NEWPORT ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Dr Gerken served as team physician for his old alma mater, Corona del Mar High School for 20 years. In addition, he was an assistant clinical professor in orthopedic surgery at UC Irvine from 1999 - 2007. Dr. Gerken lives in Newport Beach with his wife and three daughters and enjoys running, tennis and golf.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Medicine and Sports Medicine Physician
Dr. Brian Jin Choi is a board-certified family medicine and sports medicine physician. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California San Diego with a major in human biology and a minor in music. He attended medical school at A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and completed his family medicine residency at Northridge Family Medicine Program, an affiliate of UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where he served as a chief resident during the last year of residency. He then went on to complete his sports medicine fellowship from the University of California, San Diego.
Outside of the clinic, he volunteers his time to help cover various sporting events, such as high school football games, water polo, rugby, and other mass participation events. Dr. Choi is currently a team physician for the USA Women's Water Polo team, and as part of his fellowship he helped cover games and practices for San Diego State University football and basketball and for San Diego Legion, a Major League Rugby team.
Born in South Korea, he moved to the states at a young age and grew up in Orange County, CA. In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching various sports, practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, snowboarding, cooking, and spending time with his wife and their rescued shepherd-mix dog.
Education
Medical School
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Contact Information
Dr. Christina Seifert is an orthopedic trauma surgeon specializing in complex fractures and fractures that fail to heal appropriately. Dr. Seifert is a California native and completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles. She subsequently moved to the east coast to complete medical school at Tufts University. She began her orthopedic training at Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, where she developed a strong foundation in orthopedic trauma. She subsequently completed her fellowship in orthopedic trauma at Strong Memorial Hospital, at the University of Rochester. Some examples of her area of expertise and interest include pelvic, periarticular, and long bone fractures, as well as non-unions and malunions.
Dr. Seifert enjoys outdoor activities including playing tennis, skiing, traveling, and hiking with her family and dog. She cites her enjoyment of physical activity and adventure as contributing to her soft spot for patients who injure themselves while participating in activities they enjoy.
Dr. Seifert's Physician Assistant is Suzanne Vashista, PA-C.
Education
Medical School
Tufts University (Medical Doctor)
Dr. Hafiz Kassam has extensive experience in complex shoulder and elbow reconstruction and sports injuries. He is Board Certified by both the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada. He has pursued his education and training at world-class institutions in three countries. After completing his undergraduate work and medical training in the United Kingdom, he completed his residency at the University of Toronto, which is one of the largest and most academically productive programs in North America. He then moved to the USA and completed his shoulder and elbow fellowship training at Yale University. He is an expert in minimally invasive techniques in shoulder and elbow joint replacement as well as advanced arthroscopy, traumatic reconstruction, and non-operative treatments. He has performed more than 1000 shoulder replacements and arthroscopic reconstructions in his career so far.
Believing in evidence-based choices for his patients and improving outcomes in modern orthopedics, Dr. Kassam is a well-published clinician-scientist. He has authored numerous original scientific research studies, technique guides, and textbook chapters, presenting his work on both the national and international stages. He is the Program Chair for the Northern California Shoulder and Elbow Course and sits on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Arthroplasty. Dr. Kassam is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Arthroscopy Association of North America as well as the highly selective society of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. He is regularly invited as faculty at national courses on shoulder and elbow surgery and is currently a member of several multi-center research initiatives.
His involvement in these forums has given him extensive experience in the latest technologies and designs in shoulder and elbow surgery. These include minimally invasive total and reverse shoulder replacements as well as cutting edge arthroscopic procedures such as rotator cuff biologic augmentation and arthroscopic treatment of sports injuries. Dr. Kassam is also one of the few physicians in Southern California who specializes in revision shoulder and elbow surgery, tendon transfer operations, advanced soft tissue reconstructions, and arthroscopic bony stabilization procedures.
An avid sportsman himself, and having competed internationally as a ranked middleweight boxer, Dr. Kassam is uniquely situated to understand the needs of the competitive athlete and the difficulties they can encounter. He is currently a Ringside Physician for USA Boxing.
Dr. Kassam is passionate about his work and approaches each of his patients with empathy and sound judgment to ensure they all achieve their best possible outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Contact Information
- William Wang
Dr. Park specializes in hip and knee arthroplasty, an operative procedure in which an arthritic or dysfunctional joint surface is replaced.
Biography
Samuel W. Park is a highly trained, board certified orthopedic surgeon and member of South Orange County Orthopaedics team. As a Harvard Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Park specializes in hip and knee arthroplasty, an operative procedure in which an arthritic or dysfunctional joint surface is replaced.
