Awards & Recognitions — Winter 2021

Byline: Christina O'Haver
March 23, 2021

Healthgrades Best Hospitals

Healthgrades has named St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, home of Barrow Neurological Institute, one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals of 2021. Healthgrades, an online resource for information about physicians and hospitals, measures hospital performance based on patient outcomes. Thanks to the incredible work by Barrow staff, the hospital also earned three distinctions in the neurosciences: America’s 100 Best Stroke Care, a Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award, and a Neurosciences Excellence Award.

Aerial view of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center campus, where Barrow Neurological Institute is located

Phoenix Magazine Top Doctors

Phoenix Magazine has announced its 2021 Top Doctors. Of the seven top neurosurgeons listed in this year’s issue, five are on faculty here at Barrow: Drs. David Barranco, Frederick Marciano, Randall Porter, Luis Tumialán, and John Wanebo. This is Dr. Barranco’s 19th year on the list, making him the second most-listed neurosurgeon in the 26-year history of the issue—behind Barrow Emeritus Chair of Neurosurgery Dr. Robert Spetzler. Drs. Marciano and Porter have also reached the magazine’s 10-year milestone. Our director of neuro-rehabilitation, Dr. Christina Kwasnica, made this year’s list in the physical medicine and rehabilitation category. She is another Top Doc veteran, having celebrated the 20-year milestone.

American Academy of Neurology Section Chair

Barrow interventional and vascular neurologist Dr. Ashutosh Jadhav has been elected by his fellow members of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) to serve as chair of the Stroke & Vascular Section. His 2021-23 term follows his two-year term as chair of the Endovascular & Interventional Neurology Section. AAN sections allow neurologists to connect with others in their subspecialty to discuss treatment approaches, new research, policy-related issues, and more.

Marc R. Nuwer Service Award

The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society presented the 2021 Marc R. Nuwer Service Award to Dr. Susan Herman, director of the Barrow Epilepsy Program. This award recognizes outstanding service by an ACNS member or affiliated professional in the field of clinical neurophysiology, emphasizing accomplishments and contributions that benefit the ACNS and its members. These contributions can include advocacy, education, organization, and committee work, among others.

Department of Defense Grant

Spinogenix, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is collaborating with Dr. Rita Sattler in the Department of Neurobiology at Barrow on a grant awarded by the Department of Defense. The grant will be used to study the effects of a novel drug candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Operative Neurosurgery Cover

Artwork created by Barrow medical illustrator Kristen Larson Keil was selected for the cover of the March issue of Operative Neurosurgery. Kristen’s illustration on top of the block shows the glossopharyngo-cochlear triangle, a surgical corridor located between the glossopharyngeal and cochlear nerves. She expanded on a retrosigmoid view created by illustrator Mark Schornak. The full figure accompanies an article by Dr. Xiaochun Zhao et al.