Surgeon Advisory Board
Paul D. Dayton, DPM, MS, FACFAS
Dr. Paul Dayton, DPM, MS completed podiatric medical school at the California College of Podiatric Medicine, where he also earned his MS in Medical Education. He went on to complete a rigorous surgical residency at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA. He completed traveling fellowships in foot and ankle reconstruction in Kurgan, Russia and Milan, Italy. Dr. Dayton is board-certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery in foot and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery and has been active in education and research throughout his career, including Director of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery Residency for UnityPoint Health, Trinity Regional Medical Center for 18 years, and Assistant Professor at Des Moines University College of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Dayton is the editor and author of the textbook, Evidence-Based Bunion Surgery, and he has co-authored over 60 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, many furthering the understanding of HV anatomy. He has presented numerous national and international lectures during his 31 years of practice. He currently serves as Section Editor for the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery and serves on numerous educational and administrative boards. Dr. Dayton is co-owner of Foot and Ankle Center of Iowa/ Bunion Surgery Specialists, a practice with a focus on triplane bunion correction.
William T. DeCarbo, DPM, FACFAS
Dr. William T. DeCarbo completed medical school at the Kent State University school of Podiatric Medicine in Ohio, where he graduated with honors. After graduation he completed a three-year podiatric surgical residency at Grant Medical Center in Columbus OH, where he served as chief resident. Dr. DeCarbo then went on to complete a 12-month orthopedic foot and ankle fellowship at the Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center in Columbus. Following that, he completed a six week traveling fellowship both nationally and internationally, learning advanced techniques in foot & ankle surgery. Dr. DeCarbo teaches and is active in research in the field of foot and ankle surgery. He continues to lecture at state, national, and international meetings, and his research is published in peer-reviewed professional journals and book chapters. He is also a review editor for the "Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery." and "Foot & Ankle Specialist." Dr. DeCarbo is board-certified with the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery.
Mark E. Easley, MD
Dr. Mark E. Easley completed his residency at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, and spent a year of foot and ankle fellowship training at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Easley has been on faculty at Duke University Medical Center in Durham for 20 years and currently serves as Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of the Foot and Ankle Division. Dr. Easley served as the president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) in 2015-2016 and is the current treasurer of the International Federation of Foot and Ankle Societies. Dr. Easley continues to be active in foot and ankle education and research through his participation as faculty in national and international meetings, his contributions to the published foot and ankle literature, and serving as editor and/or reviewer for various foot and ankle journals and textbooks. His dedication to this craft is fueled by his commitment to delivering optimal patient care.
Tyler A. Gonzalez, MD, MBA, FAAOS
Tyler A. Gonzalez, MD, MBA, FAAOS is a fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon at University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Prisma Health Orthopedics Columbia, South Carolina. After completing his bachelor's degree at the University of California, Berkeley, he received a Master of Business Administration and his MD from UCLA in Los Angeles. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston and his fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Throughout his career, Dr. Gonzalez has focused on improving patient care, medical education, and research. His interest and passion in translational, clinical, and biomechanical research has prompted over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and presentations. He routinely lectures at regional, national, and international forums on foot and ankle topics and on improving value-based patient care.
Dr. Gonzalez is an active reviewer for publications, including Foot and Ankle International, Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics, and Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is a member of various foot and ankle surgery societies and is president and co-founder of Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Inc., a collaboration of foot and ankle surgeons to improve the delivery of healthcare, innovate on current surgical technologies, and advance overall patient care.
He has a clinical interest in minimally invasive surgery, minimally invasive bunion correction, ankle replacements, ankle arthroscopy, foot and ankle arthritis, Charcot Marie Tooth disease, sports-related injuries, cartilage preservation and replacement surgery, bunion and hammertoe surgery, ligament/tendon disorders, dance medicine, and orthopedic trauma and fracture care.
Daniel J. Hatch, DPM, FACFAS
Dr. Daniel J. Hatch is a fellow and past president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgery. He is a section editor in reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery for the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. He has published numerous articles in foot and ankle surgery and has lectured and conducted surgical workshops nationally. He is a surgical director of the North Colorado Podiatric Surgical Residency program. Dr. Hatch is board certified in foot and ankle surgery. He is on the board of directors for the International Foot and Ankle Foundation. He also attends the Yucatan Children’s Project performing reconstructive surgery twice a year. He practices in Greeley, Colorado.
A. Holly Johnson, MD
Dr. A. Holly Johnson is an orthopedic surgeon at HSS specializing in helping people return to their pre-injury level of activity, whether that is running ultra-marathons, playing collegiate ice hockey, walking for exercise, or merely fitting into regular footwear. Dr. Johnson is an expert in the treatment of orthopedic conditions of the foot and ankle, with a focus on minimally invasive bunion correction and sports-related injuries. She also repairs Achilles tendon tears, foot and ankle traumatic injuries, deformities, and arthritis, with a focus on arthroscopic and minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Johnson currently serves as Assistant Team Physician for the New York Rangers.
After earning her BA cum laude in English from Harvard University, Dr. Johnson graduated with her MD from the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her Orthopedic Surgery Residency and Foot and Ankle Fellowship at HSS. Prior to returning to HSS in March 2018, she practiced at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 2008-2018. Dr. Johnson was Captain of the Harvard Women's Ice Hockey Team, achieving All-Ivy and ECAC accolades. She is a physician for USA Women's Ice Hockey and served as the Team Physician at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She is also currently a Team Physician for the New York Liberty (WNBA) professional basketball team.
Dr. Johnson has served on the Board of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) as well as multiple other AOFAS committees devoted to humanitarian mission work and the advancement of women in the orthopedics. She has researched and published in multiple areas of foot and ankle orthopedics.
