Dr. Stewart Kerr

• Patient testimonials

POST-GRADUATE TRAINING EXPERIENCE:

PGY 7: Orthopaedic Traumatology & Reconstruction Fellowship, UCSF (Fresno Campus), CA

PGY 6: Combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spinal Surgery Fellowship, Thomas Jefferson University & The Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA

PGY 2-5: Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA

PGY 1+/Navy Submarine, Undersea and Diving Medical Officer: Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Officer –Groton, CT; Panama City, FL; San Diego, CA

PGY 1: General Surgery Internship, Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA

EDUCATION:

M.D. Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD

M.B.A. (candidate) Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Graduation scheduled June 2024

PROFESSIONAL & MILITARY TRAINING COURSES:

• AO Spine Faculty Development Program, Las Vegas, NV
• AAOS 42nd Annual Orthopaedic Surgery Educator’s Course, Lisle, IL Tactical Combat Casualty Care (Faculty)
• Emergency War Surgery Course, San Diego, CA Microvascular Surgery Course, San Diego, CA
• AFIP Orthopaedic Pathology Course, Washington, DC
• Honor Graduate – US Navy Hyperbaric Medical Officer Course, Groton, CT Honor Graduate – US Navy Diving Medical Officer Course, Panama City, FL Military Tropical Medicine Course, Bethesda, MD & Lima, Peru
• HALO Military Freefall Parachute Course, NSWC Coronado, CA
• Honor Graduate - Special Forces "18-D" Paramedic Course, Ft. Sam Houston, TX and Ft. Bragg, N.C.
• U.S. Navy SEAL Combat Swimmer Instructors Course, Ekenforde, Germany Honor Graduate - Cold Weather Medicine School, Pickle Meadows, CA Honor Graduate - Emergency Medical Technician Course, Portsmouth, VA Honor Graduate - Diving Medical Technician School, Coronado, CA
• Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School (Class 136), Coronado, CA Honor Graduate - Field Medical Service School, Camp Lejune, N.C.
• Honor Graduate - Hospital Corpsman "A" School, Balboa Naval Hospital, CA

MILITARY SERVICE:

• Former Active Duty US Navy Medical Officer. Duties included overseas combat service deployments; Resident Teaching Faculty; Chief, Spine Center
• US Navy Combat Swimmer / SEAL (BUD/S Class 136; ST2, JSOC, NSWC, JMAU)

WORK HISTORY / MILITARY ASSIGNMENT HISTORY:

Medical Director, Orthopedic & Spine Specialists; Foundation Health Partners –07/2023 – Present

Private Practice - Alaska Fracture & Orthopaedic Clinic – 06/2022 – 07/2022

Private Practice – Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle (Proliance Ortho). 05/2020 – 06/2022

Weatherby Healthcare – Locum Orthopaedic Trauma / Joints / Spine. 12/2019 –05/2020

Private Practice - Anchorage (Comprehensive Spinal Surgery; Orthopaedic Fracture/Trauma Reconstruction Surgery at City Trauma Center; Volunteer Hyperbaric Medical Officer for Divers Alert Network) Anchorage, AK 01/2018 – 01/2020

Owner – Backbone HealthWorks LLC (Implant Design / Consultation; Medical- Legal and Casualty IME Consultation, Comprehensive pre and post surgical musculoskeletal wellness and pre-surgical optimization / risk reduction)

Staff / Attending Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon

(Comprehensive Spinal Surgery, Orthopaedic Trauma, Hip and Knee Reconstruction / Arthroplasty)

Confluence Health Medical Center 08/2012 – 01/2018

National Ski Patrol (Volunteer Physician Associate)

Mission Ridge, Alpental & Alyeska Ski Resorts 11/2013 - present Alpental Volunteer Ski Patrol Historian 3/2022 - present

Diving / Hyperbaric Medical Officer

(Diving Medical Examination, Supervising Hyperbaric Medical Officer) Chelan County Public Utilities District 08/2012 – 01/2018

Director, Orthopaedic Spinal Surgery Service

Faculty, Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Training Program Naval Medical Center San Diego 9/2010 -- 9/2012.

Joint Medical Augmentation Unit. (U.S. Navy Orthopaedic Trauma & Spinal Surgeon).

Fort Bragg, NC 5/2009 – 7/2012.

