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com 86
Howdid you decide you wanted
to go into medicine? Both of my
parents were practicing physicians on
the island of Trinidad. They owned a
17-bed hospital during my childhood.
I remember tagging along with my
mother fromroomto roomand
visiting the patients. Family practice
covers the entire spectrumof
medicine. Its really a job where you
can get to knowthe family members
fromone generation to another
assisting themwith all their medical
needs. I really love that.
Whats the most common question
or fear you hear frompatients?
The most common fear is of cancer.
Another is cardiac illnesses. The
most common questions I get
are often about weight: Why amI
gaining weight?
What has been the biggest change
in family medicine since you started
your career? One is the increased role
of women in medicine todaythat
is so different than when I started
30 years ago. And the second is the
electronic medical recordsthat has
changed things considerably.
Whats been the best moment
of your career so far? Earlier on in
my career, I had a patient with a
cardiomyopathy and he needed to
have a heart transplant. In those
days, the insurance coverage for
heart transplants was not clear-cut.
He ended up in the intensive care
unit and needed an articial heart
and then a heart transplant, and I
remember being on the phone for
14 hours pleading and arguing my
case with the insurance company.
I eventually got the OK for it all to
be covered, and he lived for 20-plus
years after that. I learned a lot from
that, you know. Its important to
persevere, to keep trying again and
again, to look to the future and
never, never, never give up.
What is the most important trait
someone in family practice needs to
have? Apassion for medicine and a
compassion for patients.
MUMTAZ KAZI M
FAMI LY PHYSI CI AN /
PRESI DENT OF EDI NA FAMI LY
PHYSI CI ANS
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE:
1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Need a doc? Weve got you covered. Heres our annual guide to the best in town,
according to their peers: more than 700 doctors organized by 42 specialties.
Plus, we chat with seven of these top professionals and take you behind the scenes
for a look at the cutting-edge work being done locally
around traumatic brain injuries.
BY AMANDA LEPI NSKI / EDI TED BY REBECCA ROWLAND
PHOTOS BY CAMERON WI TTI G
TOP
DOCTORS
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J ULY 2014 | M P L S . S T . P A U L | mspmag.com 88
Whendid youdecide youwanted to go into
medicine? Well, my dad is a doctor and my
momwas a nurse. I think I was 7 when I
decided this is what I wanted to do.
What are the most commonquestions or
fears youhear frompatients? I do heart
surgery or lung transplants, so most
people are pretty nervous. I dont try and
minimize the fear. But then I spend a lot
of time saying this is our team, these are
our outcomes. Ill walk through the statis-
tics, but then I also say, Youre right. This
is a big deal, and well do everything in
our power to make sure we give you the
best care.
Whats beenthe best moment of your
career so far? Its hard to pick one, but my
favorite moments are when I see a patient
a year later and they look so different.
They came in for a lung transplant and
looked so weak and ill and frightened, and
then I see themin the hall for a clinic visit
a year later and I dont even realize theyre
a patient because they look so good.
And the worst? I remember a patient who
went into liver failure after heart surgery. We
never understood why, but within 20 hours
he had died. Theres really nothing harder
than thatto feel youve done your very best
and it didnt do a bit of good. It heightens
your awareness of howfragile life is.
If a friend or relative were getting surgery,
what questions would youwant them
to ask their physician? 1. Why is this
procedure indicated and what are the
alternatives, with and without surgery?
2. Are you the best person for this
procedure, how many have you done, and
what are your results? 3. Whos on the
teamthat will be caring for me during this
process, and how can I speak with you
directly should the need arise?
ROSEMARY KELLY
CARDI OTHORACI C SURGEON / UNI VERSI TY OF MI NNESOTA
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
When compiling a list thats
as relied upon as our annual Top
Doctors list, research is essential. For this
years survey, we asked 5,000 licensed
metro-area physicians and registered nurses
to nominate one or more doctors (excluding
themselves) to whomthey would go if they
or a loved one were seeking medical care.
