For the young and old

We've done it again. Since 1995, the Arkansas Times has published a yearly list of what we call the Best Doctors in Arkansas. This year, the 15th time around, our survey has produced the most wide-ranging list ever, from family practice docs to brain surgeons.

The doctors listed here were nominated by their peers, all licensed Arkansas physicians who were invited to vote either on-line or through the mail. Hundreds voted. (Dozens voted twice â?? but we caught you!)

 The Times does not declare the list below to be the be-all, end-all list of Arkansas's best doctors. It's heavy on physicians at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, and several of those doctors will tell you that's because their colleagues in private practice are their former students and paying their respects.

That's what Dr. Paula Anderson modestly chalked up her nomination to. The pulmonologist has been at UAMS since 1969, teaching and seeing patients with all kinds of lung disease. But Anderson is known nationally for her work with adults with cystic fibrosis, a patient group that barely existed before aerosol and other improvements in CF therapies, as her profile in this issue explains.

Pediatrician Dr. Joe Elser also carved out a niche, creating Arkansas Children's Hospital's migraine clinic, treating an ailment that is far commoner in kids than many realize â?? but rarer in clinical focus. Dr. Brian Hardin works with Elser's â??graduatesâ?? â?? adolescents, whose unique psychosocial and musculoskeletal needs require a special medical approach.

We revisit Dr. Kris Shewmake, who was named best plastic surgeon a decade ago, to see what's new in his specialty. What's new in his life: His surgical mission trips, teaching advanced techniques to doctors in Honduras.

Joining Anderson, Elser, Hardin and Shewmake as nominees for â??bestâ?? are the doctors listed below. Hometowns are given for doctors who practice outside Pulaski County.

Â

 ADOLESCENT MEDICINE

Â

Top vote getter

Brian Hardin

Â

Other best doctors

Elton Cleveland

Wayne Herbert

Karen Kozlowski

Darrell Nesmith

Maria Portilla

Jennifer Woods

Â

 FAMILY MEDICINE

Â

Top vote getter

George KonisÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Charles Carttar

Robert Cheek

Chris CobbÂ

Arlo Kahn

Hal Hedges

Jay Holland

Jamie Howard

Philip Hudson

Martha Lauster

Daniel Knight

Kent McKelvey Jr.

David Nelson

Jack Somers

James Stallcup, Huntsville

Charles Smith

Roger Tilley

Daniel Watson

Â

GERIATRICS

Â

Top vote getter

David LipschitzÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Jennifer Co

Priya Mendiratta

Ann Riggs

Claudia Tolleson

Dennis Sullivan

Jeanne Wei

Â

 INTERNAL MEDICINE

Â

Top vote getter

Robert HopkinsÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Lee Able

Susan Beland

Robert Cheek

Amy Fitzgerald

Torin Gray

James Hazlewood

Robert Lavender

Elizabeth Pitts

Sara Tariq

Â

 OBSTETRICS-

GYNECOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Paul Wendel

Â

Other best doctors

Janet Cathey

Amy Wiedower Eble

Cindy Hubach

Curtis Lowery

Nirvana Manning

Fred Newton

Heather Owens

Amy Phillips

Orman Simmons

Julia Watkins

Â

PEDIATRICIANS

Â

Top vote getter

Joe Elser

Â

Other best doctors

Mary Aitken

Debra Becton

Bryan Burke

Jerry Byrum

Charles Feild

Anthony Johnson

Eugene Lu

Valeria Malak

Joshua O'Neill

Chad Rodgers

Bonnie Taylor

September Westbrook

Â

 GYNECOLOGY-

ONCOLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

Alexander Burnett

Juan Roman

Pamela Stone

Â

 MEDICAL

ONCOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Laura HutchinsÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Brad Baltz