Consulting Orthopaedic & Spinal Surgeon, Naval Special Warfare Development Group & Naval Special Warfare Groups I and II. Virginia Beach, VA and Coronado CA. 8/2007 – 10/2012.

Current –Faculty, AO Spine International. 4/2011 –present.

Senior Deployed Orthopaedic Staff Trauma Surgeon. Joint Special Operations Task Force Iraq (Surgical Resuscitation Team). 2011.

Attending Faculty / Staff Surgeon; Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgery. Director, Portsmouth Comprehensive Spine Service

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA 8/2007 – 9/2010.

Consulting Spine Surgeon, NASA Intervertebral Disk Damage Workshop. 4/2009

Consulting Spine Surgeon / Panel member, Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP). FY-2009-2012 Congressionally Mandated DOD $35M project. 2/2008 – 5/2012.

Deployed Orthopaedic Staff Trauma Surgeon. Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan (Surgical Resuscitation Team). 2009-2010.

Combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spine Fellowship, Thomas Jefferson University and the Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA –8/2006 – 8/2007.

Medical Department Lead, Naval Special Warfare Center Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, CA 6/2000 -- 7/2002

Undersea and Diving Medical Officer School

Submarine Base New London, Groton, CT and Naval Dive Salvage Training Center, Panama City, FL 12/1999 – 6/2000

Medical Officer -Department of Emergency Medicine, Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA 7/1999 – 12/1999

General Surgery Intern and Intern Class President Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA 6/1998 – 7/1999

USU Medical Student and 1994-1998 F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Class President. Bethesda, MD 8/1994 – 5/1998

US Navy Medical Officer Indoctrination School Student and Battalion Adjutant Newport, RI 6/1994 – 8/1994

Deployment Systems Chief -Joint Medical Augmentation Unit

Joint Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, NC 8/1990 – 6/1994

SEAL Platoon Independent Duty Paramedic / Hospital Corpsman

SEAL Team Two, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA 4/1986 – 8/1990

LICENSURE / QUALIFICATIONS:

• American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery –Diplomate July 2009; Recertified 2017
• Unrestricted Alaska State Medical & DEA License # 124739 - Current
• Unrestricted Washington State Medical & DEA License # 48415 - Current
• Unrestricted California State Medical & DEA License # A70484 -Current
• Emergency War Surgery Course – Faculty NMC-Portsmouth, NMC-San Diego
• Instructor –Tactical Combat Casualty Care
• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) -Current
• Basic & Advanced Cardiac Life Support; Pediatric Advanced Life Support - Current

HONORS. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

Medical:

• Seattle Met Top Doctor (Orthopedic & Spinal Surgery) – 2020, 2021, 2022
• U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine (BUMED) recognition: Best Practice Model, Portsmouth Multi-Disciplinary Spine Service –April 2009
• Outstanding Educator Fellow Award –Thomas Jefferson University Hospital –July 2007
• First Place –Combined UCSD/Naval Medical Center San Diego Residents Research Day Competition –June 2006
• Selected for American Orthopaedic Association Emerging Leaders Program –Sep 2005
• Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals –May 2005
• American Orthopaedic Association Resident Leadership Forum – Class of 2005
• Selected for and attended the AMA National Medical Leadership Conference - Nov 1999
• Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities -May 1998
• U.S. Navy Surgeons General Award -May 1998
• Uniformed Services University Exceptional Service Award - March 1998

Military:

• Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) insignia
• Undersea / Diving Hyperbaric Medical Officer insignia
• Submarine Medical Officer insignia
• U.S. Navy Parachutist Wings
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2)
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Navy Commendation Medal (3)
• Joint Service Achievement Medal (2)
• Navy Achievement Medal
• Combat Action Ribbon
• Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2)
• Navy Unit Commendation
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
• U.S. Navy Enlisted Good Conduct Medal (2)
• National Defense Service Medal (2)
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2)
• Afghanistan Campaign Service Medal
• Iraq Campaign Service Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
• Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (6)
• Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon (2)
• Navy Arctic Service Ribbon
• Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
• Navy Expert Pistol Medal

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES / ACTIVITIES:

• American Medical Association
• UCSF orthopedic Surgery Alumni Association
• Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (Life Member)
• Thomas Jefferson University Alumni Association
• AO Spine North America (Faculty)
• North American Spine Society
• orthopedic Trauma Association
• Naval Medical Center San Diego orthopedic Surgery Alumni Association
• Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (life member)
• National UDT/SEAL Museum and Historical Foundation (Life member)
• Naval Special Warfare Foundation Member
• Fraternal Order of UDT/SEALs (Life member)
• Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS)

