Baltimore—(July 10, 2014)—MedStar Orthopaedics welcomes six expert surgeons to MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital: Mesfin Lemma, MD; Steven Kulik, MD; Darioush Nasseri, MD; Robert Peroutka, MD; Steve Petersen, MD; and Carmen Pichard-Encina, MD. Providing expertise in a full range of orthopaedic conditions, these surgeons will provide treatment at six community locations in Baltimore, Bel Air, Ellicott City, White Marsh and Timonium, in addition to the MedStar Good Samaritan campus.

Formerly part of Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at MedStar Good Samaritan, these surgeons, exclusively as part of MedStar Orthopaedics, now offer patients access to a network of nearly 100 physicians extensively trained in orthopaedic subspecialties that include trauma; hip and knee; spine; shoulder and elbow; hand, foot, and ankle; sports medicine; pediatric orthopaedics; and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

"MedStar Orthopaedics is committed to being the region's leading provider of quality orthopaedic care,” said Les Matthews, MD, medical director of MedStar Orthopaedics. “The addition of these six experienced and highly respected orthopaedic surgeons who are well established in the area further supports our mission and enhances the region's most experienced orthopaedic network."

Learn more about these new MedStar Orthopaedic surgeons:

Mesfin Lemma, MD, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in spinal reconstruction, is director of spine services at MedStar Good Samaritan. He specializes in the treatment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine disorders using techniques ranging from minimally invasive spine surgery to complex spinal reconstruction.

Dr. Lemma received his undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, and went on to complete medical school at Case Western’s School of Medicine, where he was elected into the AOA Medical Honor Society. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and concluded his training in 2003 with a prestigious spinal reconstructive fellowship at Hopkins under the guidance of world-renowned surgeon John Kostuik, MD.

Dr. Lemma has been recognized as a top surgeon in the country by both U.S. News and World Report and Becker’s Healthcare. He has published several book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, and is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society.

Steven Kulik, MD, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in foot and ankle surgery, is the director of foot and ankle services at MedStar Good Samaritan. He specializes in forefoot and midfoot disorders, sports and degenerative tendon disorders, ankle and subtalar arthroscopy, sports injuries to the foot and ankle, rheumatoid arthritis reconstruction, and total ankle replacement for ankle arthritis.

Dr. Kulik attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. He completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Kulik then went on to complete a foot and ankle fellowship at University of Texas, Houston School of Medicine.

Darioush Nasseri, MD, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in joint replacement, with decades of experience both in the United States and abroad. Dr. Nasseri specializes in arthroscopic surgery, minimally invasive hip and knee replacements, adult reconstructive and revision total joint surgery, as well as cartilage restoration techniques.

He attended medical school in Bonn, Germany where he completed his orthopaedic training in the University Hospitals. Dr. Nasseri later traveled to the United States, gaining clinical experience in leading orthopaedics institutions including the Mayo Clinic, the Hospital for Special Surgery, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he then went on to complete a fellowship in joint replacement.

Robert Peroutka, MD, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in total joint replacements, is the director of the Joint Experience program at MedStar Good Samaritan.

Dr. Peroutka earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at Duke University Medical Center, and went on to complete his fellowship training as the Maurice E. Muller Foundation North American Fellow in Adult Reconstructive Surgery.

Steve Petersen, MD, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and director of shoulder surgery at MedStar Good Samaritan, specializes in shoulder and elbow surgery.

Dr. Petersen attended medical school at Rush Medical School in Chicago. He completed an Orthopaedic residency and research fellowship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, where he also received a master's degree in Orthopaedic Sciences.

After serving as associate chief of orthopaedic surgery at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, Dr. Petersen continued his training with a fellowship in shoulder surgery and sports medicine at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Colorado. Additionally, he was selected for the prestigious European Traveling Shoulder Fellowship by the American Shoulder and Elbow Society.

Dr. Petersen is a member of numerous professional societies including the American Shoulder and Elbow Society, the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow, and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He is assistant editor for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.

Carmen Pichard-Encina, MD, is a board-eligible orthopaedic surgeon, focusing on non-surgical and medical management of a variety of injuries and disorders. Her research interests include musculoskeletal education to non-orthopaedic surgery colleagues, as well as conditions affecting the hand.

Dr. Pichard-Encina completed her medical degree at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She continued her training at Hopkins, completing a residency in orthopaedic surgery.

Drs. Lemma, Kulik, Nasseri, Peroutka, Petersen, and Pichard-Encina will serve a wide community, seeing patients in seven locations throughout the region:

MedStar Good Samaritan campus
5601 Loch Raven Boulevard, Smyth Building, Suites G1, G2 and 204
Baltimore, MD 21239

Baltimore (Federal Hill)
1420 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230

Bel Air
658 Boulton Street, Suite B
Bel Air, MD 21014

104 Plumtree Road, Suite 101
Bel Air, MD 21015

Ellicott City
9501 Old Annapolis Road, Suite 220
Ellicott City, MD 21042

Timonium
1300 York Road, Building C, Suite 100
Lutherville, MD 21093

White Marsh
5009 Honeygo Center Drive
Perry Hall, MD 21128

About MedStar Orthopaedics

MedStar Orthopaedics provides a comprehensive array of non-surgical and surgical treatments, sports medicine and spine surgery services at MedStar hospitals in the Baltimore region. MedStar Orthopaedics is comprised of nearly 100 physicians from MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, The Curtis National Hand Center, and more than 20 community locations. Visit MedStarOrthopaedics.org for more information.

About MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital

MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital is a 287-bed community teaching facility located at the corner of Loch Raven Boulevard and Belvedere Avenue in northeast Baltimore, with more than 130,000 patient visits annually. With Centers of Excellence in orthopaedics, rheumatology, rehabilitation, burn reconstruction, and renal care, as well as a certified Stroke Center and winner of the Delmarva Foundation Excellence Award for Quality Improvement for four years in a row, MedStar Good Samaritan serves people throughout Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic and internationally in these advanced specialties. MedStar Good Samaritan is part of MedStar Health (medstarhealth.org), a not-for-profit, regional healthcare system with 10 hospitals and more than 20 other health-related services in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., region.