Dr. Park offers extensive experience in both minimally invasive joint replacements with rapid recovery protocols and reconstructions for failed and infected joints. He serves patients throughout south Orange County and performs procedures out of Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach.
Dr. Park performs primary total hip joints through anterior, lateral and posterior approaches. His extensive expertise includes resurfacings, megaprostheses and total femurs. For the knee, he specialized in partial knee replacements (unicompartmental), total knee replacements, custom patient-specific implants, and distal femoral replacements. Dr. Park earned his Bachelor's degree at the University of California, Berkeley, graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. At the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, he received his medical degree and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, where he was nominated for a prestigious research sabbatical. He completed his training at the Brigham and Women's Hospital at the Harvard Medical School with fellowship in total joint arthroplasty.
Dr. Park has published multiple articles on knee ligament reconstructions, has helped to create a national committee on evidence-based review of hip and knee replacements guidelines, and has presented at national meetings.
Dr. Samuel W. Park is a Southern California native and grew up in the city of La Canada Flintridge. When not in the OR, you are most likely to find him in the outdoors, hunting down his lost golf balls or with a fishing pole in hand.
Job Titles:
- Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
- Contact Information
Dr. Taylor R. Dunphy is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who is fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine. He has a passion for treating athletes of all ages and has served as a team physician for the University of Southern California, where he helped care for the Trojan's football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and track teams. Dr. Dunphy is committed to providing the highest quality patient care, and believes medicine is best performed through a collective, patient-centric approach. All surgical decisions are carefully considered and may not be the first treatment option, and he focuses on creating individualized programs that are optimized to achieve the best results for each patient.
Dr. Dunphy's practice has an emphasis in minimally invasive/arthroscopic procedures of the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. He employs cutting edge, research proven techniques, and has expertise in the most modern ACL, meniscus, and rotator cuff repair techniques. Dr. Dunphy performs primary and revision surgeries and has experience in complex procedures including multi-ligamentous knee reconstructions, cartilage restoration, and total shoulder replacements. He is part of the trauma team at Hoag Hospital and specializes in fractures about the knee and shoulder. Dr. Dunphy has an interest in advancing orthopedic research and state-of-the-art treatment procedures, and his work has been presented and recognized at national and international conferences and highlighted in leading publications such as the American Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Dunphy attended medical school at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Having completed his undergraduate studies, orthopedic surgery residency, and sports medicine fellowship at USC, Dr. Dunphy is attuned to the lifestyles of Southern Californians. He, his wife, and two boys, reside in Orange County; and he loves spending time outdoors: skiing, hiking, sailing, and playing tennis and golf. Dr. Dunphy enjoys working with local high schools and has served as the team physician for Newport Harbor and Corona Del Mar High Schools. Dr. Dunphy is also an orthopedic provider for the NFL Total Wellness Program.
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Consultant and Team Physician for St. Margaret 's Episcopal School
- Contact Information
- Specialist and Expert
Dr. Eidt is a specialist and expert in caring for patients with sports injuries including complex shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle problems. His expertise is in the arthroscopic management of sports injuries. Dr. Eidt is double board certified in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine as well as General Orthopaedic Surgery. He attended the military medical school, Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD, where he was elected to the national medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). His undergraduate degree in economics with a chemistry minor, was completed at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. As a result of 16 years of service in the U.S. Army Dr. Eidt has an extensive practice caring for both pediatric and adult patients with complex traumatic injuries.
Dr. Eidt was deployed several times through his Army career. Notably he spent a year on the 38 th parallel at the DMZ in South Korea. He was deployed in combat and assigned to the 173 rd Airborne Division at a forward operating base with the 2 nd FST (a forward surgical team) in Afghanistan, as well as assignments to hospitals in Kandahar and Bagram. Because of his excellent care of both military and civilian casualties under combat conditions in Afghanistan, Dr. Eidt was awarded the Bronze Star.
Dr. Eidt is the orthopedic consultant and team physician for St. Margaret's Episcopal School's lacrosse and football teams. He has supported Trabuco Hills High School and JSerra Catholic School as their team physician. He was a faculty member for the U.S Army's primary care sports medicine fellowship. He has also been team physician for the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division wrestling tournaments as well as many other local and regional sports competitions. Dr. Eidt came with his family to Southern California and began his practice in Mission Viejo after a 16 year Army career.
