Hundreds of doctors from around the state and across specialties made Business North Carolina Magazine’s annual top doctors list. The group included Wilmington-area physicians.
To compile the annual list, Business North Carolina worked with software and research company DataJoe Research, which facilitated an online-peer voting process asking doctors who they thought were the best in their specialties.
Once top nominees in each category were tallied, DataJoe checked the medical license statuses of published winners. Those without current, active registrations or who had been disciplined for an infraction by the state regulatory board were excluded, according to Business North Carolina.
To see the magazine’s full North Carolina’s Top Doctors list,
click here.
Here are the local doctors who made the list.
Colon and Rectal Surgery
SARAH FOX
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: American College of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, daVinci Robot Advanced Colorectal Surgery, Advanced Endoscopic Techniques, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support
EXPERTISE: Colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, anorectal disorders, robotic surgery, pelvic floor disorders
EDUCATION: B.A. psychology, Wellesley College-Wellesley, Massachusetts; Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery, University of Sydney School of Medicine- Sydney
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: General Surgery Residency, New Hanover Regional Medical Center
FELLOWSHIPS: Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship, Greenville Health System-Greenville, South Carolina
JOSEPH M. PAYNE
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: Surgery, colon and rectal surgery
EXPERTISE: Colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, anal problems, diverticulitis
EDUCATION: University of North Carolina School of Medicine-Chapel Hill
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Tulane University-New Orleans
FELLOWSHIPS: Cleveland Clinic Foundation-Ohio
Critical Care Medicine
KEVIN M. O’NEIL
WILMINGTON HEALTH
CERTIFICATIONS: internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, sleep medicine and critical care
EXPERTISE: General pulmonary medicine, lung cancer, asthma and COPD, sleep medicine, exercise, and dyspnea
EDUCATION: Jefferson Medical College- Philadelphia
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES/ FELLOWSHIPS: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth-Portsmouth, Virginia
Dermatology
WILLIAM S. KAUFMAN
DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATES, PA
CERTIFICATIONS: Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology
EXPERTISE: General dermatology
EDUCATION: Undergraduate, Duke University-Durham; Medical College of Virginia School of Medicine-Richmond, Virginia
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Internship, Carilion Clinic-Roanoke, Virginia; Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology-Wake Forest
Family Medicine
BRIAN LANIER
PROMINA HEALTH
CERTIFICATIONS: Family medicine
EDUCATION: Business degree, N.C. State University-Raleigh; University of North Carolina School of Medicine-Chapel Hill
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Family Medicine Residency, New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Gastroenterology
STEVEN D. KLEIN
WILMINGTON GASTROENTEROLOGY
CERTIFICATIONS: Gastroenterology and hepatology
EDUCATION: B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-Chapel Hill; M.D., New York Medical College-Valhalla, New York
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Internal Medicine Residency, Emory University-Atlanta
FELLOWSHIPS: Gastroenterology Fellowship, Emory University-Atlanta
General Surgery
ELIZABETH ACQUISTA
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: Surgical trauma critical care, general surgery
EXPERTISE: Complex abdominal cases, open and laparoscopic surgeries of the colon and small intestine, pancreas, spleen, liver and biliary tree
EDUCATION: Royal College of Surgeons- Dublin
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
FELLOWSHIPS: Hartford Hospital of the University of Connecticut-Hartford, Connecticut
W. BORDON HOOKS III
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: Minimally invasive bariatric surgery, general surgery
EXPERTISE: General surgery and bariatric surgery daVinci Robotic Surgery
EDUCATION: University of North Carolina School of Medicine-Chapel Hill
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: NHRMC
FELLOWSHIPS: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center-Winston-Salem
WILLIAM HOPE
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: General surgery
EXPERTISE: Gastrointestinal surgery with special interest in advanced laparoscopic surgery of the abdomen, including anti-reflux, stomach, intestine/ colon, gallbladder, spleen and adrenal surgery; both open and minimally invasive approaches to hernia surgery
EDUCATION: Medical University of South Carolina-Charleston, South Carolina
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center-Greenville, South Carolina
FELLOWSHIPS: Carolinas Medical Center-Charlotte
Hand Surgery
RICHARD S. BAHNER
EMERGEORTHO
CERTIFICATIONS: Orthopaedic surgery
EXPERTISE: Hand upper extremity and microsurgery specialist
EDUCATION: Undergraduate, Duke University-Durham; Cincinnati College of Medicine-Cincinnati, Ohio
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: General Surgery, Emory University Hospitals-Atlanta; Tampa Orthopedic Program-Tampa; Orthopedics, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh
FELLOWSHIPS: Hand and Upper Extremity, University of Chicago-Chicago
Infectious Disease
PAUL KAMITSUKA
WILMINGTON HEALTH
CERTIFICATIONS: Internal medicine and infectious diseases
EXPERTISE: Outpatient IV antibiotic management, post-surgical, orthopaedic infections, staphylococcal infections
EDUCATION: Harvard Medical School- Boston
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Massachusetts General Hospital-Boston
Neurology
J. THADDEUS COIN
COIN NEUROLOGY
CERTIFICATIONS: Neurology
EXPERTISE: General neurology with emphasis on: Parkinson’s disease and tremor; vertigo and balance; epilepsy; migraine; stroke; dementia; peripheral neuropathy
EDUCATION: B.A. in chemistry, Oklahoma City University-Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Ph.D. in biochemistry, Rice University-Houston; Post-Doctoral Research: Cornell University-Ithaca, New York; Doctor of Medicine, Duke University- Durham
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Internship and Neurology Residency, Duke University Medical Center-Durham
JAMES S. MCKINNEY III
NHRMC PHYSICIAN GROUP-NEUROLOGY
CERTIFICATIONS: Vascular neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
EDUCATION: Chemistry, Trinity University-San Antonio, Texas; St. George’s University School of Medicine-Grenada, West Indies
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Seton Hall University, St. Michael’s Medical Center-Newark, New Jersey; Neurology Residency, Seton Hall University, New Jersey Neuroscience Institute-Edison, New Jersey
FELLOWSHIPS: Vascular Neurology Fellowship, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
FRANCIS J. O’DONNELL
NHRMC PHYSICIAN GROUP-NEUROLOGY
CERTIFICATIONS: Neurology/psychiatry
EXPERTISE: Headache specialist
EDUCATION: B.A. in psychology and B.A. in philosophy, LeHigh University- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine-Kirksville, Missouri
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Medicine Internship, Doctors Hospital- Columbus, Ohio; Neurology Residency; The Ohio State University Hospital- Columbus, Ohio
Obstetrics and Gynecology
WILLIAM M. JOHNSTONE JR.
