UNC Health earned a place on the 2025 Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery list for superior clinical outcomes in back and neck surgeries and spinal fusion procedures.
Healthgrades is the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. The site aims to help patients make informed decisions about where to seek medical care. Healthgrades uses ratings and awards to identify hospitals that deliver consistently better-than-expected outcomes across various specialty areas. Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates at more than 4,500 hospitals and ranked them across 16 specialties, including spine surgery.
Dr. Cheerag Upadhyaya specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and leads the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Motion Preservation program at UNC Health. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Neurosurgery and Spine and serves as Chair Elect of the Scoliosis Research Society’s Health Policy Committee.
Dr. Michael Galgano specializes in complex spinal surgery and is the Director of Spinal Oncology and Spinal Deformity. In addition to growing the two programs at UNC Health, Dr. Galgano has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications since joining UNC in 2022, including multiple technique-driven operative videos in high impact journals. He is also a member of the AO Spine Tumor Knowledge Forum, which is a select group of international spinal tumor surgeons focusing on advancing the field of spinal oncology.
Dr. Mark Attiah, Director of Peripheral Nerve Surgery in the Department of Neurosurgery, is one of only a few neurosurgeons in the country who specializes in peripheral nerve surgery. Dr. Attiah is also dual trained in spine and peripheral nerve surgery.
The UNC Health spinal neurosurgery team also includes physiatrist Dr. Kevin Carneiro, DO, physician’s assistant Casey Clarke, PA-C, and nurse coordinator Katie McDaniel, MSN, RN.
UNC Health’s spinal neurosurgery team works closely with members of the various departments at UNC Health, including orthopedics, physical medicine, oncology, and physical therapy to ensure that each patient receives the appropriate care. Each patient has a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation across multiple specialties, exploring conservative treatment options first, and discuss surgical options when patients meet certain criteria.
Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, Department of Neurosurgery