Fromthere, candidates were grouped into 42
specialties and evaluated on myriad factors,
including (but not limited to) peer recognition,
professional achievement, and disciplinary
history. Doctors who had the highest scores
fromeach grouping were invited to serve on
a blue-ribbon panel that evaluated the other
candidates in their practice area. In the end,
only doctors who acquired the highest total
points fromthe surveys, research, and blue-
ribbon panel reviewwere selected as Mpls.
St.Paul Magazines 2014 Top Doctors.
Of course, no list is perfect. Many qualied
doctors who are providing excellent care to
their patients are not included on this years
list. However, if youre looking for exceptional
physicians who have earned the condence
and high regard of their peers, you can start
your search here. In addition to the list you
nd here, this years crop of Top Doctors will
join a prestigious group of doctors frommore
than 20 cities around the country who have
been designated as Super Doctors, the full list
of which you can nd at superdoctors.com.
Gary D. Berman
Allergy &Asthma
Specialists, PA, Mpls.,
612-338-3333
Gary R. Geller
St. Paul Allergy &
Asthma, PA, St. Paul,
651-698-0386
*
David F. Graft
Park Nicollet Clinic,
St. Louis Park,
952-993-3090
*
Brenda J. Guyer
Park Nicollet Methodist
Hospital, St. Louis
Park, 952-993-3090
ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
Manages disorders involving immune system
conditions such as asthma, anaphylaxis,
rhinitis, and eczema, plus adverse reactions
to drugs, foods, and insect stings.
*
This symbol indicates that a doctors practice has a
pediatric specialty or subspecialty. It does not, however,
indicate that the doctor is a board-certied pediatrician
or board certied in a pediatric specialty.
*
This symbol indicates that a doctors practice offers
cosmetic/reconstructive procedures.
Editors Note: Many of our Top Doctors have specialty certication
recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This
board certication requires substantial additional training in a
doctors area of practice. We encourage you to discuss this board
certication with your doctor to determine its relevance to your
medical needs. More information about board certication is avail-
able at www.abms.org.
2014MSPCommunications. All rights reserved. Seedisclaimer
onpage123.
The 18th edition of our
Top Doctors list includes
more than 700 doctors
in 42 specialties. Heres
howwe put it together.
Whendidyourealize youwantedto
gointomedicine? Even as a young
child I remember being interested in
the Readers Digest articles that were
about trauma and real life. Whenever
an issue came, I would grab it and
nd that months article about
emergency medicine and read it.
What would yousay the biggest
change inorthopedics has been
since youstarted? Its much less
invasive now. Hospital stays have
decreased dramaticallywe routinely
get patients out after they only
spend three or four days in the
hospital, and some patients only
spend the night. The other part is the
health care systemitself. Everything
is computerized. And the way we
practiceits not just the patient and
the doctor anymore, its a massive
teamapproach, which has its
advantages but also makes health
care a little harder than it used to be.
What is happening in orthopedics
right nowthat youre excited
about? Just like everything else
in medicine, we are moving into
less-invasive or non-surgical ways
to treat problems. And 3D printing
is the technology thats there all of
a suddenin orthopedics its really
going to help us make custom
implants for people based on their
unique shape and anatomy. Those
innovations are just around the
corner, whereas they were science
ction 10 years ago.
If youcould talk to yourself at the
beginning of your career, what
advice would yougive? My wife is a
doctor too, and we managed to raise
our kids. Medicine is a taskmaster
its a 24-hour-a-day job. You cant
completely get away fromit. The
advice Id give is be prepared to work
hard; nd yourself an institution like
I did, where you have the support
you need to be able to take time off
when you need it; and have a partner
who supports you.
ANDREW SCHMI DT
ATTENDI NG ORTHOPEDI C SURGEON /
HENNEPI N COUNTY MEDI CAL CENTER
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE:
2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
mspmag.com | M P L S . S T . P A U L | J ULY 2014 89
2014 TOP DOCTORS
THE LIST
J ULY 2014 | M P L S . S T . P A U L | mspmag.com 90
Pamela J. Harris
Park Nicollet Methodist
Hospital, St. Louis
Park, 952-993-3090
Thomas J. Helm
Allergy &Asthma Care,
PA, Maple Grove,
763-420-1010
*
Richard J. Morris
Allergy &Asthma Care,
PA, Maple Grove,
763-420-1010
Jennifer L. Oldham
HealthPartners Medical
and Dental Group, St.
