.

Dr. Michael Finan is professor and chief of the gynecologic and oncology division at the Mitchell Cancer Institute and is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the USA College of Medicine. He specializes in the management of cancers of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and lower genital tract. He is also the first gynecologist in Mobile to perform robotic surgery. Prior to joining USA, Dr. Finan served as the residency program director of gynecologic and oncology and chair of the cancer committee at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.

Dr. Johnson Haynes Jr. is a professor of internal medicine and director of the USA Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. Dr. Haynes also serves as assistant dean for diversity and cultural competence at the USA College of Medicine. His interests are in the research and treatment of sickle cell disease. Dr. Haynes is a graduate of the USA College of Medicine and conducted his residency training at the USA Medical Center. Dr. Haynes completed his clinical fellowship in pulmonary medicine at USA, as well as a fellowship in pulmonary vascular research at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Dr. Arnold Luterman is the Ripps-Meisler professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and medical director of the USA Burn Center. He is a nationally known burn care expert, and is actively engaged in leading-edge burn and wound treatment and research. He helped establish the USA Burn Center in 1981, and has played a vital role in the care of burn victims in our region for 30 years.

Dr. Eddie Reed is the clinical director for the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute.  He directs clinical programs and continues his research that concentrates on molecular pharmacology and clinical development of novel platinum compounds. His clinical focus is on ovarian cancer and metastatic prostate cancer. Prior to his appointment at USA, Dr. Reed worked at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, where he served as Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.

Dr. William Richards serves as professor and chair of surgery at the USA College of Medicine. He directs the Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery Programs at USA and is also a Member surgeon with the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute.  Dr. Richards’s clinical interests focus on surgical treatment of Achalasia, Paraesophageal Hernias, Barrett’s esophagus, Adrenal tumors, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Type 2 diabetes and motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract using minimally invasive surgical procedures. He has performed thousands of laparoscopic procedures since 1989 and is internationally recognized for his research and surgical expertise in these disorders.

U.S. News Top Doctors was created in collaboration with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. It draws from their database of America’s Top Doctors, all recommended for their clinical skills by other doctors and individually vetted by a physician-led research team. Consumers can search for a Top Doctor by location, hospital affiliation, and a full range of specialties and subspecialties and lists nearly 30,000 peer-nominated physicians across the country.

The selection process for America’s Top Doctors is based on a rigorous research process that begins with mail and telephone surveys of board certified physicians. A comprehensive review of the training and credentials of those physicians considered for the inclusion is conducted by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team.