PUBLICATIONS / PRESENTATIONS / RESEARCH:

Medical College:

• Mortality Associated with Injuries Sustained by Aircraft Accident Burn Survivors. AE Johnson, MD; SM Kerr, MD; AE Pusateri, PhD; RM Harris, MD; MJ Gillespie, MD; J Holcomb, MD. 
• US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX.
• Poster presented at the American Burn Association 30th Annual Meeting; Chicago, IL (March 1998).  Journal of Trauma 2009.

Internship:

• Poster on Fractures in Burn Patients presented at the Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons (SOMOS) Annual Meeting; Vail, CO (December 1999).

Internship:

• Poster on Fractures in Burn Patients presented at the Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons (SOMOS) Annual Meeting; Vail, CO (December 1999).

Operational/Undersea Medicine Tour:

• Needle versus tube thoracostomy in a swine model of traumatic tension hemopneumothorax. Holcomb JB, McManus JG, Kerr S, Pusateri AE
• Prehosp Emerg Care. 2009 Jan-Mar; 13(1):18-27.
• Immersion Pulmonary Edema: Four Cases in Healthy Surface Swimmers and a Review of the Literature. SM Kerr, MD; S. Josh Bell, MD; P Witucki, MD; R Ambach, PA-C; R Mahon, MD. Submitted for publication in Chest.
• Immersion pulmonary edema in special forces combat swimmers.
• Mahon RT, Puckett ML, Quigley MM, Kerr SM.  Chest. 2002 Jul; 122(1):383-4.
• Tactical Combat Casualty Care for the Flight Surgeon -presented at the 3rd Annual Joint Aeromedical Problems Course, San Diego, CA
• Team Physician -"One Million Steps Biomedical Research Expedition" see web site www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/iakewinnipeg/ (several human performance physiology publications completed).
• Research / work as Team Physician for the “One Million Steps Biomedical Research Expedition” has directly led to the development of the Protective Combat Uniform, (PCU). This state-of-the-art clothing system is in use worldwide and is standard issue for all U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) units. This is an $8 million dollar project funded by the United States Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) for fiscal year 2004 supervised by the SOF Special Projects branch of Natick Laboratory.
• Panel Director -Navy SEAL High-Risk Training Medical Standards of Care Workshop
• Naval Special Warfare Center -Sep 2001.
• Effects of Wetsuits on Pulmonary Function Studies in Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL Trainees in the U S Navy. R Mahon, D Norton, S Krizek, S Kerr. Poster Presentation at Navy Environmental Health Symposium. (February 2003).
• Immersion Pulmonary Edema in SEAL Trainees: Pathogenesis and Treatment. Presented to the Special Operations Medical Association Annual Meeting; Tampa, FL (December 2001).

orthopedic Surgery Residency:

