Roanoke’s Top Doctors

We asked 6,000 nurses to select the best physicians in the valley.  The doctors listed on this page were chosen through ballots mailed to 6,012 nurses, addresses for whom came from the Virginia Board of Health Professionals.  Ballots were open-ended, providing a blank space next to each specialty area.  Completed anonymous ballots, showing only respondents’ age and gender along with votes for doctors, were returned by mail to our offices between March 16 – April 24, 2009.

Allergy/Immunology

Thomas M. Fame - Platinum
Dane C. McBride - Gold
Luis A. Matos - Silver
Asthma and Allergy Center - Sponsor

Anesthesiology

Joe F. Clark - Platinum
Maxine Lee - Gold
Jeffrey A. Forbes - Gold

Cardiology

Frank A. England - Platinum
Richard Prokopchak - Gold
Terrence P. May - Silver
Cardiology Associates of Va. - Sponsor

Chiropractic

Gregory L. Walter - Platinum
Parker J. Adams - Gold
Daniel C. Davidson - Gold

Dentistry

Nathan C. Stephens - Platinum
Steven S. Kanetzke - Gold
B. Scott Ward - Gold

Dermatology

Gary Gross - Platinum
Susan B. Dorsey - Gold
Allison K. Divers - Silver

Endocrinology

James D. Bailey - Platinum
Michael H. Koch - Gold
Carl H. Bivens - Silver

ENT/Otolaryngology

William J. Dichtel - Platinum
Geoffrey T. Harter - Gold
Tu A. Tran - Silver

Family

Clifford A. Nottingham - Platinum
Marie L. Malinchak - Gold
David A. Cummings - Silver
Robert C. Patten Jr. - Silver
William F. Ball - Silver
Starkey Medical Family Practice - Sponsor

Gastroenterology

Joseph L. Nelson - Platinum
Vikas N. Chitnavis - Gold
Kevin R. Dye - Silver

Geriatrics

Aubrey Knight - Platinum
David B. Trinkle - Gold
Soheir Boshra - Silver

Gynecology

Christopher C. Keeley - Platinum
James A. Kelly - Gold
Debra H. Clapp - Silver

Hematology/Oncology

William A. Fintel - Platinum
Mark Currie - Gold
Gerald L. Schertz - Gold

Internal Medicine

Vashist Nobbee - Platinum
Lawrence K. Monahan - Gold
Chetna Jha - Silver

Nephrology

F. Jackson Ballenger - Platinum
Clifford P. Culpepper - Gold
Matt Matthews - Silver

Neurology

Timothy L. Hormel - Platinum
John Gordon Burch - Gold
Christopher J. Scherer - Silver
Roanoke Neurological Associates, Inc. - Sponsor

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Christopher C. Keeley - Platinum
James A. Kelly - Gold
Dianna L. Curtis - Silver
Western Virginia OB-GYN, PC - Sponsor

Occupational Medicine

Darrell F. Powledge - Platinum
Hetzel Hartley - Gold
Louis J. Castern - Silver

Ophthalmology and Optometry

Carey W. Robinson - Platinum
Kurt W. Guelzow - Gold
Donna L. Maxfield - Gold
John M. Facciani - Gold
Vistar Eye Center - Sponsor
Eye Care and Surgery, P.C. - Sponsor

Orthopedics

Brent M. Johnson - Platinum
Bertram Spetzler - Gold
Mark L. Hagy - Silver

Osteopathy

David A. Cummings - Platinum
N. Laura Liles - Gold

Pain Management

Marc A. Swanson - Platinum
Murray E. Joiner - Gold
Chheany W. Ung - Silver
Murray E. Joiner, Jr., M.D., P.C. - Sponsor

Pediatrics

Luthur A. Beazley III - Platinum
W. Hugh Craft - Gold
Michael B. Meyer - Silver

Psychiatry

David W. Hartman - Platinum
Tracey W. Criss - Gold
Jitendra S. Desai - Silver

Pulmonary Medicine

Robert C. Keeley - Platinum
Nelson B. Greene - Gold
James A. Witten - Silver

Rehabilition/Physical Medicine

Deborah T. Mowery - Platinum
Murray E. Joiner - Gold

Rheumatology

Joseph Lemmer - Platinum
John W. Pendleton - Gold
Catherine L. Daniel - Silver

Surgery- Cardiac

Joseph W. Baker - Platinum
Ben R. Barton - Gold
W. Scott Arnold - Silver

Surgery- Colon/Rectal

Keith D. Munson - Platinum
A. Reif Kessler - Gold
David P. Minichan - Silver
Madge E. Ellis - Silver

Surgery- General

J. Albert Hagy, Jr. - Platinum
Robert B. Williams - Gold
Madge E. Ellis - Silver

Surgery- Neurosurgery

Raymond V. Harron - Platinum
John A. Feldenzer - Gold
Edgar N. Weaver Jr. - Silver

Surgery- Ophthalmology

Carey W. Robinson - Platinum
Kurt W. Guelzow - Gold
John L. Hines - Gold

Surgery- Orthopedic

Brent M. Johnson - Platinum
Joseph T. Moskal - Gold
Preston A. Waldrop - Silver

Surgery- Plastic

Barton A. Thomas - Platinum
Steven G. Harris - Gold
Enrique A. Silberblatt - Silver
Enrique A. Silberblatt, M.D., FACS - Sponsor
Roanoke Plastic Surgery - Sponsor

Surgery- Reconstructive

Barton A. Thomas - Platinum
Steven G. Harris - Gold
Enrique A. Silberblatt - Silver

Surgery- Vascular

Jesse T. Davidson - Platinum
James T. Callis - Gold
Frederick D. Swartzendruber - Silver
James G. Drougas - Silver
The Interventional Center at Jefferson Surgical Clinic - Sponsor

Urology

Mark A. Schmidt - Platinum
Rodney J. Poffenburger - Gold
Robert A. Whisnant - Silver

Details on the results

In a few specialty areas, fewer than three physicians are listed; in these instances, there was not a sufficient number of votes beyond the physicians listed.  And in one medical professional category listed on the ballot, there were not enough votes for any one practitioner to recognize the winner.  Our thanks to the nurses who returned ballots.

These are by no means the only highly rated doctors in the valley.  Nor is there any suggestion that you should consider changing from a doctor you are satisfied with.  There are many reasons that many excellent physicians do not appear here, including lack of affiliation to area hospitals, newness to the area or the profession, the tendency of medical professionals to recommend those they know well, and the practice of sub-specialties too narrow to include in the survey.

Use of these results should be seen as just one factor in the choosing of a physician.  Your own judgement as well as recommendations from friends and family members who have visited a doctor can be of great importance.

Information about these doctors and medical professionals and others in the medical field is available on the website of the Virginia Board of Health Professionals. Profiles include practice address, office details, years in practice, hospital affiliation(s) and Medicaid/Medicare participation.