Affiliated Physicians

Dr. Bernasek received his medical training at the Creighton University College of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and completed his orthopedic residency training at the University of New Mexico. After residency, Dr. Bernasek completed a fellowship in joint replacement and adult reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is known nationally and internationally as an expert in joint replacement with vast experience in total hip and knee replacement. His articles have been published in numerous professional journals, and he has presented research papers and lectured at medical conferences on the national and international level for over a decade. He maintains active involvement in numerous orthopedic research and development projects and has served as an Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

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James B. Billys, M.D. practices out of the Brandon and Sun City Center clinic locations. Prior to joining FOI, Dr. Billys was an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates Medical Clinic in Visalia, California.

Dr. Billys is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Dr. Billys completed his internship in general and thoracic surgery as well as his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Billys is fellowship trained in three areas. The first is Immunology Research at Duke University, the second is Hand and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at the Davies Medical Center in San Francisco, and the third is Spine Surgery at Stanford University.

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Dr. Mark A. Frankle has been with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute since 1991. He attended Rush University College of Medicine after completing three years of undergraduate studies at Grinnell College in Iowa. Dr. Frankle completed his residency training at the University of South Florida. After residency, he completed an orthopedic pathology and orthopedic implants fellowship at Rush-Presbyterian St. Lukes Hospital. He then completed a reconstructive technique research fellowship program at the prestigious AO/ASIF Prosthetic/Implant Research and Development Complex in Davos, Switzerland. Dr. Frankle then completed an adult reconstructive surgical fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Frankle serves as the Director of the Biomechanical Shoulder and Elbow Research Lab at the University of South Florida College of Engineering and is the Director of the annual course, “Current Concepts in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.” He has published numerous articles in professional journals and maintains ongoing research projects, presenting his work annually at various professional conferences. Dr. Frankle has designed implants and instrumentation used in shoulder replacement for several different orthopedic companies. Dr. Frankle received the prestigious Charles S. Neer Award for Basic Science from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Frankle is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Society.

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Michael J. Garcia, MD is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in surgery of the upper extremity. Dr. Garcia’s clinical interests include disorders that affect the hand and wrist, elbow, shoulder and the pediatric upper extremity. Dr. Garcia is a native of Tampa, Florida, where he attended Tampa Jesuit High School and the University of Florida. He received his Medical Doctorate from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. He then received specialty training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery and Microsurgery at the Harvard Combined Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship in Boston, MA. Dr. Garcia is a staff physician at Tampa General Hospital and is a consultant physician at the Shriners Hospital for Children, Tampa Unit where he treats a large pediatric population with hand and upper extremity pathology. Dr. Garcia is board eligible in orthopedic surgery, and he is a candidate member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

To view Dr. Garcia’s homepage at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, click here.

Dr. Gasser has been with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute since 1993. He attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1987 as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Dr. Gasser performed his orthopedic residency training at the University of Southern California and completed his sports medicine fellowship at the renowned Southern California Center for Sports Medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Gasser has authored numerous publications in the areas of knee and shoulder surgery. He presently serves as a team physician for the University of South Florida, University of Tampa, Saint Leo University, and Plant High School. He has also served as a team physician for several professional organizations including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Storm, and Tampa Bay Mutiny. Dr. Gasser has lectured at medical conferences on a local, national, and international level, and is actively involved in research and education with the Arthroscopy Association of North America. As a consultant for Stryker Endoscopy, leaders in arthroscopy equipment and instrumentation, he is involved with the development and testing of new products. Dr. Gasser recently completed an instructional video on arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction that has been distributed nationally. He is a co-director of the sports medicine fellowship at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, and medical director of the Florida Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center. Dr. Gasser has been voted a prestigious member of the “Best Doctors in America” for 4 consecutive years. He has extensive experience in arthroscopic knee and shoulder surgery and utilizes state of the art technology to best help his patients.