Joseph Beck

Mariann Harrington

Larry Mendelsohn

Diane Wilder

Â

DERMATOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Jay Kincannon

Â

Other best doctors

Daniel Davis

Matthew Kagy

Thomas Manning

Daniel Smith

Â

 PLASTIC SURGERY

Â

Top vote getters

Kris Shewmake

James Yuen

Â

Other best doctors

David Bauer

Edward Love

T.R. Moffett

Suzanne Yee

Â

 PEDIATRIC

NEUROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Greg Sharp

Other best doctors

Stephen Bates, Jonesboro

May Griebel

Rolla Shbarou

Â

 PEDIATRIC ALLERGY

Â

Top vote getter

Stacie JonesÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Amy Scurlock

Melissa Graham

Martin Fiser

Â

 PEDIATRIC

CARDIOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Renee Bornemeier

Â

Other best doctors

Brian Eble

Eudice Fontenot

Elizabeth Frazier

Robert Morrow

Marie Michele Moss

Paul Seib

Â

 PEDIATRIC

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Stephen KempÂ

Â

Other best doctors

John Fowlkes

Alba Morales Pozzo

Â

PEDIATRIC

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Helen Casteel

Â

Other best doctors

Troy Gibbons

Julianna Frem

George Fuchs

Â

 PEDIATRIC

HEMATOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

David BectonÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Suzanne Saccente

Robert Sayle

Kimo Stine

Â

 PEDIATRIC

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Â

Top vote getter

Richard Jacobs

Â

Other best doctors

Nada Harik

Jose Romero

Gary Wheeler

Â

 PEDIATRIC

NEPHROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Richard Blaszak

Other best doctors

Eileen Ellis

Muhammed Ilyas

Tom Wells

Â

 PEDIATRIC

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Â

Â

Top vote getter

Charles Bower

Â

Other best doctors

Lisa Buckmiller

Gresham Richter

Â

 PEDIATRIC

PULMONOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Robert Warren

Â

Other best doctors

John Carroll

Supriya Jambhekar

Â

 PEDIATRIC

RHEUMATOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Paula Morris

Â

Other best doctor

Jason DareÂ

Â

 PEDIATRIC SURGEON

Â

Top vote getter

Sam Smith

Â

Other best doctors

Melvin Dassinger

Richard Jackson

Â

 MATERNAL AND

FETAL MEDICINE

Â

Top vote getter

Paul WendelÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Curtis Lowery

Steve Chatelain

Â

 NEONATAL AND

PERINATAL

Â

Top vote getter

Whit HallÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Robert Arrington

Jeffrey Kaiser

Robert Lyle

Billy Thomas

Â

PSYCHIATRY

Â

Top vote getter

Brian Hyatt

Â

Other best doctors

James Clardy

Jeffrey Clothier

Thomas Freeman

Robert Jarvis

Lawrence Labbate

G. Richard Smith

John Spollen

Linda Worley

Â

 ADDICTION

PSYCHIATRY

Â

Top vote getter

Roger Amick

Â

Other best doctor

Warren Bickel, PhD

Â

 CHILD PSYCHIATRY

Â

Top vote getter

Richard Livingston

Â

Other best doctors

Lynn Taylor

Matthew Crouch, Fayetteville

Molly Gathright

Brian Kubacak

Â

 GERIATRIC

PSYCHIATRY

Â

Top vote getters

Lewis P. Krain

Â

Other best doctors

Eugene Reid

Graham Reid

Gary Linker, Fayetteville

Â

 ALLERGY AND

IMMUNOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Martin Fiser

Â

Other best doctors

Gene France

Melissa Graham

Jim Mark Ingram

Ellen Lu

Karl Sitz

Blake Scheer

Â

CARDIOLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

Paulo Ribeiro

Rajesh Sachdeva

Â

Other best doctors

Joe Bissett

Forrest Glover

Eleanor Kennedy

James Marsh

Bruce Murphy

David Rutlen

James Shuffield

Greg St. John, Hot Springs

Â

 COLON AND

RECTAL SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Lee RaleyÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Ralph Broadwater

