July 2013
Top Doctors 2013
The 414 best physicians in the Puget Sound region, as chosen by their peers
We are in the midst of the biggest change to health care since the creation of Medicare in 1965. Millions of Americans will have access to coverage and free preventive care for the first time. At the center of this sweeping transformation are the doctors, who are being asked to stretch in new directions to…
Seattle Children’s Hospital Gets a Dedicated Cancer Unit
Hope gets a new address
For teens and young adults facing long, difficult battles with cancer, and their families, little things such as a private room, fridge, bathroom, shower, large flat-screen television, mood lighting and expansive views make a big difference. And they’re all in the mix at the country’s first dedicated cancer unit for teens and young adults on…
The Top Doctors Advisory Panel
Seattle magazine thanks the members of its Top Doctors advisory panel, who agreed to share their insights and advice on medical trends and issues as we compiled this year’s Top Doctors issue. They also helped with nominations and the review of nominees for our Community Service Awards. Panel members do not review or influence the…
Innovation: Making Inroads to the Brain
The body’s blood-brain barrier is a wonderful thing, allowing essential nutrients into the brain, but keeping dangerous bacteria out. Unfortunately, it also blocks some of the drugs that have the potential to treat or cure central nervous system disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Seattle-based Impel Neuropharma is developing a noninvasive intranasal…
New Treatment: Rib Plate
New rib fracture fix reduces pain, risks and recovery time
If you’ve ever fractured a rib, you know one thing: It hurts. A lot. And with every single breath. That’s because you can’t immobilize your ribs, like you would a wrist, arm, ankle or leg, while the bones knit back together. Which also means, insult to injury, that recovery can take longer—sometimes six months. And…
The 6 Doctors to Avoid
1. The Too-Busy-to-Talk Doc There are lots of reasons it may seem like your doctor wants to bolt: shortage of time, poor bedside manner, or the real desire to be elsewhere. But wanting a doctor to demonstrate he or she has time and interest in your well-being isn’t about your self-esteem, it’s actually a matter…
Top Doctors 2013: Doing More With Less
Using sonograms to curb expensive MRIs
When orthopedic surgeon Sean Adelman, M.D., served as a member of an Air Force surgical team in the Middle East following 9/11, he didn’t have access to high-end imaging options, such as MRIs. So he and his fellow surgeons used handheld ultrasound devices instead. Years later, this experience would be called on in a different…
Understanding the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act likely affects you and just about everyone you know
Kathryn is in her early 50s and lives on the shore of Lake Washington with her husband, Bill, in an elegant contemporary home filled with sunlight and exquisite art. Bill, a successful entrepreneur, retired in his mid-50s. Bill and Kathryn* are too young for Medicare, but felt well protected since they had purchased one of…
Doctor Spotlight: Blair Washington, M.D.
Specialty: Urogynecology Hospital affiliation: Virginia Mason Medical Center Why did you choose to specialize in urogynecology? I’ve always had a big interest in women’s health issues and learned in medical school that I loved surgery—urogynecology is the perfect blend of those two interests. I’ve read that 30 percent of women ages 65 and older…
Doctor Spotlight: Renato Martins, M.D.
Specialty: Medical oncology, head, neck and lung cancerHospital affiliation: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine As a native of Brazil, what drew you to pursue your career here in Seattle?In 2004, I was 36, and I was presented with a tremendous professional opportunity here to lead the medical oncology program…
Doctor Spotlight: Brian Louie, M.D.
Specialty: Thoracic SurgeryHospital affiliation: Swedish Medical CenterWhy did you choose to specialize in thoracic surgery? When I was a first-year med student, I happened to do a summer rotation with a very energetic and thoughtful thoracic surgeon. The first time I went to the operating room with him, he made the entire operating room be…
Doctor Spotlight: Mark Vossler, M.D.
Specialty: CardiologyPractice: EvergreenHealth CardiologyHospital affiliation: EvergreenHealth What attracted you to your specialty?My interest in cardiology started during my residency. I had originally wanted to be an internist, but when I saw how people were so sick and got better so quickly, I changed my focus. It is very gratifying when you thought someone was going…