The Gulfshore's Top Doctors

Two reporters for the Wall Street Journal won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year for a series of disturbing articles about aortic aneurysms, a repairable condition that kills more Americans annually than AIDS but which many doctors routinely overlook or misdiagnose. Besides exposing a largely unknown medical danger, the stories showed once again that even as amazing new medical technologies constantly arise, the human element remains the most important piece in the health-care puzzle. It's crucial to find the best doctor, one who not only has access to the latest medical know-how but one who will ask the right questions to get a proper start in the complex job of tracking down and treating illnesses.

Finding the right doctor can be a tough task, however, especially in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties, which are home to 13 hospitals and some 1,500 physicians, and where a seemingly unending stream of tourists, snowbirds and new residents is constantly arriving. Likewise attracted by the weather, and also by a wealth of patients, many doctors come here, too, and the list of doctors to choose from is constantly growing and changing.

How to choose wisely in what could be a life-or-death decision? As a first step, Gulfshore Life has arranged with Castle Connolly Medical, a New York-based publisher of guides to highly rated physicians, to publish its list of top doctors for Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Castle Connolly aims to find the best physicians across the nation through surveys of doctors and leading hospital administrators. The company publishes several guides to finding the best physicians, including America's Top Doctors.

Locally, the company surveyed 200 doctors and leading administrators at 10 hospitals to compile the following list of 87 physicians in 34 specialties and subspecialties. The company also accepted nominations for the local list from other physicians around the nation.

The list of specialists that follows is just a starting point, of course. Many local physicians say that it's helpful first to find a primary-care physician whom you trust, and then to work with that physician as a sort of team captain who can plan your overall treatment strategy, and recommend and work with specialists. This list does not contain primary-care physicians because it was "focused on the nation's top one percent of specialists and subspecialists specifically for people who'd be looking for a second opinion or treatment of a complex condition, as opposed to a primary-care physician," according to William Liss-Levinson, vice president for business development at Castle Connolly. But the list can serve as a helpful resource for second opinions-a good idea in the case of any serious diagnosis, most experts agree-and can also be used as a basis for comparing alternatives, whether a patient decides to seek a specialist directly or to discuss specialists with a primary-care physician.

How else can you find good doctors? "Most physicians agree that not all physicians are created equal," says Dr. C. B. Rebsamen, a chief medical officer at Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers. "The best way to go about finding a good doctor is simply by asking people you trust." Dr. Perry Gotsis, chief medical officer at NCH Healthcare System in Naples, agrees: "The tried-and-true method is word of mouth."

Besides querying friends, neighbors and co-workers, you might give extra weight to recommendations from doctors, nurses and other medical folk whom you know and trust, both men add. Other good resources for information include county medical societies and local hospitals. You can call them directly or check out their Web sites, which often include extensive profiles of physicians. You also have a choice of a host of private, state and federal Web sites. The National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov/) site offers a wealth of information. At the Florida Department of Health's site (ww2.doh.state.fl.us/irm00praes/praslist.asp), you can even check up on a Florida doctor's disciplinary record.

What should you look for in a good doctor? Although you certainly want someone who has a good education, top-notch abilities, and lots of experience as well as thorough knowledge of the latest medical advances, don't ignore good communication skills either, Rebsamen counsels. That may sound touchy-feely, but in today's climate of fast-paced, highly competitive practices where doctors face spiraling costs and growing patient loads, one-to-one communication can be crucial.

"The ability to communicate is the very essence of the practice of medicine," Rebsamen says. "The science of medicine, and by that I mean diagnostic tests that doctors use, is increasingly sophisticated these days. But the doctor still has to select the appropriate tests to use, and that's based on an analysis of the symptoms that the patient presents with. In the identification of the symptoms, one of the critical elements is the communication link between the doctor and the patient."

When you talk to friends about their physicians, ask about what used to be called doctors' bedside manner. Then, sit down with your prospective physician to make sure that there won't be a failure to communicate.

Also strongly consider getting a physician who's on a hospital's staff, Rebsamen and Gotsis advise-preferably a hospital with a superior reputation, Liss-Levinson adds, because the best doctors tend to work at the best hospitals. If your doctor isn't a hospital employee-and an increasing number here aren't these days, because that step entails extra workload-if you develop a condition that requires an inpatient or outpatient procedure, you may end up with a doctor assigned you by the hospital rather than one you've picked.

To purchase copies of America's Top Doctors at a 15% discount, visit their Web site now.

Allergy & Immunology

Kevin Rosenbach, M.D.

15495 Tamiami Trail, Suite 119

Naples, FL 34110

(239) 596-5560

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Brett Stanaland, M.D.