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Dr. Gustke is a founding member and past President of the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. He received his medical education at Wayne State University and completed his orthopedic residency at Henry Ford Hospital, both in Detroit. Dr. Gustke received additional training in joint replacement and arthritis surgery at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, and completed a fellowship in joint replacement and adult orthopedic reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Gustke is renowned on the national and international level for his pioneering efforts in joint replacement surgery implant design and surgical technique. He is the co-designer of eight total hip replacement implants and a complete total knee replacement system which includes four different types of total knee implants. His implants have been implanted by other surgeons in hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. He also holds three patents on hip replacement design. Dr. Gustke has been a primary developer of muscle sparing minimally invasive knee and hip replacement surgical techniques. As a consultant to a computer navigation company, he assists in the development of computer assisted surgical techniques and instrumentation.

He has published numerous articles, textbook chapters and technical monographs and has edited two professional journals. He has presented lectures at more than 400 local, national and international forums. Twice yearly, he travels to Europe to perform and instruct orthopedic surgeons on the art of total knee replacement surgery. He monthly has national and international orthopedic surgeons visit him in Tampa for two to four day observorships.

Dr. Gustke has practiced medicine in Tampa for the past twenty-four years. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He is a founding member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

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Dr. Alfred Hess is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in disorders of the upper extremity. He began his practice with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in March 1995. Prior to Florida Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Hess was a full-time physician with the University of South Florida. He is a native of Ohio and a graduate of John Carroll University. He received a Master of Science Degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1985 and completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh College of Medicine. Dr. Hess then completed a year of fellowship training in Hand and Microvascular Surgery at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Hess is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and also has attained the Certificate of Added Qualification of Hand Surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Dr. Hess is on staff at Shriner’s Hospital where he is the Director of Hand Surgery. Dr. Hess is also an active participant in the trauma service at Tampa General Hospital and is on staff at Columbia Brandon Medical Center.

To view Dr. Hess’ homepage at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, click here.

Steven T. Lyons, M.D. specializes in joint replacement and adult reconstruction. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago and his medical degree from Rush University School of Medicine, also in Chicago. He then completed his residency training at Wayne State University in Michigan, serving as Chief Resident. Dr. Lyons completed a Total Joint Fellowship at the University of Utah with Aaron A Hofmann, M.D. His interests are in adult, mainly knee and hip replacement.

He is known nationally and internationally as an expert in joint replacement, with recent trips to Europe and South America; both lecturing and operating.

Dr. Lyons is presently on the design and outlay teams for various innovative technologies to further advance joint replacement and arthritis surgery. He has been chosen as a member in “Who’s Who” in orthopedic surgery and he is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

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Mark A. Mighell, M.D. specializes in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Mighell is an active faculty at the Uniformed School of Health Sciences. He completed a shoulder and elbow surgery fellowship at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Prior to joining the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Mighell had been on active duty (LCDR) at the Naval Medical Center, Department of Orthopedics, in Porstmouth, Virginia and was a Diving Medical Officer in Bahrain during Operation Desert Storm.

Dr. Mighell enjoys spending his free time with his wife and three children. Dr. Mighell is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

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Dr. Morse has been with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute since 1999. He received his Bachelors Degree in Biology from the University of Southern California in 1988. He then graduated in the top 10% of his medical school class from the Western University of Health Sciences in California. He completed his Internship through Ohio University, and his Orthopedic Surgical Residency through Michigan State University. He then completed a sports medicine fellowship here at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Morse is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery, where he since acts as a clinical examiner for young surgeons seeking board certification.

Dr. Morse is active in training medical students. interns, residents, and fellows interested in orthopedics and sports medicine. Dr. Morse was previously a Clinical Assistant Professor through Michigan State University. He lectures locally and nationally and teaches at surgical skills labs in advanced arthroscopic techniques.

Dr. Morse serves as a team physician for the University of South Florida, Saint Leo University, the University of Tampa, and local area high schools. He has served as team physician on the professional level as well with the Tampa bay Lightning, and the Tampa Bay Storm. Dr Morse has provided medical coverage for the Outback Bowl for the last 5 years, and he also provides coverage for the state baseball finals, the Hillsborough County east vs. west High School Football All-Star games, and the Sunshine State games.