Paul, 952-967-7616
*
Jason P. Raasch
Midwest Immunology
Clinic, Plymouth,
763-577-0008
*
David C.
Schroeckenstein
Southdale Pediatric
Associates, Ltd., Edina,
952-831-4454
*
Allan Stillerman
Allergy &Asthma
Specialists, PA,
Plymouth, 763-559-
3252
*
Richard J. Sveum
Park Nicollet Clinic,
St. Louis Park,
952-993-3090
*
John B. Sweet
FairviewClinics
Wyoming, Lino Lakes,
651-717-3400
*
Michael R. Wexler
Advancements in
Allergy &Asthma Care,
Ltd., Minnetonka,
952-546-6866
*
Cherie Y. Zachary
Midwest Allergy and
Asthma, Eagan,
651-702-0750
*
ANESTHESIOLOGY
For patients
undergoing
surgical, obstetric,
diagnostic, or
therapeutic
proceduresplus
treatment of
acute or
chronic pain.
Diane Ahlers
TRIAOrthopaedic
Center, Bloomington,
952-831-8742
Kumar G. Belani
University of
Minnesota Health
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-624-0180
*
Lawrence J. Bertram
Medical Anesthesia,
Ltd., St. Louis Park,
952-993-5150
Mitchell S. Burke
Northwest Anesthesia,
PA, Mpls., 612-871-7639
Joseph G. Frisch
Park Nicollet Clinic -
Meadowbrook,
St. Louis Park,
952-831-8742
Todd M. Hess
United Pain Center, St.
Paul, 651-241-7246
AndrewJ. Houlton
Anesthesiology,
PA, Plymouth,
763-559-3779
Brian M. Leonovicz
Methodist Hospital,
St. Louis Park, 952-
993-5148
Robert E. McKlveen
Northwest Anesthesia,
PA, Mpls., 612-871-7639
John P. Mrachek
Northwest Anesthesia,
PA, Mpls., 612-871-7639
David A. Plut
Northwest Anesthesia,
PA, Mpls., 612-871-7639
Richard C. Prielipp
University of
Minnesota Health
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-624-9697
David M. Schultz
MAPS Medical Pain
Clinics, Mpls.,
763-537-6000
Erik N. Stene
Childrens Hospitals
and Clinics of
Minnesota, Mpls.,
612-813-6179
*
Edward V. Violante
Medical Anesthesia,
Ltd., St. Louis Park,
952-993-5150
*
Doctors practice has a pediatric specialty or subspecialty.
*
Doctors practice offers cosmetic/reconstructive procedures.
See page 89 for more details.
You worked as a consultant at the
Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter
for eight years. What was that like? Most
of the people in the Security Hospital have
a history of having injured somebody or
seriously hurt themselves. Part of it was
very intriguing, about what drives people
to engage in those kinds of behaviors and
what you can do to try to regress them.
It toughened me up a bit, and it gave me
a better perspective on howto deal with
the things we see at HCMC on a more
regular basis.
Whats the most rewarding thing about
being a psychiatrist? People whove been
profoundly depressed, or somebody whos
been actively suicidalto see themturn
around and resume their life and become
effective and functioning, thats where the
satisfaction is.
If you could talk to yourself at the
beginning of your career, what advice
would you give? That you need to be
willing to question what has otherwise
been orthodox. You have to be willing to
confront the difcult issues. And you have
to nd a way to relate to the patient.
Clinically, thats the most important
thing. At least in psychiatry.
If a friend or relative were seeking
treatment in your eld, what three
questions would you tell themto ask?