1000 Goodlette Road, Suite 200

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 434-6200

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Special Experience: Asthma; Insect Allergy

Faculty Appointments: Associate Clinical Professor Allergy & Immunology, University of Florida College of Medicine

Cardiac Electrophysiology

William M. Miles, M.D.

Southwest Florida Heart Group

8540 College Parkway

Fort Myers, FL 33919

(239) 433-8888

Primary Hospital: Lee Memorial Health System

Special Experience: Arrhythmias; Pacemakers/Defibrillators

Cardiovascular Disease

Richard A. Chazal, M.D.

8540 College Parkway

S.W. Florida Heart Group

Fort Myers, FL 33919

(239) 433-8888

Primary Hospital: Lee Memorial Health System

Special Experience: Cardiac Angiography; Interventional Cardiology

James Venable, M.D.

400 Eighth St. N.

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 649-3337

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Colon & Rectal Surgery

Jonathan E. Efron, M.D.

Cleveland Clinic, Department of Surgery

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Colon & Rectal Cancer; Incontinence-Fecal; Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Anthony M. Vernava III, M.D.

Cleveland Clinic, Department of Surgery

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Colon & Rectal Cancer; Incontinence-Fecal; Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Faculty Appointments: Professor Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine

Dermatology

Charles Camisa, M.D.

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4335

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Psoriasis; Oral Dermatology; Lichen Planus

Faculty Appointments: Associate Professor Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine

Craig Eichler, M.D.

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Skin Cancer; Dermatologic Surgery

Stephen A. Spencer, M.D.

1111 Tamiami Trail

Punta Gorda, FL 33950

(941) 833-4400

Primary Hospital: Bon Secours

St. Joseph Hospital

Cynthia R. Strohmeyer, M.D.

702 Goodlette Road N., Suite 200

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 261-2255

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Special Experience: Cosmetic Dermatology

Diagnostic Radiology

Robert J. Meli, M.D.

Naples Radiologists

3060 Tamiami Trail, Suite 202

Naples, FL 34103

(239) 643-1155

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Raymond M. Montecalvo, M.D.

20 10th St. N.

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 435-7770

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Todd D. Brodie, M.D.

730 Goodlette Road, Suite 205

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 436-3666

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Special Experience: Thyroid Disorders; Osteoporosis

Gary D. Case, M.D.

400 Eighth St. N.

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 649-3322

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Family Practice

John Diaz, M.D.

800 Goodlette Road N., Suite 310

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 261-8555

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Mark Droffner, D.O.

260 Milus St.

Punta Gorda, FL 33950

(941) 637-0911

Primary Hospital: Charlotte Regional Medical Center

Gregory Krill, M.D.

16271 Bass Road

Fort Myers, FL 33908

(239) 432-3322

Primary Hospital: Lee Memorial Health System

Gastroenterology

H. Scott Harris, M.D.

665 Del Prado Blvd.

Cape Coral, FL 33990

(239) 772-3800

Primary Hospital: Lee Memorial Health System

Corey Howard , M.D.

1000 Goodlette Road

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 643-2112

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Dan Michael Jones, M.D.

Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Gastrointes-tinal Cancer; Gastrointestinal Functional Disorders; Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Hand Surgery

Ronaldo Dos Santos Carneiro, M.D.

Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Wrist Surgery; Arthritis Hand Surgery

Faculty Appointments: Associate Clinical Professor Plastic Surgery, University South Florida College of Medicine

Infectious Disease

Christine Forszpaniak, M.D.

848 First Ave. N., Suite 230

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 434-7779

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Ronica M. Kluge, M.D.

24600 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 400

Bonita Springs, FL 34134

(239) 948-3761

Primary Hospital: Lee Memorial Health System

Special Experience: AIDS/HIV; Viral Infections

Internal Medicine

George Ferguson, M.D.

787 Fourth Ave. S.

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 262-0501

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Phillip M. Francis Jr., M.D.

680 Second Ave. N., Suite 202

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 262-4345

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Special Experience: Cholesterol/Lipid Disorders

Brian Kiedrowski, M.D.

800 Goodlette Road N., Building 200

Naples, FL 34102

(239) 643-4849

Primary Hospital: NCH Healthcare System

Special Experience: Geriatric Medicine

Leonard A. Schlossberg, M.D.

Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

6101 Pine Ridge Road

Naples, FL 34119

(239) 348-4000

Primary Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples

Special Experience: Cholesterol/Lipid Disorders; Preventive Cardiology; Geriatric Medicine

Interventional Cardiology

Michael S. Flynn, M.D.