Charles Crocker

Jonathan Laryea

Â

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

Donald Bodenner

Deborah Bursey

Debra Simmons

Â

Other best doctors

Lawson Glover

Richard Griffiths

Philip Kern

Stavros Manolagas

Ganesh Nair

Phil Peters

Â

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Terence Angtuaco

Â

Other best doctors

Farshad Aduli

John Baber

Robert Barker, Fort Smith

Angelo Coppola

Glenn Davis

Arshad Malik

James Metrailer

Â

 HAND SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Michael Moore

Â

Other best doctors

Jeanine Andersson

Thomas Frazier

James Yuen

Â

HEMATOLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

Brad Baltz

Â

Other best doctors

Joseph Beck

Balan Nair

Kamal Patel

Â

 INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Â

Top vote getter

Robert Bradsher

Â

Other best doctors

Michael Saccente

Susan Delap

Ryan Bariola

Thomas Monson

Alexander Lindley

Â

NEPHROLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

Sameh Abul-Ezz

Michelle Krause

Kevin Heifner

Â

Other best doctors

Joe Pevahouse

Sundar Swaminathan

James Wellons

NEUROSURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Ossama Al-Mefty

Â

Other best doctors

Timothy Burson

Ali Krisht

T. Glenn Pait

David Reding

Â

NEUROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Lee Archer

Â

Other best doctors

Salah Keyrouz

Keith Schluterman, Conway

Beverly Beadle

Brad Boop

Sami Harik

Robert Silzer

Jomana Al-Hinti

Tim Freyaldenhoven, Conway

Â

OPTHALMOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Laurie Barber

Â

Other best doctors

Katherine Baltz

Tracy Baltz

Carol Chappell

James Deer

Richard Harper

Nicola Kim

Paul Phillips

John Shock

Â

 ORTHOPEDIC

SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Gordon Newbern

Â

Other best doctors

James Aronson

Lowry Barnes

Scott Bowen

Richard Evans

Ken Martin

Richard Nicholas

Jack Vanderschilden

Â

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

James Suen

Â

Other best doctors

Chris Colclasure

John Dornhoffer

Graves Hearnsberger

Paul Farris, Fayetteville

Brendan Stack

Adrian Williamson

Â

 PAIN MEDICATION

Â

Top vote getters

Ahmed Ghaled

Juan Firnhaber-Burgos

Â

PATHOLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Bruce Smoller

Â

Other best doctors

Aubrey Hough

Soheila KorourianÂ

Laura Lamps

Gene Singleton

Â

 PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION

Â

Top vote getter

Thomas Kiser

Â

Other best doctors

Barry Baskin

Patrick Kortebein

Kevin Means

 PULMONARY DISEASE

Â

Top vote getter

Paula Anderson

Â

Other best doctors

Neal Beaton

Larry Johnson

Manish Joshi

Gail McCracken

Nancy Rector

Hussam Sakkijhah

Â

RHEUMATOLOGY

Â

Top vote getters

James Abraham III

Eleanor Lipsmeyer

Â

Other best doctors

Tom Kovaleski

Laura Trigg

Â

 SPORTS MEDICINE

Â

Top vote getter

Jack Vanderschilden

Â

Other best doctor

Richard Nix

Â

SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Chris Cate

Â

Other best doctors

John Jones

Ronald Robertson

Everett Tucker

Richard Turnage

Â

 THORACIC SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

Charles WatkinsÂ

Â

Other best doctors

Nelson Ancalmo, Pine Bluff

Hugh BurnettÂ

John R. â??Boâ?? Busby, Pine Bluff

Burcu Ozdemir

John Rowen

Gareth Tobler

C.D. Williams

Â

UROLOGY

Â

Top vote getter

Keith Mooney

Â

Other best doctors

Nabil Bissada

John Brizzolara

Alex Finkbeiner

Timothy Goodson

Pat O'Donnell

John Redman

Walt Stallings

Â

 VASCULAR SURGERY

Â

Top vote getter

John Eidt

Â

Other best doctors

Robert Casali

Mohammed Moursi

Charles Watkins.

Â