I think rst thing is you want to know
as much as you can about the potential
providers credentials and qualications:
where they trained, whether theyre board
certied, and so on. Second, you want to try
to establish to what extent that individual
has expertise in the particular problemthat
youre facing. And the third is to think of
the initial meeting as a kind of exploratory
meeting to gure out whether you and the
provider actually t, whether youre going
to be able to work with one another.
MI CHAEL K. POPKI N
CHI EF OF PSYCHI ATRY / HENNEPI N COUNTY MEDI CAL CENTER
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE: 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
2014 TOP DOCTORS
Why didyoudecide togointo
medicine? One of the things I like to
do is problemsolve. I also like science,
and I also like talking to people. So
combining those three things makes
medicine a really good career.
What are the most common
questions you hear frompatients?
I only see breast cancer patients,
and their questions are: Howcan I
manage my risks given my diagnosis?
Howwill the various therapies
involved affect the quality of my life
chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation?
One thing the eld isnt quite good
at yet is being able to give women
personalized therapiesto say, Your
tumor has an Achilles heel because
we did the appropriate molecular
testing, and were going to treat
you with a drug that just attacks
that part of the tumorand that
will be sufcient.
What would you like to see
accomplished in your eld in the
next 20 years? The reason weve
gotten better at treating breast
cancer, the reason mortality rates go
down every year, is because women
are willing to participate in clinical
trials and improve the standard of
care. I would like to see more women
be willing to participate in cancer
research directly.
Whats beenthe biggest change in
cancer researchsince youstarted?
The advocacy movement. When
I started it was around the time
where patient advocates and
consumer advocates were really
starting to say the outcomes were
not acceptable. The advocates also
started to hold the researchers
accountable. Women who were
cancer advocates are [now] on review
panels and reviewgrants; they have
important input in the process. . . .
So nowtheres education there and
they have a say in whats happening
in cancer research in general.
DOUGLAS YEE
DI RECTOR OF THE MASONI C
CANCER CENTER /
UNI VERSI TY OF MI NNESOTA
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE: 2012, 2013, 2014
mspmag.com | M P L S . S T . P A U L | J ULY 2014 91
CARDIAC SURGERY
Artery bypass
grafts, heart
valve repair or
replacement, heart
transplantation,
surgery of
the thoracic
aorta, repair of
congenital heart
defects, and
minimally invasive
heart surgery.
Frazier Eales
Minneapolis Heart
Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital,
Mpls., 612-863-6900
Rosemary F. Kelly
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-273-3000
Timothy J. Kroshus
HealthPartners and
Regions Hospital, St.
Paul, 651-254-4130
Vibhu R. Kshettry
Minneapolis Heart
Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital,
Mpls., 612-863-6900
Kenneth K. Liao
University of
Minnesota Health
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-626-0089
David M. Overman
Childrens Heart Clinic,
Mpls., 612-813-8821
*
Sara J. Shumway
University of
Minnesota Health
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-626-0976
Joseph R. Van Camp
North Memorial
Cardiovascular
Surgeons, Robbinsdale,
763-581-6788
CARDIOLOGY
Focuses on the
diagnosis, medical
management,
and prevention
of cardiovascular
disease.
Abdelwahaab S. Akef
Metropolitan Heart
and Vascular Institute,
Coon Rapids,
763-427-9980
Charles M. Baker
Childrens Heart Clinic,
Mpls., 612-813-8800
*
Kenneth W. Baran
United Heart &
Vascular Clinic, St.
Paul, 651-290-0133
Bradley A. Bart
Hennepin Heart Center,
Mpls., 612-873-4105
Stephen C. Battista
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Edina,
952-836-3700
Elizabeth A. Bisinov
Park Nicollet Heart
and Vascular Center,
St. Louis Park,
952-993-3246
Durand E. Burns
Minneapolis Heart
Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital,
Mpls., 612-863-3900
David A. Burton
Childrens Heart Clinic,
Mpls., 612-813-8800
*
Jeff Chambers
Metropolitan Heart
and Vascular Institute,
Coon Rapids,
763-427-9980
Ivan J. Chavez
Minneapolis Heart
Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital,
Mpls., 612-863-3900
Candace D. Dick
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Edina,
612-365-5000
Eric R. Ernst
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Edina,
612-365-5000
Karl W. Foster-Smith
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Edina,
952-836-3777
Gary S. Francis
University of
Minnesota Heart Care
(UMPhysicians), Mpls.,
612-625-3600
Charles C. Gornick
Minneapolis Heart
Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital,
Mpls., 612-863-3900
*
Doctors practice has a pediatric specialty or subspecialty.
