The 25th anniversary edition of our annual special section celebrates excellence in the medical field and features hundreds of doctors chosen by their peers, guiding readers in their choice of physicians. In addition to our TOP DOCTORS and PREMIER DOCTORS  lists, you’ll find personal accounts from physicians detailing some of the most memorable moments of their careers, along with a story on how robotic companions are helping seniors lead fuller lives. Finally, our special advertising section highlights the services, backgrounds and achievements of dozens of doctors and medical practices.

 

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DR. JORGE RAMIREZ, PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY

Medical Director, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center

When I first arrived at Arnold Palmer Hospital, I quickly realized that something essential was missing for children with kidney disease. Kids who needed dialysis were being treated at adult centers, where they were exposed to the distressing environment of very ill adults receiving care. I knew we needed a dedicated space for pediatric kidney care. 

With the help of friends and community members, we organized a fundraising event that introduced the concept of a children’s kidney center. It brought in critical support from donors like Dr. Jo and Robert “Buddy” Hewell, whose generosity allowed us to create The Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center in 2011. It’s one of my proudest accomplishments. Now, children like Khayden, a 5-year-old boy with end-stage kidney disease secondary to posterior urethral valves (PUV), can receive dialysis, kidney transplants and specialized care in a kid-friendly space. Khayden required dialysis immediately after birth until he received a kidney transplant at three years of age. Today, he is a thriving, healthy boy who continues his care with us at the Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center. 

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DR. TAREK M. MEKHAIL, MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

AdventHealth Medical Director, Thoracic Oncology

A patient was referred to me in 2010 who had just been diagnosed with a very rare lung cancer widely spread in her body. At the AdventHealth Cancer Institute, she became the first person in the world to undergo an early clinical trial that put her in remission for three years. In 2013, the cancer returned in her spine, putting her in a wheelchair. This time, another new clinical study was available, which again put her in remission. Today, in 2024, she remains free of disease without progression. 

She recently shared that she has been able to experience things she never thought would be possible when she was diagnosed, including swimming with dolphins. The treatment that she received was pioneered by AdventHealth, and is now a standard of care for these cancers. Stories like this one are what keep us going in the field, searching for new and better treatments that save lives.

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DR. LARA HITCHCOCK, FAMILY MEDICINE

Hitchcock Health Institute 

I could feel the perspiration trickling down the back of my neck. I had no trouble seeing out of my welder’s helmet that I was using as personal protection equipment. During the lockdown, small practices like mine had to get creative to survive and care for their patients. As I approached the vehicle wearing large men’s clothes from Goodwill over my scrubs, I could see my feverish elderly male patient coughing in the backseat. His family was sitting in the front. 

After obtaining a Covid test sample, I fully examined him. I advised that he did not need to go to the emergency room. The relief in his face was evident as I prescribed medication.  While his family drove off, I walked away holding my garbage bag to throw away the disposable clothes and items. I hiked back up to my office to get ready for the next patient. 

As a family physician, I see many patients, but the dignity of this man made the experience a memorable moment in my career.

*Photo by ©NATHAN DOBBINS

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DR. RANDALL RUST, ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY, KNEE, HIP & SHOULDER

Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute 

From a young age, my father’s workshop was my playground. As a mechanical engineer, he taught me the beauty of fixing things. I watched him transform frustration into functionality, igniting my passion for hands-on work. Coupled with my love for biology and science, this early inspiration steered me toward medicine.

Each day in the operating room feels like a continuation of that childhood fascination. I’m not just fixing bones; I’m restoring lives. Helping athletes, from weekend warriors to the pros, return to their peak performance is immensely rewarding. Recently, I had the privilege of working with a patient in his 70s. After bilateral hip replacements, he went from relying on a walker to competing in a softball league in less than three months. Witnessing his joy as he returned to his passion was a powerful reminder of why I chose this path. I’m grateful for the opportunity to blend my love for mechanics with medicine. Orthopedics is not just my career, it’s my calling.

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DR. KAYVAN ARIANI , PAIN MANAGEMENT

Center For Pain Management

The burden that persistent pain and dysfunction can have on a patient’s life is something that weighs heavily on me. It motivates my work defining the precise source and nature of a patient’s pain to create a treatment plan that improves the patient’s pain and quality of life.  

