Carissa Meyer

Richard D. Rhim, MD is part of Summit Healths Orthopedic Spine Surgery team. Dr. Rhim is a board certified and fellowship trained surgeon who specializes in spine surgery in adults and treats cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions. Dr. Rhim also treats herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, spinal fractures, failed prior back surgery (with revision surgery), spine trauma, and routinely performs lumbar fusion, cervical fusion, and cervical disc replacement.Dr. Rhims treatment philosophy centers on compassionate, conservative, evidence-based care. In addition to clearly explaining a patients condition and treatment options, he feels it is critical to conclude an appointment with optimism that something can be done to alleviate pain or even correct the problem. Where possible, I pursue nonoperative treatment first, reserving surgical care only for those who do not experience adequate pain relief," Dr. Rhim says.Dr. Rhim is a member of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS) and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).When he is not treating patients, Dr. Rhim enjoys skiing, playing ice hockey, photography, and traveling.

A. Ylenia Giuffrida, MD is a member of Summit Healths Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team. Dr. Giuffrida is double board certified in both Orthopedic Surgery and Hand & Microsurgery. She is also registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography (RMSK). She has years of experience treating both adult and pediatric patients with a broad range of conditions, acute and chronic, from the elbow to the fingertips.Dr. Giuffrida places great emphasis on patient education and enjoys engaging patients by teaching them about their condition so they can collaborate on treatment decisions that best suit their desires and functional goals. Because of her special certification in Ultrasound imaging, she is able to image patients with certain conditions in real time and arrive at an immediate diagnosis so treatment can be rendered without delay. Ultrasound is also useful for performing minimally invasive office procedures such as trigger finger and other compartment releases, resulting in timely, safe, and cost-effective treatment of these common conditions.Dr. Giuffrida says, It's so important to introduce young girls to careers in science and technology, fields where they are underrepresented and can make a huge impact. She adds, Having often been the only woman in my engineering classes and orthopedic surgery training, I recognize the need to encourage and mentor girls who may be considering these fields. Dr. Giuffrida tries her best to mentor young women in their pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. She gives talks at local elementary and high schools about STEM careers and supports the establishment of STEM teaching facilities and resources in these schools.Dr. Giuffrida is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the New Jersey Orthopaedic Society, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the New York Hand Society, and the Medical Society of New Jersey. She has also been a member of the prestigious AOA Honor Medical Society since her early medical education.When shes not treating patients, Dr. Giuffrida enjoys spending time with her family, skiing, biking, hiking, and swimming.