Valerie Kathleen Beard, PA-C

Vikas Patel, MD left his high school as Valedictorian. He completed his undergraduate with honors cum laude at the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. He moved on to attend The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston with the Junior Puccetti Scholarship and the Ann Buckingham Gretzinger, RN and Thomas Gretzinger, MD Scholarship. During his four years at this acclaimed University, he also volunteered at the St. Vincent’s House Free Health Clinic. Even while excelling in many extracurricular activities, he graduated in the top quartile of his class as a Doctor of Medicine. Louisiana State University Health Science Center--New Orleans provided the home for his orthopaedic surgery residency.

Christopher A. Kowalski, M.D. Christopher Aaron Kowalski, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who is subspecialty trained in spine surgery. He completed his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Penn State University in Hershey, PA, where he received, on several occasions, the exceptional teaching award, granted to residents who provide outstanding teaching and patient care. Dr. Kowalski then completed a fellowship in spinal surgery at the preeminent University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, graduate from the AO Spine Fellowship program, an international organization ensuring excellent education and surgical training in the delivery of spine care.