A particularly memorable case was a young female patient who had suffered extensive lower extremity trauma to both legs, requiring the amputation of one leg. She came to me with uncontrolled pain, and over the course of treatment she underwent multiple additional reconstructive surgeries. Her treatment plan included several pain management tools including injection therapy, catheter placement for local anesthetic delivery and oral analgesic management. Each intervention was carefully coordinated with her surgeries and her rehabilitation to help optimize pain control. Using this multidisciplinary approach, she was able to recover from her injuries, minimize her pain and move forward with her life. I have great admiration for her courage and determination throughout this ordeal and was privileged to be able to assist in her recovery.

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PREMIER DOCTORS

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DR. MARI RIVERA, GASTROENTEROLOGY

AdventHealth Digestive Health Institute

Since the beginning of my career, I have diagnosed conditions like cancer early enough for many patients to undergo lifesaving treatments. I will always remember one patient who came to see me for evaluation of chronic symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea and weight loss. She expressed frustrations with her past medical care—at times, she felt unheard by other doctors. 

After discussing her symptoms in detail, coming up with a plan of care together and answering her questions, we were ready to get her scheduled for treatment. She paused and said, “I already feel better, seeing and knowing that you do care.” In that moment, I remembered the importance of the full scope of my job. It’s not only about providing expert clinical interventions. We also must address a patient’s mental and emotional health as it relates to their condition. As a gastroenterologist, I promise myself and my patients that, while we work together to get answers and find treatments, I will always care. 

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DR. PETER D. WEARDEN, PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

Director of the Nemours Children’s Cardiac Center and Chair of Department of Cardiovascular Sciences for Nemours Children’s Health, Florida

In reflecting on my most memorable moments, every day holds unique significance. One that stands out occurred nine years ago, when I helped found the cardiac program at a then brand-new Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. Since then, we’ve assembled an amazingly talented team with some of the brightest minds in pediatric cardiology. Together, we’ve built one of Florida’s highest-achieving programs that’s performed more than 1,000 open heart surgeries, treated some of the most complex cases and touched the lives of so many children and families from Central Florida and beyond. I truly see my career as a collection of experiences, each contributing something meaningful to the whole. This often comes full circle when I encounter patients and families outside the hospital and witness them living life to the fullest. These moments are constant reminders of the lasting impacts we’ve made. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.

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DR. CHERISE CHAMBERS, OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

Women’s Care | Delaney Park OB/GYN

I LOVE MY JOB!  And I love my patients. Who wouldn’t love being part of the miracle of birth? As I look back on my career as an OB GYN physician, there have been so many memorable moments because of the special relationships I have formed with my patients, caring for them throughout the stages of their life. 

 One who comes to mind is a patient I cared for throughout multiple pregnancies. This mother went on to become a surrogate for a couple in California.  Because of our long-term relationship, she wanted to stay in Orlando so I could care for her during her 4th pregnancy. What a shock it was for all involved to learn she was carrying twins! She ended up having a complicated delivery because the second baby was breech. But because we knew and trusted each other, I was able to deliver both babies naturally and avoid a C-section. Every woman deserves a doctor who knows her that well, and that is what I strive to provide to my patients every day.  

 Did I mention I have the best job in the whole world?  

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DR. ROBERT HIRSCHL, NEUROSURGERY

President, Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute

When I first saw the brain exposed during my neurosurgery rotation in medical school, I knew I wanted to be a neurosurgeon. As neurosurgeons, we have the honor of making tremendous impacts on patients’ lives—often in difficult times. One story has stayed with me. In this case, the patient suffered a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM), or entanglement of irregular brain vessels. She was almost declared clinically brain-dead but was rushed to the operating room. After we removed the AVM, she made a complete recovery. This was particularly heartening since she had young children. 

Being able to make an impact on patients’ lives is the most rewarding part of the job. I also enjoy innovating and developing new technology to advance neurosurgery and improve patient outcomes. I’m most proud of the neuroscience team we have assembled here at the Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute and I’m in awe of the incredible, compassionate care for patients we see every day. 

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DR. PHILLIP R. ANDERSON, INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute

As an interventional cardiologist, I specialize in diagnosing and treating heart and vascular conditions using minimally invasive procedures. Compared to traditional open-heart surgery, the easier and faster recovery made possible by this technology is hugely significant. 

I had a senior patient whose day-to-day activity was very limited by a weak heart. She felt deep sadness that she would not be strong enough to travel to see her beloved granddaughter graduate from school. When I performed a valve procedure to improve blood flow to her heart, her health was so transformed that she was able to go just a few weeks later and be a part of this important family milestone. I find great fulfilment in being able to use these lifesaving interventions that can make such a difference in a patient’s quality of life overnight.