To view Dr. Morse’s homepage at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, click here.

H. Claude Sagi, M.D., specializes in acute trauma, post-traumatic reconstruction, and spinal surgery. He was born in Canada and received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of British Columbia. He completed his residency training and internship at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Sagi completed his fellowship training in Orthopaedic Trauma at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa, Florida and an additional fellowship in spinal surgery at the Institute for Spine Care in Syracuse, New York. Dr. Sagi is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

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Dr. Sanders specializes in trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction, as well as Foot and Ankle surgery. He is the President of Florida Orthopaedic Institute, a group he helped found, and the Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service. Dr. Sanders attended medical school at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, and he performed his residency at the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, also in New York City. Dr. Sanders received fellowship training in musculoskeletal trauma at Vanderbilt University Medical School, and then went on to obtain the prestigious AO/ASIF Jack McDaniels Memorial Trauma Fellowship, which he completed under the tutelage of Thomas Ruedi, M.D. in Chur, Switzerland. Upon his return, he spent several months with Sigvard Hansen as a foot and ankle fellow at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Sanders is highly respected both nationally and internationally for his work in orthopedic trauma, and foot and ankle surgery. He has developed instruments and implant (plates) for calcaneal fractures, fractures of the distal tibia, and the fibula, as well as developing a complete lower extremity intramedullary nailing system in conjunction with Dr. Toney Russell, M.D. of Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Sanders is the past president of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and is currently serving as Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service, and the Chief of the Department of Orthopaedics at Tampa General Hospital. He is also the Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship at Tampa General Hospital. He has been a past Chairman of the Committee on Trauma for both the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and for the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Dr. Sanders has authored over 90 articles and abstracts on orthopedic trauma and is presently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, the leading international journal in the field. He has served as faculty for over 70 courses, giving over 200 lectures, and serves as course Chairman for 16 courses to train other orthopedic surgeons. He has been an investigator in over 15 research studies including a landmark National Institutes of Health investigation on limb salvage, for which he received the prestigious Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughan Award for Outstanding Orthopaedic Research in February of 2003.

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Dr. Small is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spine surgery. He has been with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute since 1996. Dr. Small completed his medical education at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Dr. Small also received a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Nebraska. After completing a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, he completed a spine fellowship at the renowned Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Small has had comprehensive spine training involving the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His special interest is in sports-related injuries.

Dr. Small has completed and maintains ongoing research projects and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Small’s practice is approximately 40% cervical spine, 55% lumbar spine, and 5% thoracic spine. He is currently using cage technology for lumbar fusions. He is well versed in endoscopic, microscopic, as well as traditional spine surgery techniques. Dr. Small is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

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Jeffrey D. Stone, M.D., specializes in Hand, Elbow, Shoulder and Microvascular Surgery. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and completed his residency training at the University of Pittsburgh department of Orthopaedic Surgery, where he also pursued his interest in biomechanics and robotics research.

Dr. Stone completed his fellowship training in Hand, Upper Extremity and Microvascular surgery at the University of Florida’s Department of Orthopaedics, Division of Hand and Microvascular Surgery. Dr. Stone is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Stone has also attained the Certificate of Added Qualification in Hand Surgery.

To view Dr. Stone’s homepage at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, click here.

Marc A. Weinstein, M.D. specializes in spinal surgery. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rutgers University, and received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Weinstein completed his Orthopaedic residency at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, a fellowship in spine research at Cornell University and the hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and a fellowship in spine surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Frank Eismont.

He has published numerous research papers in both peer reviewed medical journals and textbooks, and has lectured at national and international spine meetings. His special interests are in cervical spine surgery.

During his free time, Dr. Weinstein enjoys the theater, opera, and reading, as well as a variety of outdoor activities. Mostly, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Dr. Weinstein is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

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