NHRMC PHYSICIAN GROUP-COASTAL OB/GYN SPECIALISTS & MIDWIFERY, NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-OB/GYN SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: Obstetrics and gynecology
EDUCATION: ECU Brody School of Medicine-Greenville
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: University Medical Center of Eastern Carolina-Greenville
Orthopaedic Surgery
RICHARD S. MOORE JR.
EMERGEORTHO
CERTIFICATIONS: Orthopaedic surgery
EXPERTISE: Hand, upper extremity and microvascular
EDUCATION: B.A. in biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina School of Medicine- Chapel Hill
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
FELLOWSHIPS: Hand, Upper Extremity and Microvascular Surgery Fellowship, Duke University Medical Center-Durham
CHRISTOPHER D. PARKS
EMERGEORTHO
CERTIFICATIONS: Fracture care specialist, board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery
EXPERTISE: Fractures and dislocations of the upper extremities (shoulder, upper arm, elbow and forearm); lower extremities (hip, upper leg, lower leg and ankle); and of the pelvis
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, chemical engineering, University of Maine-Orono, Maine; Medical Degree, State University of New York Upstate Medical University-Syracuse, New York
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: State University of New York Upstate Medical University-Syracuse, New York
FELLOWSHIPS: Orthopaedic Trauma, Washington University School of Medicine-St. Louis, Missouri
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
JAMES APPEL
WILMINGTON HEALTH
CERTIFICATIONS: Dermatology
EDUCATION: University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Lexington, Kentucky
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Internal Medicine Internship at the University of Cincinnati Hospital- Cincinnati, Ohio; Chief Resident at the University of Louisville Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology-Louisville, Kentucky
Surgical Oncology
MICHELLE M. FILLION
NHRMC PHYSICIAN SPECIALISTS-GENERAL SURGERY SPECIALISTS
CERTIFICATIONS: Complex general surgical oncology, general surgery
EXPERTISE: Complex GI oncology, HPB, breast, endocrine, soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma and minimally invasive surgery
EDUCATION: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine-Cincinnati, Ohio
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine-Knoxville, Tennessee
FELLOWSHIPS: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center- Columbus, Ohio
Vascular Surgery
DANIEL BARZANA
WILMINGTON HEALTH
CERTIFICATIONS: General surgery, vascular surgery
EDUCATION: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University-Fort Lauderdale, Florida
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: Surgical Internship and General Surgery Residency, NHRMC
FELLOWSHIPS: Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Tennessee-Memphis
THOMAS D. ESKEW JR.
COASTAL VASCULAR INSTITUTE
CERTIFICATIONS: Surgery, vascular surgery, registered in vascular ultrasound technology
EXPERTISE: Endovascular surgery, carotid and aortic surgery, lower extremity re-vascularization, laparoscopic surgery, general, thyroid, GI and vein surgery
EDUCATION: Medical College of Georgia- Augusta, Georgia
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: ECU Brody School of Medicine-Greenville
FELLOWSHIPS: Vascular Surgery, Kansas University Medical Center-Kansas City; Endovascular Surgery, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Illinois
DAVID A. WEATHERFORD
COASTAL VASCULAR INSTITUTE
CERTIFICATIONS: Vascular surgery, registered in vascular ultrasound technology
EXPERTISE: Specializes in all aspects of vascular surgery with particular interest in endovascular techniques in treatment of carotid disease, aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, vein disease and wound management
EDUCATION: Undergraduate, College of Charleston-Charleston, South Carolina; Medical University of South Carolina- Charleston, South Carolina
INTERNSHIPS/RESIDENCIES: General Surgery, Greenville Hospital System- Greenville, South Carolina
FELLOWSHIPS: Vascular Surgery, University of Tennessee Medical Center- Knoxville, Tennessee