• Poster on “Fractures sustained during rotary wing crashes” presented at the Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons (SOMOS) Annual Meeting; San Diego, CA  (December 2002).
• Invited Guest Speaker for David Grant US Air Force Medical Center Grand Rounds –presented “Winnipeg Lessons: Medical Care for the One Million Steps Biomedical Research Expedition” (April 2003).
• Exertional Pulmonary Edema in U.S. Navy Seal Trainees: results of Broncho-Alveolar Lavage following Pulmonary Injury. SM Kerr, MD; RA Mahon, MD
• Energy Balance and Change in Substrate Utilization During Extended Cold Weather Military Operations.  GG Giesbrecht, PhD; C Marrao, MS; M Campbell, PhD; Z Weston, MS; K Westerterp, PhD; S Kerr, MD; F Perronet, PhD.  Journal of Applied Physiology.
• Pulmonary Edema in Combat Swimmers; Clinical and Bronchoalveolar Lavage descriptions demonstrating Stress Failure of the Pulmonary Capillaries. BB Ludwig, MD; RT Mahon, MD; JS Parish, MD; C Lamb, MD; S Kerr, MD. (submitted for publication).
• Necrotizing Fasciitis. JB Fugitt, MD; M Puckett, MD; M Quigley, MD, PhD; S Kerr, MD. Radiographics 2004; Sep-Oct;24(5):1472-1746.
• Evaluation of Military and Civilian Clothing Ensembles and Food Preparations for Extended Cold Weather Operations.  GG Giesbrecht, PhD; R Engel, BS; J Haines; S Kerr, MD; S Williams. Military Medicine (Submitted for Publication).
• Short Term Cold Acclimatization Following Extended Cold Weather Operations. GG Giesbrecht, PhD; P Pachu, MS; C Marrao, MS; S Kerr, MD. Journal of Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine (Submitted for Publication).
• Medical Support for Maritime Special Operations. S Kerr, MD. Presented to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences faculty and students. Bethesda, MD  13 August 2004
• Stress Fracture Prediction in US Navy SEAL Trainees. S Kerr, MD; Dan Trone, MS; J Sandwell, MPH  --Presented at the Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons 46^th Annual Meeting; Vail, CO (December 2004) and First Place Navy Award at the combined UCSD / NMC-SD Orthopedics Research Competition (2006).
• Meniscus Allograft Transplantation. S Kerr, MD. Presented at San Diego City-wide Grand Rounds, June 2005.
• The Outcomes of Lumbar Microdiscectomy in a Young, Active Population (Correlation by Herniation Type and Level). C Dewing, MD; M Provencher, MD; R Riffenburgh, PhD; S Kerr, MD and R Manos, MD. Spine 2008; Jan 1;33(1):33-38.
• Upper Cervical Spine Injuries. S. Kerr, MD Presented at San Diego City-wide Grand Rounds, February 2006.
• Stress Fracture Intervention in Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) Trainees –Trone D and Kerr SM. Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), San Diego, CA (US Navy SPECWARCEN publication).

Fellowship:

• Grand Rounds –Contemporary Management of Hemodynamically Unstable Pelvic Ring Injuries. UCSF –Fresno, CA. December 2016.
• Operative Treatment of Intra-articular Femoral Head Fractures. UCSF-Fresno. February 2017.
• AO Spine International –Prospective and retrospective Type II Odontoid Fracture Management –ongoing study (former fellow TJUH site manager).
• Early Complications of Surgical vs. Conservative Treatment of Isolated Type II Odontoid Fractures. HE Smith, SM Kerr, TJ Albert, JS Harrop, AS…Spine: Affiliated Society Meeting Abstracts, 2007 - abstracts.spinejournal.com
  Meeting Abstracts: Cervical Spine Research Society: 2007. Smith, HE; Kerr, SM; Albert,            TJ; Harrop, JS; Hilibrand AS; Vaccaro AR
• AO Spine International –Prospective and retrospective studies on Operative Management of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy –ongoing study (former fellow TJUH site manager).
• Nucleus Pulposus Replacement. Presented at Thomas Jefferson University orthopedic Surgery Department Spine Fellows Lecture Series (Aug 2006).
• An Analysis of Unstable Type II Odontoid Fractures in Octagenarians: the Experience at a Regional Spinal Cord Injury Referral Center. Smith HE, Kerr SM, Vaccaro AR, Albert TJ, Harrop J, Chandhry S, Norton R.   --manuscript submitted and in press. JSDT. Accepted for publication (Oct 2007). Winner –AO Spine International Fellows Competition. Zurich 5/08.
• Update on Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture Management; Why Non-operative Management is the Standard of Care. Presented at Thomas Jefferson University orthopedic Surgery Department Spine Fellows Lecture Series (Oct 2006).
• Early Complications of Surgical versus Conservative Treatment of Isolated Type II Odontoid Fractures in Octogenarians: a Retrospective Cohort Study. Smith HE, Kerr SM, Maltenfort M, Chaudhry S, Norton R, Albert TJ, Harrop J, Hilibrand AS, Anderson DG, Kopjar B, Brodke DS, Wang JC, Fehlings MG, Chapman JR, Patel A, Arnold PM, Vaccaro AR. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2008 Dec; 21(8):535-9.
• Medical College to Medical Officer Transition. Presented to all Philadelphia Region Health Profession Scholarship Program (HPSP) Medical Students. (November 2006).
• Adjacent Level Degeneration in the Cervical Spine.  AP White, D Fassett, S Kerr, PG Whang, AS Hilibrand. Op Tech Ortho 2007. Elsevier
• Imaging Update on Cervical Spinal Trauma, Instability Screening, and Clearance.  AP White, S Kerr, RC Mendel, D Hannallah, Sem in Spine Surgery, 2007. Elsevier.
• Spine Trauma: Update on Radiographic Imaging Techniques. White AP, Kerr SM, Vaccaro AR –manuscript submitted and accepted for publication.  J Spinal Disorders (Oct 2006).
• Update on Epidural Scar Prevention and Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks and Dural Repair.  RC Mendel, AP White, SM Kerr, TJ Albert, AR Vaccaro Seminars in Spine Surgery, 2008. Elsevier
• Motion Sparing Technologies for the Lumbar Spine. Presented at Thomas Jefferson University orthopedic Surgery Department Spine Fellows Lecture Series (Dec 2006).
• The Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Lumbar Spine.  SM Kerr, C Tannoury, AP White, D Anderson. Operative Techniques in Orthopedics, 2007. Elsevier
• From the Deckplates to the OR; Adventures in today’s Naval Services. Presented to Naval Science Midshipmen from combined University of Pennsylvania / Drexel University NROTC Program (Jan 2007).
• Trends in Epidemiology and Management of Type II Odontoid Fractures; Twenty Year Experience at a Model System Spine Injury Tertiary Referral Center. HE Smith, SM Kerr, MG Fehlings, J Chapman, M Maltenfort, J Zavlasky, E Harris, TJ Albert, J Harrop, AS Hilibrand, DG Anderson and AR Vaccaro, --JSDT 2010.
• The Role of Image Guidance Systems for Spinal Surgery. Presented at Thomas Jefferson University orthopedic Surgery Department Spine Fellows Lecture Series (March 2007).
• Spondylolysis and Spondololisthesis in the Athlete. Presented to South Jersey Sports Medicine Center orthopedic Surgeons. (March 2007).
• An Update on the Contemporary Pharmacologic Management of Acute Spinal Cord Injury. Invited faculty –presented at the Combined Residents Spine Course (March 2007).

