Editor's Letter July 2009

Need a Doctor? Take Our Advice

When it comes to selecting a doctor, particularly a specialist, we take some measure of comfort by seeking a referral from a trusted friend. This is why Palm Springs Life partnered with New York-based Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. to present our fifth annual Top Doctors issue.

“Our Top Doctors,” beginning on page 19, offers an independent study of Coachella Valley physicians — a short list you can trust. We selected Castle Connolly, publisher of the book America’s Top Doctors, after a thorough review of firms that produce similar studies. If you need a specialist, our feature offers a good place to start looking.

Castle Connolly rose to the top of our list for its integrity in its screening and qualification process and its survey methodology. Castle Connolly mails thousands of letters inviting board-certified 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: Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, and Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. The nominations triggered a stringent qualification process that is at once quantitative and qualitative.

This year, we expand the reach of this resource through the all-new Palm Springs Life Top Doctors Show, appearing July 1-31 on Time Warner Cable channel 4. Air times are Mondays through Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays at noon and 10:30 p.m.

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 more excellent physicians than the 72 we present in this issue and on the cable TV show, 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!