Nuclear Medicine Physician
Allopathic & Osteopathic Physicians › Nuclear Medicine
About this specialty
A nuclear medicine specialist employs the properties of radioactive atoms and molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and in research. Radiation detection and imaging instrument systems are used to detect disease as it changes the function and metabolism of normal cells, tissues and organs. A wide variety of diseases can be found in this way, usually before the structure of the organ involved by the disease can be seen to be abnormal by any other techniques. Early detection of coronary artery disease (including acute heart attack), early cancer detection and evaluation of the effect of tumor treatment, diagnosis of infection and inflammation anywhere in the body and early detection of blood clot in the lungs are all possible with these techniques. Unique forms of radioactive molecules can attack and kill cancer cells (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid cancer) or can relieve the severe pain of cancer that has spread to bone
Source: American Board of Medical Specialties, 2007. www.abms.org [7/1/2007: definition added, source added; 7/1/2011: modified source]<br/>Additional Resources: American Board of Nuclear Medicine, 2007. http://www.abnm.org/. A doctor of osteopathy was able to obtain a Certificate of Added Qualifications in the field of Nuclear Medicine. The Certificate is NO longer offered.<br/>American Osteopathic Board of Nuclear Medicine, 2007. http://www.osteopathic.org/certification<br/>Board certification for Medical Doctors (MDs) is provided by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine.
Highest Medicare-paid providers
| Provider | Location | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|
| ASHLEY BLURTON, M.D. | FISHERSVILLE, VA | $7,337,766 |
| WILLIAM PACE, MD | CAMARILLO, CA | $5,564,095 |
| RONALD GOODWICH, MD | TAMPA, FL | $5,417,832 |
| PUNEET CHANDAK, M.D. | FREMONT, CA | $4,666,908 |
| PAUL MAKHLOUF, MD | NAPLES, FL | $4,011,332 |
| DAVID CARLSON, M.D. | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,987,498 |
| MEDINA KUSHEN, M.D. | TAMPA, FL | $3,754,417 |
| JULIO CORDERO, MD | EVANSTON, IL | $3,221,941 |
| YAMIL FOURZALI SABBAG, M.D. | FORT MYERS, FL | $3,144,004 |
| PEGGY CHAN, M.D. | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $3,127,347 |
Ranked by total Medicare payments — a measure of billing volume, not care quality.
Taxonomy definitions from the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (public domain). Provider counts derived from NPPES; payment figures from CMS Medicare data. Not affiliated with CMS, NPPES, NUCC, or any government agency.