Neurosurgeon named to national 20 under 40 list

By Lindsay Mott
lmott@health.southalabama.edu

Richard Menger, M.D., MPA, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and chief of complex spine surgery at USA Health has been named to the North American Spine Society (NASS) SpineLine’s 20 under 40 list for 2019.

Honorees are selected by SpineLine to showcase NASS’ bright physicians under the age of 40. A committee selects these physicians based on accomplishments, community service, and philosophy of care. Each has also previously been featured in an article in SpineLine, the journal published by the North American Spine Association.

Menger completed training in an orthopaedic fellowship as a neurosurgeon at Columbia University Medical Center. His unique position at USA Health spans two academic departments and includes a clinical leadership post as chief of complex spine surgery. He is a faculty member in USA’s department of political science and criminal justice and the USA College of Medicine department of neurosurgery. Menger also co-authored a 330-page textbook “The Business, Policy, and Economics of Neurosurgery."

“I was very fortunate to have great mentors at Columbia University, and I am excited to bring some of their training and what they have taught me about complex pediatric and adult spinal deformity reconstruction surgery to USA Health,” Menger said. “I've been lucky to join a great neurosurgery department with supportive partners and we are all working together to provide the cutting-edge academic care for the region. We hope to grow a regional referral center for complex spine surgery focusing on conservative and surgical care, research, and tracking our outcomes.”

NASS is the leading medical society for healthcare professionals who specialize in spine care. It is the largest organization of spine surgeons in America. This is the second year that SpineLine has chosen a group of 20 under 40 to recognize.