THE CURTIS NATIONAL HAND CENTER - Key Persons
Aviram M. Giladi, MD, MS is a fellowship trained hand and upper extremity surgeon at The Curtis National Hand Center, and holds appointments of Associate Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Georgetown University and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Giladi is the Research Director for The Curtis National Hand Center, and Scientific Director for Orthopedics at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. He sees patients at The Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Giladi's published research includes work on surgical outcomes, measuring post-traumatic impairment and disability, data system and predictive analytics, delivery of upper extremity surgical care, and how these elements affect related care implementation and policy. As Research Director, he coordinates basic science, animal, biomechanics, engineering, data/analytic, and clinical outcomes studies through the Hand Center, as well as collaborative efforts across specialties and institutions. His clinical focus is on upper extremity trauma, nerve and vascular problems including nerve pain, arthritis care, and care for amputees, and he is the surgical lead for the MedStar North Bone Health and Fracture Prevention Program. His ongoing academic work centers on the interaction between treatment outcomes, patient-reported data, care delivery and costs, and how these various elements contribute to measuring quality and value in surgical care delivery and system implementation.
Dr. Giladi is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery and has the certificate of added qualification in hand surgery. He is involved with many professional societies and is a Member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Association of Hand Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Plastic Surgery Research Council. He was selected as the 2021 Gelberman Traveling Scholar by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
Dr. Giladi completed his medical degree at Vanderbilt University and his integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at The University of Michigan. During his residency, he completed a Master's in Health and Health Care Research through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar's Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Giladi then completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship in the Department of Orthopaedics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, within the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Training Programs.
Dr. Forthman earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Harvard. He completed his hand surgery fellowship at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Forthman is an attending hand surgeon and consultant for outpatient clinics and surgical cases with the residents and fellows. He is actively involved in direct surgical education, didactic lectures and research. Dr. Forthman and the fellows explore the spectrum of upper extremity disorders in a weekly case-based indications conference. The nuances of the traumatized hand are further discussed during "on-call" sessions with the residents and fellows.
Dr. Forthman provides a comprehensive orthopedic upper extremity practice treating disorders from shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tears to complex hand and elbow reconstruction.
Job Titles:
- Chief in the History
- Chief of Hand Surgery
- Member of the Academic Faculty at Johns Hopkins University
- Visiting Professor
Dr. Higgins serves as the fourth chief in the history of the Curtis National Hand Center. He completed his undergraduate studies at Williams College and received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Rochester and a hand surgery fellowship at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Higgins is a member of the academic faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University and University of Pennsylvania. He sub-specializes in upper extremity microvascular surgery. His clinical and research interests include vascularized bone reconstruction of extremity nonunions, functioning muscle reconstruction of the upper limb, toe transfer digital reconstruction, complex reconstruction of upper extremity trauma and vaso-occlusive disease of the hand. He directs the microsurgical didactic lecture and anatomy program and the Hand Center's biannual flap course.
Dr. Higgins serves on multiple national administrative committees for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He completed a year of travel and academic exchange as the 2010 Godina Fellowship recipient for the ASRM. He was also a 2010 Visiting Professor for the ASSH. In 2011, Dr. Higgins spearheaded the inaugural international hand mission with Operation Smile. He was named the 2013 Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellow for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Dr. Higgins has served as visiting professor and guest faculty at numerous national and international congresses and universities. He is also the recipient of numerous fellowship and resident teaching awards.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Dr. Segalman earned his medical degree at New York University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic residency at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital and completed his fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at the Curtis National Hand Center.
Dr. Segalman is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is an attending hand surgeon who is actively involved in surgical education, didactics, anatomy and research for fellows and residents. Dr. Segalman sub-specializes in wrist, elbow, shoulder and brachial plexus disorders. His research interests include anatomy, biomechanics of the wrist and forearm and small joint disorders. He is active in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and currently chairs its public awareness committee.
Job Titles:
- Consultant for the Baltimore Ravens
- Vice - Chief and Clinical Research Consultant
- Vice - Chief of Hand Surgery
Dr. Means serves as Vice-Chief and Clinical Research Consultant for the Curtis National Hand Center (CNHC). He attended a 7-year B.S./M.D. program through Rutgers Medical School, completed an Orthopaedic Surgery residency at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital (MUMH), and hand fellowship training at The Curtis National Hand Center.
Dr. Means currently serves as a consultant for the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals professional sports organizations as well as the Towson, Morgan State, and Stevenson University athletics programs.
