Physician Staff

• Dr. Julio Alvarez
• Dr. Jeffrey Steinig
• Dr. Daniel Patterson
• Dr. Kenneth Eckhert III
• Dr. Michael Rade
• Clinical Staff

Whether you are referred to a physician for surgical care, or you make the choice yourself, don't take your surgeon's qualifications for granted. Make sure your operation is performed by a competent physician whose specialty is surgery. It could be the most important decision you make.

Board Certification is a good sign of a surgeon's competence.It is certification given by a surgical board that is approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. When you choose a surgeon who is board certified in a surgical specialty, you are assured that he or she has completed years of residency training in his specialty and has demonstrated his knowledge and competence by successfully completing a rigorous examination.

The letters F.A.C.S. (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons) or "F.A.C.O.S." (Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons) after a surgeon's name are an indication to the patient that the surgeon has passed a thorough evaluation of both professional competence and ethical fitness. Fellows are board-certified surgeons or, in unusual circumstances, have met other standards comparable to board certification. A Fellow has committed himself or herself unequivocally to place the welfare of his patients above any other consideration; to avoid division of fees with other physicians; to make his fees commensurate with the services he renders; and to refrain from performing unjustified operations. In instances where a Fellow has been found to violate these principles, he or she has been subjected to disciplinary action and even has been expelled from Fellowship.