Firsts

SPINE AND BRAIN NEUROSURGICAL CENTER dba OPEN/STANDUP MRI FIRSTS

FIRST IN THE WORLD - Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center receives congratulations from R. Damedian, M.D. (the inventor of the first MRI) for being the first neurosurgery office in the world to offer upright open positional MRI imaging.  Kentucky Medical News July 2005 page 11 through 14 and Radiology July 2007.

FIRST IN THE WORLD - Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center becomes the first medical practice in the world to receive five (5) pain program accreditation awards from the American Academy of Pain Management.  Awards banquet American Academy of Pain Management San Diego, California 2005.  Pain Practitioner Journal interview 2006. 

FIRST IN THE WORLD - John W. Gilbert, M.D. is selected for Order of International Merit for outstanding accomplishment and Professional excellence and inducted into the Order of Medical Merit 2008.

FIRST IN THE WORLD – John W. Gilbert, M.D. is selected for International Health Professional of the Year Award by the International Biographical Association of Cambridge, England 2006. 

FIRST IN AMERICA - Greg R. Wheeler, M.D. is selected for inclusion in Guide to America Top Surgeons by the Consumer Research Council of America 2008 in Neurosurgery. Consumer Research Council of America is Washington, DC based research organization providing consumer information for professional services throughout America and does not accept fees, donations, sponsorships, or advertising from any individuals, professionals, corporations, or associations. 

FIRST IN AMERICA – John W. Gilbert, M.D. is selected for inclusion in Guide to America’s Top Surgeons by the Consumer Research Council of America for 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 in neurosurgery.  Consumer Research Council of America is Washington, DC based research organization providing consumer information for professional services throughout America and does not accept fees, donations, sponsorships, or advertising from any individuals, professionals, corporations, or associations. 

FIRST IN AMERICA - Richard D. Gibbs, M.D. is selected for inclusion in Guide to America's top physicians by the Consumer Research Council of America for 2008 in Radiology.  Consumer Research Council of America is Washington, DC based research organization providing consumer information for professional services throughout America and does not accept fees, donations, sponsorships, or advertising from any individuals, professionals, corporations, or associations.

FIRST IN AMERICA - U.S. News & World Reports asks Dr. Gilbert for nomination of hospitals for outstanding hospitals in the specialty area of neurology and neurosurgery in America for their annual ranking.

FIRST IN AMERICA – John W. Gilbert, M.D. is selected for inclusion in Guide to America’s Top Physicians by the Consumer Research Council of America for 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 in the fields of neurosurgery, neuroimaging, pain medicine, and addiction medicine.  Consumer Research Council of America is Washington, DC based research organization providing consumer information for professional services throughout America and does not accept fees, donations, sponsorships, or advertising from any individuals, professionals, corporations, or associations.

FIRST IN AMERICA – The American Medical Association along with the Kentucky Medical Association and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons file a Memorandum of Law support of John W. Gilbert, M.D. and his private physician offices.  American Association of Physicians and Surgeons website and American Medical Association website 2005. 

FIRST IN KENTUCKY – Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center establishes the first and only ACR (American College of Radiology) accredited neuroimaging MRI in Hazard, London, Pikeville, and Florence, Kentucky.  ACR website 2006.  American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation evaluates qualifications of physicians and personnel, equipment, quality control, and quality of clinical MRI images.  It is believed that these are the primary factors that impact the quality of clinical images and the quality of patient and neuroscience care. 

FIRST IN KENTUCKY – John W. Gilbert, M.D. is the first neurosurgeon in Kentucky to obtain board certification status from the American Society of Neuroimaging with emphasis on MRI and CT imaging interpretation of the nervous system.  He practices neuroimaging in Pikeville, London, Hazard, Lexington, and Florence offices on a daily basis via teleradiology and secure 200 bit encrypted T-lines and intranet servers utilizing Radworks™ technology and high definition computer terminals.  All offices are ACR (American College of Radiology) accredited which is required by many payors and is thought to improve quality of care.

FIRST IN KENTUCKY – Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center physicians are the first private medical practice in Kentucky to offer telehealth services via the Telehealth Network.  John W. Gilbert, M.D. is one of few physicians in Kentucky with board certification status in addiction medicine and Medical Review Officer (MRO) certification and Ben Storey, M.D. a practicing psychiatrist with the Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center offer teleaddiction medicine evaluation services and telepsychiatry evaluation services via secure T-lines and video conferencing, and this allows Dr. Gilbert and Dr. Storey to practice psychiatry and addiction throughout all of the Spine and Brain Neurosurgical clinics via the Telehealth Network.  Other neuroscience specialties are soon to be added from the Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center and this network will allow multispecialty neuroscience care closer to the homes of patients and referring physicians as well as bring the services to underserved areas in rural and poor areas of Kentucky. 

FIRST IN KENTUCKY – Greg R. Wheeler, M.D. a board certified neurosurgeon practicing with Dr. Gilbert since 1997 is the first to perform placement of FDA approved artificial cervical disk in Lexington, KY and to perform the first lumbar I-F cage fusion in Kentucky and is the first neurosurgeon at the Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center to utilize intraoperative Gliadel wafers (chemotherapy wafers) for the treatment of malignant tumors of the brain.  In addition, he is the first neurosurgeon of the Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center to be certified with newly FDA approved minimally invasive procedure for spinal stenosis (the X stop) as well as the first FDA approved artificial disc.  In addition, he is the first neurosurgeon to utilize vagal cranial nerve stimulation and state of the art implants to treat chronic and recurrent depression as well as the first here to utilize implantable programmable valve systems for the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus.

FIRST IN KENTUCKY - John W. Gilbert, M.D. , is certified as an ALGIATRIST by American Board of Pain Medicine & American Academy of Pain Management and also certified by the Medical Review Officer Certification Review Officer (MRO).

FIRST IN KENTUCKY - Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center is the First private practice to conduct psychiatric consultations over the Kentucky TeleHealth Network.

NEW MULTISPECIALITY NEUROSCIENCE PHYSICIANS- Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center physicians performed the first neurosurgery procedure in Hazard Kentucky, had the first neurosurgeon to reside in Pikeville, Kentucky, and opened the first neuroscience multispecialty clinic in London Kentucky.Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center has physicians with board certification status in multispecialty neurosciences including the following:  neurosurgery, pain management, neuroimaging, pain medicine, neurology, psychiatry, addiction medicine, behavioral health, quality assurance, Medical Review Officer, neuromusculoskeletal, anesthesiology, electroneurodiagnostic, radiology, and physician medical practice administration.  The Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center physicians have published in national and international peer reviewed journals such as the International Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Journal of Spinal Disorders and and Techniques, Journal of Neurosurgery, European Journal of Radiology. Surgical Neurology, and the American Journal of Pain Management as well as other journals.  In addition, Spine and Brain Neurosurgical Center physicians continue to participate in teaching medical students from Pikeville Medical School and UK Medical School as well as participate in ongoing multispecialty neuroscience research projects as well as national multicenter trials.  Please see our publication section and meet the staff section.

[ Home ]

Copyright © 1999-2008