Dr. Means is currently involved in clinical and academic activities, research, lecturing, book and journal publication, and education of fellows and residents. He received the Golden Apple teaching award from the MUMH orthopedic residency in 2008 and from the CNHC fellowship in 2010 & 2016. Dr. Means has been a consultant reviewer for JHS(A) and served as ASSH Residents & Fellows Program Co-Chair in 2019. In 2011, Dr. Means was part of the inaugural Operation Smile international hand mission and has twice served with Dr. Murphy on the CNHC's semi-annual medical missions to the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Karim attended the University of Notre Dame for undergraduate studies and earned her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program where she served as Chief Resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Karim completed subspecialty fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery at The Curtis National Hand Center. She spent the first several years of her career at Mayo Clinic before returning to the East Coast to join the faculty at Curtis in 2024.
Dr. Karim provides comprehensive management of traumatic, degenerative, and neoplastic conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity. She enjoys providing superb and innovative clinical care as well as teaching and mentoring residents and fellows. Her research interests include functional outcomes and patient satisfaction in hand trauma patients, as well as examining the differences between development of arthritis in men versus women in particular regions of the hand and wrist. She is an active member of several committees of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Association for Hand Surgeons. In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Karim enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, running, and cheering for the Bruins/Celtics/Patriots/Red Sox/Irish!
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Dr. McClinton earned his medical degree from Tulane University. He trained at Johns Hopkins and completed fellowships at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore City Hospital's Burn Center, Curtis National Hand Center and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services. He sub-specializes in microsurgery and vascular surgery of the hand and arm.
Dr. McClinton is an associate professor of plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is an attending hand surgeon and consultant for outpatient clinics and surgical cases with the residents and fellows. He is actively involved in direct surgical education, didactic lectures and research.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Program Director of the Curtis Hand Surgery Fellowship
- Associate Hand Fellowship Program Director
Dr. Murphy obtained his medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital and a fellowship in hand surgery at the Mayo Clinic/Mayo Foundation. Dr. Murphy is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedics at Johns Hopkins University Medical School. In addition, he is the associate hand fellowship program director at Union Memorial Hospital. He is an attending surgeon and consultant in outpatient clinics and surgical cases with the residents and fellows. He is actively involved in direct surgical education, didactic lectures and research. Dr. Murphy sub-specializes in arthroplasty, traumatic conditions and vascular disorders.
Dr. Murphy serves as assistant program director of the Curtis Hand Surgery Fellowship. He directs the weekly "classic articles" journal club, as well as the monthly city-wide journal club. He is the director of our international medicine program and leads biannual hand surgery missions to the Dominican Republic with the fellows and residents. He is active in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and serves on many administrative committees with a focus on hand surgery education.
Dr. Innis received his bachelor's degree at Cornell University and his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a hand surgery fellowship at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Innis is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has a strong administrative background and is actively involved in direct surgical education and didactic lectures.
Dr. Wittstadt is a clinical instructor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is an attending hand surgeon and consultant at the Hand Center and is actively involved in the direct surgical education of residents and fellows, lectures, and research. He coordinates the year-long didactic lecture series and heads the Performing Arts Medicine Clinic. He serves on several committees with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) including the Orthopaedics In-Training Exam (OITE), self-assessment examination (SAE), and Evidence-Based Medicine committees.
Dr. Katz graduated cum laude from Duke University, with a BS in biology and a BA in economics. He attended the University of Maryland Medical School, graduating summa cum laude in 2002. He completed his plastic surgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2009 and his hand surgery fellowship at The Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in 2010.
Dr. Katz's interests include microsurgery, complex soft tissue and bone reconstruction, nerve and vascular disorders, fractures of the upper extremity, nerve compression, and limb salvage. He is committed to teaching and is involved in the microsurgical training program, guiding fellows and residents through dissection, laboratory sessions, and lectures. Dr. Katz is an active member of the ASSH, ASPS, and ASRM. He is a frequent speaker at national meetings and serves on editorial boards of the Journals Microsurgery and The Journal of Hand Surgery. He was also an ASSH Plastic Surgery Visiting Professor.
Dr. Baugher received his medical degree at the University of Virginia Medical School. He completed his general surgery training at Barnes Hospital, Washington University and his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Virginia. He completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, as well as a hand surgery fellowship at NYU-Bellevue and Cabrini Hospitals.
Dr. Baugher is an attending hand surgeon and consultant for outpatient clinics and surgical cases with the residents and fellows. He is the attending surgeon for the Upper Extremity Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is actively involved in direct surgical education and didactic lectures. Dr. Baugher specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy of the shoulder, hand and wrist. He serves as team physician for Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.