Job Titles:
- Contact Information
- Sports Medicine Specialist
Dr. Ting has served on the medical staff for international events such as the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, as well as other events such as the Los Angeles Triathlon, the Long Beach Marathon, and several NCAA Conference Championships across multiple sports. His experience has also included event coverage for USA Boxing, USA Soccer and USA Volleyball. In addition, Dr. Ting has been a team physician for local area high schools, colleges, and universities for many years, including the NCAA Division 1 level for California State University, Northridge. Currently he serves as the team physician for Sage Hill High School in Newport Beach, CA, as well as one of the team physicians for Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA. Dr. Ting is one of the medical team physicians for the NFL Los Angeles Chargers football team.
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Dr. Matthew Siljander was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and worked in the field as an engineer before he earned his medical degree at Chicago Medical School. He then completed his residency training at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan. After residency, Dr. Siljander continued his training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota with a fellowship in hip and knee replacement surgery.
Dr. Siljander specializes in joint replacement and adult reconstructive surgery and has been very active in research advancing the field of orthopedics. He has authored numerous scientific publications, multiple book chapters, and frequently presented his work at regional and national meetings. While in medical school, he helped design and ultimately patent a medical device at Stanford University.
Dr. Siljander lives in Irvine with his wife and children, and enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports and is an avid fan of University of Michigan football.
Education
Medical School
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University (Medical Doctor)
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Contact Information
Dr. Fitzpatrick has focused his practice treating sports injuries. His area of expertise centers around minimally invasive surgery and arthroscopic surgery.
Biography
Michael J. Fitzpatrick M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon practicing at Mission Hospital since 2005. Dr. Fitzpatrick has focused his practice in investigating, diagnosing and treating sports injury. He has special research interests in minimally invasive shoulder replacements and arthroscopic surgery. Current Dr. Fitzpatrick serves at Co-Director of Mission Hospital Orthopedic Institute and President of South Orange County Orthopedics. In addition, he is a recipient of the Physician of Excellence Award from the Orange County Medical Association.
A graduate of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Dr. Fitzpatrick completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia in 1998, followed by a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Upper Extremity Reconstruction at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2003. Since completion of his fellowship, he has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Irvine and Research Faculty with the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Long Beach, California.
Dr. Fitzpatrick is Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and has received an additional Board Certification in Sports Medicine. He is a member of several professional societies such as the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine and the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He has also been honored by the U.S. Air Force with the National Defense Service Medal, Medal of Accommodation, and Meritorious Service Award for Distinguished Service as an Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr. Fitzpatrick has been published in dozens of reports and abstracts on various orthopedic topics and conditions with his latest, Essentials of Orthopedic Surgery Handbook, published by McGraw Hill.
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Dr. Nassif has been active in research and the advancement of joint replacement and reconstruction surgery. He has authored multiple book chapters, numerous research articles in peer-reviewed publications. He has also presented in many regional, national and international orthopedic meetings focused on the advancement of Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery. Dr. Nassif was named the Division Chief of Joint Replacement for Hoag Orthopedic Institute at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Surgery & Procedure Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Contact Information
- Surgeon from South Orange County Orthopaedics, Inc
William Wang is an affiliate orthopedic surgeon from South Orange County Orthopaedics, Inc. In additional to general orthopedics, Dr. Wang is fellowship trained in foot and ankle surgery. He specializes in treating disorders such as acquired adult flatfoot, chronic ankle sprains, foot injuries, Achilles tendon disorders, arthritis, and bunions.
Dr. Wang attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. He received his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, where he was awarded a full tuition Dean's Merit Scholarship. He was also awarded the Bert and Sally O'Malley Award for Best Medical Student Research. Dr. Wang completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (formerly North Shore/LIJ). He finished his training at UCI Medical Center with a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery.
Dr. Wang has authored several research papers in orthopedic surgery and written extensively for ClinicalAccess, which is a clinical decision support tool for healthcare professionals published by McGraw Hill. He was also responsible for creating the Achilles tendon injury protocol utilized at Downey Medical Center. He is a board member of Hope Torch, which is a public benefit trust that aids abandoned, destitute, and orphaned children around the world by delivering services in the areas of health and education.
Dr. Wang grew up in Southern California and spent most of his childhood in the city of Yorba Linda. He was a former concertmaster of the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra (OCYSO) and has performed in Carnegie Hall. As a violinist, he performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the OCYSO and the Bruch Violin Concerto with the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra. He is also an accomplished pianist and is a winner of an international piano recording competition. He currently enjoys spending his free time with his wife and three children. When not in the operating room, you can find him playing basketball with his kids or on the golf course.