Editor's Letter

When it comes to selecting a doctor, particularly a specialist, we feel most comfortable with a referral from a trusted friend. This is why Palm Springs Life continues to partner with New York-based Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and this month presents our fourth annual Top Doctors issue.

“Our Top Doctors,” beginning on page 27, offers the most reliable independent study of physicians in the Coachella Valley — a short list you can trust for superior care. We selected Castle Connolly after a thorough review of firms that produce these studies — and after gleaning the experiences of other magazine editors who employ them.

If you need a specialist,our feature offers a good place to start looking.

This firm rose to the top of our list for its integrity in its qualification process and survey methodology. Castle Connolly mails thousands of letters inviting physicians and medical leaders to go online to nominate outstanding doctors in a variety of specialties. The restricted-access site prevents ballot stuffing, while allowing doctors to be nominated by peers near and afar.

About eight months ago, the firm began surveying a field of more than 1,300 board-certified Coachella Valley physicians, with an emphasis on the area’s three major hospitals. The nominations trigger a stringent qualification process that is at once quantitative and qualitative.

I feel obligated to note that the Plastic Surgery category omits subspecialties in the field, particularly dermatologic, ophthalmic, gynecological, and facial plastic surgery.

There are many more excellent physicians than the 72 we present in this issue, but we had to draw the line somewhere. If you’re satisfied with your physicians, stick with them. But if you need a referral for a specialist, our feature offers a good place to start. We hope you find the study informative and valuable.

Here’s to your good health!