Rancho now has 11 'top doctors' on U.S. News list

DOWNEY - Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation now has a total of 11 "Top Doctors" as named by U.S. News & World Report magazine, Rancho Chief Medical Officer Mindy Aisen reported.In alphabetical order, Rancho's "Top Doctors" are: •Ziyad Ayyoub, MD - Physiatrist; •Thomas Beardmore, MD - Rheumatologist •Richard Chambers, MD - Orthopedic Surgeon •Helena Chui, MD - Neurologist •David Alan Ginsberg, MD - Urologist •Sugantha Govindarajan, MD - Pathologist •John Hsu, MD - Orthopedic Surgeon; •Charles Y. Liu, MD - Neurosurgeon •Donald Longjohn, MD - Orthopedic Surgeon •Bruce Runyon, MD - Gastroenterologist •Michael Scott, MD - Physiatrist. Drs. Ginsberg, Liu and Longjohn, who work both at USC University Hospital and Rancho, are the latest additions to the Rancho list. Also, five of the top Rancho physicians - Drs. Chambers, Chui, Ginsberg, Govindarajan and Liu - have also been ranked in the top one percent of all the physicians in the nation in their specialty area. "This is quite an accomplishment for Rancho, and I'm proud of every one of these outstanding physicians," said Dr. Aisen. "We're very happy to see so many of our doctors getting this national recognition, which underscores our U.S. News ranking as California's top rehabilitation hospital. DR. JOHN HSU, MD: One of the doctors on the list, John Hsu, MD, is a Downey resident. Dr. Hsu, a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, also did his Internship and Residency in Montreal, at Royal Victoria Hospital. He then completed a Basic Science Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. "Dr. Hsu is a beloved figure at Rancho," Dr. Aisen said. "Although he technically retired many years ago, he still plays a major role in patient care in our Pediatrics Department today. In addition to his considerable professional accomplishments, he is truly a great person. He has given most of his adult life to Rancho, and we are delighted that this highly distinguished doctor is part of the Rancho team." DAVID GINSBERG, MD: Dr. Ginsberg, a native Southern Californian, earned his bachelor's degree at the University of California at Berkeley. He subsequently returned to Los Angeles, where he completed medical school as well as his urology residency at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and its affiliated hospital, Los Angeles County Medical Center. His training was completed at UCLA. "Dr. Ginsberg, is a very skilled surgeon and just as important: a thoughtful, compassionate doctor," Dr. Aisen said. "He cares for some of the most complex patients Rancho treats: people with chronic neurogenic bladder due to conditions such as spinal injury and multiple sclerosis. "Urinary infections used to be the most common cause of death in people with neurogenic bladder," she said. "But with the treatments offered by Dr. Ginsberg, people have an ever increasing life expectancy and a greatly improved quality of life." CHARLES LIU, MD: "After completing his MD at Yale University in New Haven, CT, Dr. Liu came to Los Angeles for neurosurgical training," Dr. Aisen said. "At Rancho, he performs surgical procedures on the spine, skull and brain. He collaborates with his colleagues in orthopedic medicine for complex spine surgeries that require both disciplines. "He also works closely with Drs. David Millett and Susan Shaw, the neurologists in Rancho's specialized epilepsy service," she said. "The epilepsy pogram provides intensive monitoring with electrodes, and for the most challenging cases Dr. Liu temporarily implants electrodes inside the skull." "This allows the neurologists to diagnose and treat people who have what was previously regarded as incurable epilepsy," Dr. Aisen said. "This team has identified a syndrome of incurable epilepsy unique to the Latino community that has led to a cure for more than 20 patients." DONALD LONGJOHN, MD: Dr. Longjohn earned his B.A. in Biomedical Science from Western Michigan University and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. He has many years of experience in hip and knee replacement/revision surgery, and is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and fellowship-trained in arthritis and joint replacement surgery. "Dr. Longjohn takes a personal approach to patient care," Dr. Aisen said. "He and his colleagues blend the one-on-one patient/doctor contact of private practice with cutting-edge technology and research." He is Chief of the Surgical Arthritis Service at Rancho, which cares for a large percentage of the county's uninsured joint replacement patients. Dr. Longjohn is a member of the LA County Sheriff's Department Medical Reserve Company 206 (Office of Homeland Security) and also volunteers as a flight physician for the LA County Sheriff's Department Air Rescue 5 and as tournament physician for local area Karate/Tae Kwon Do tournaments. "In addition to these nationally recognized physicians, Rancho now has a cadre of extremely talented young doctors," Dr. Aisen said. "With our 11 "Top Doctors" and highly accomplished young physician/researchers such as Drs. Amytis Towfighi, David Millett and Susan Shaw, we know our patients will be in the very best hands not just today, but for many years to come."

********** Published: September 22, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 23