Jonathan Kaplan, MD
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan pursued the specialty of Orthopaedic surgery, driven by his desire to care for patients on their journey toward maintaining or returning to an active and healthy lifestyle. The subspecialty of foot and ankle surgery particularly appealed to him, recognizing the foundational role these areas play in the entire musculoskeletal system, affecting a wide range of pathologies and patient populations.
With the honor of caring for patients from all walks of life, spanning various ages and activity levels, Dr. Kaplan has developed a deep commitment to his practice. His passion lies in minimally invasive surgery of the foot and ankle, encompassing procedures such as minimally invasive bunion surgeries, deformity correction/reconstruction, and fusions. Additionally, he is enthusiastic about arthroscopic surgery, utilizing camera-guided techniques to address common sports injuries involving ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, as well as arthroscopic deformity correction and fusions.
Driven by this passion, Dr. Kaplan has been at the forefront of advancing minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery, not only as a clinician but also as an instructor in these innovative techniques.
Brian Loder, DPM, CWS, FACFAS
Dr. Loder is considered by some, as one of the top Podiatric Surgeons in Michigan. He completed his surgical training at St. Johns Hospital in 1995 and has been board certified in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery for over 20 years.
He served as Chief of Staff at Henry Ford Hospital for 6 years and continues to be involved in multiple hospital committees to ensure high quality patient care for hospitals patients. In addition to Chief of Staff, he was the founder and Director of the Podiatric Surgery Residency Program until he resigned in 2023. Currently Dr. Loder is the Fellowship Director of Michigan’s first ACFAS accredited Fellowship Program.
Dr. Loder has been on the forefront of Minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery since its resurgence in 2017. He’s has lectured extensively in the US and abroad, has authored numerous peer reviewed papers and innovated on new instrumentation to help make MIS techniques available to his peers.
J.P. McAleer, DPM, FACFAS
Dr. J.P. McAleer received his medical degree from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine where he graduated in the top of his class. He went on to complete his internship and residency in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. During his training there he earned the respect of his attending physicians and fellow residents and served as chief resident. Dr. McAleer entered private practice in 2006 and is experienced in all aspects of foot and ankle lower extremity care. He is a shareholder partner at the Jefferson City Medical Group (Jefferson City, MO). He also has privileges at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and serves as the Vice Chief of Staff at the JCMG Surgical Center. He formerly directed patient care at the SSM Health – St. Mary’s Wound Healing Center. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Dr. McAleer has authored articles published in several medical journals, and has lectured internationally.
Robert D. Santrock, MD
Dr. Santrock completed his undergraduate and medical school education, as well as his residency, at West Virginia University. Dr. Santrock spent a year at Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center training under Dr. Greg Berlet in the Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center Foot & Ankle Surgical Fellowship program. A native of Morgantown, WV, Dr. Santrock spent the past ten years as the chief of Foot & Ankle Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedics at West Virginia University, as well as Associate Professor in the WVU School of Medicine. Prior to that, he served in private practice in both Columbia, SC and Meadville, PA. Dr. Santrock is active in academics, research and industry innovation. He is frequently published for his involvement in research and often speaks at industry conferences and seminars. He has produced several book chapters and is an active member of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Oliver Schipper, MD
Dr. Oliver Schipper completed his medical education at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and attended the University of Chicago for an orthopaedic surgery residency. He then completed his orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery training at the OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute. He works as the head of orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery at the Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic in Northern Virginia. Dr. Schipper is the editor of the Minimally Invasive Foot and Ankle Surgery textbook, has co-authored multiple book chapters, and has published multiple research papers in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery, focusing on minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. He teaches and lectures internationally on minimally invasive techniques for foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Schipper is also the minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery specialty editor for the top foot and ankle surgery peer-reviewed journal, Foot and Ankle International. He has extensive experience in design of implants for use in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery.
W. Bret Smith, DO
Bret Smith, DO, MS is the Director of the Foot and Ankle Division of the Moore Center of Orthopedics. He received his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and performed his internship and orthopaedic residency at Doctors and Grant Hospitals in Columbus, Ohio. He subsequently completed his fellowship in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery at the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio during which time he also served as an adjunct professor at the Ohio State University. Dr. Smith is board certified in orthopaedic surgery by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and currently serves as a member of the education committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. He is the recent past-President of the Foot and Ankle Section of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics and has published numerous articles and textbook chapters related to his area of specialty. Dr. Smith also serves on several national speaker's boards helping to educate other foot and ankle surgeons in the most advanced developments in his field.
Ettore Vulcano, MD
Dr. Ettore Vulcano is the Chief of the Columbia University Orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical Center, an Associate Professor of Orthopedics at Columbia University, and an Adjunct Full Professor of Orthopedics at Florida International University. He is also Director of Foot & Ankle Surgery, Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.
Dr. Vulcano has diverse and extensive training. He graduated from the University of Rome Campus Biomedico Medical School, followed by an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Insubria in Varese, Italy.
He then completed a foot and ankle fellowship at the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction in Baltimore, MD, and an additional fellowship in limb lengthening, limb realignment, and complex reconstruction at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Dr. Vulcano is an internationally recognized expert in both foot and ankle surgery, and limb lengthening and deformity correction. He pioneered modern minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery in the United States and has performed among the highest number of cases in North America. He coauthored the first US textbook on modern percutaneous surgery.
Members of our Surgeon Advisory Board are paid for their services under product development and fee for service agreements, and in some cases, royalty agreements with Treace Medical Concepts, Inc. For more information on these arrangements, please see our SEC filings.
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