*
Doctors practice offers cosmetic/reconstructive procedures.
See page 89 for more details.
2014 TOP DOCTORS
What are the most commonquestions
or fears youhear frompatients? Why
did this happen? One of the rst things
you have to do as soon as you meet the
parents and the siblings and the patient
is to eliminate any kind of guilty feelings
[they have] by explaining what we know
of the development of cancerand what
we dont know. In pediatrics, cancer is not
when you found it or howlong it was there
and whether or not you missed it, or the
doctor missed it, or somebody missed it.
That has nothing to do with it. And so with
that its a little bit easier because you can
say to the mother and father, You didnt
miss anything. And that reduces again the
thought, this magical thought, that: I could
have done something to help my kid sooner.
What wouldyoutell a friendor relative to
askif they were seeking treatment inyour
eld? Go to a place and make sure youre
very, very comfortable with the people that
youre meeting. The second thing I would tell
themis to understand that we think about
their kids as our kids. Some doctors keep a
distance, but in our profession we dont do
that. The way I look at these kids, or any kid
that comes into my ofce, I look at this kid
and I say, If this was my grandchild, where
would I want this kid to be?
What does a goodday looklike for you?
Theres nothing better than being able to
say to somebody, I was worried about you,
but youre not going to be taken care of by
me because you have no dangerous disease;
you probably had a viral infection that caused
these changes. I cherish those days.
Whats the most important trait a pediatric
oncologist needs tohave? The ability to
listen and to perceive what the people
around himare doing. And be very humble.
Very, very humble. In this eld you work with
the most cherished things in the world: kids.
YOAV MESSI NGER
PEDI ATRI C HEMATOL OGY ONCOL OGY SPECI AL I ST /
CHI L DREN S HOSPI TAL S AND CL I NI CS OF MI NNESOTA
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE: 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Why did you decide you wanted
to go into medicine? I want to
help people and be a part of a
team. I headed down the road to
emergency medicine after training
as a paramedic but took a detour
to Ob-Gyn after my rst clinical
rotation. The marvel of pregnancy
trumped trauma.
What are the most common
questions or fears you hear
frompatients? One: Will I ever
get pregnant? This is the great
uncertainty that plagues our
patients. But the systemis
designed to work, so the answer
is: most likely. There are many
ways to build a family, even if it
may not be your rst choice. Two:
Howmuch will it cost? Three: Will
they make me do something I do
not want to do? No, we will not.
Its America and you have choices.
We respect your autonomy and
your process.
If you could talk to yourself at the
start of your career, what advice
would you give? Dont personalize
it! Get thicker skin. Learn as many
languages as you can. Ask a lot
of questions. Have mentors.
Strive for balance. Be a team
player. Get a serious hobby. When
you have some extra time, join
organized medicine to promote a
pro-medicine political agenda and
continue to give back. When you
nally have some money, give it to
support medical students tuition.
What do you think is the most
important trait a doctor needs to
succeed in your eld? Humility,
optimism, patience, sense of
humor, exibility, pluralistic views,
nonjudgmental attitude, empathy,
ability to communicate in all
languages and learning styles.
They should also have good hands.
LI SA ERI CKSON
REPRODUCTI VE ENDOCRI NOL OGI ST /
CENTER FOR REPRODUCTI VE
MEDI CI NE
TOP DOCTORS DESI GNEE:
2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014
mspmag.com | M P L S . S T . P A U L | J ULY 2014 93 J ULY 2014 | M P L S . S T . P A U L | mspmag.com 92