Other projects:

• 2^nd Annual orthopedic and Neurosurgical Combined Spine Course. Course Chairman. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. April 2010.
• 1^st Annual orthopedic and Neurosurgical Combined Spine Course. Course Chairman. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. May 2009.
• Motion Sparing Technology in Spinal Surgery. Stewart Kerr, MD.  Naval Medical Center Portsmouth / Community Grand Rounds, 27 March 2009
• Panel member/Stakeholder, Congressionally Mandated Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. (FY-2009 $35M research incentive).
• “Back to Work” Collaborative treatment of lumbago in Active-duty Armed Forces Personnel. Fox B, Kerr SM, Ziemke G, Brinkmeyer M.
• Cervical Myelopathy: Posterior Approach.  Kerr, SM Decision Making in Spinal Care, 2^nd Ed. Chapter 20 Thieme publishers.  AP White and SM Kerr
• Lateral Interbody Arthrodesis for Complex Spine Deformity. SM Kerr
• Grand Rounds presented to University of Washington orthopedic and Neurological Spinal Surgeons. Seattle, WA  21 July 2010.
• Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebral Compression Fractures.
• Decision Making in Spinal Care, 2^nd Ed. Chapter 11. Thieme publishers  Stewart M. Kerr and Andrew P. White.
• Results From Active-Duty Low Back Pain Patients Provided Multi-Disciplinary Spine Care
• Presented at the Society of Military orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, December 2010.
• Endoscopic Spine Surgery; learning curve from an experienced arthroscopic surgeon - Ongoing
• Comprehensive Spinal-Health Center (CSHC) Development

PROFESSIONAL / CAREER INTERESTS:

• Comprehensive Spinal Surgery (including neck & spine fracture repair, MIS, endoscopic spine surgery / decompression, complex cervical and adult / pediatric spinal deformity reconstruction).
• Complex Fracture Repair including pelvis and acetabulum / Joint Reconstruction
• Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine (including occupational injury treatment, complex wound therapy & periodic fitness for diving duty examinations)
• National Ski Patrol
• Health, Fitness & Wellness
• Surgical Outcome Optimization (through a science-based excellence program)
• Teaching / Medical Education

PERSONAL INTERESTS:

• Free Diving, Skiing, Fishing, Cycling & Hiking, Remote Travel, Photography, Oil Painting