Back to Healing creates projects and programs that transform mindsets and help break the stigma of scoliosis

Surgical Trips

The 'Healing of Minds and Spines’ Mission Trip Program

Early screening, observation, and treatment are known to prevent spinal conditions such as scoliosis and kyphosis from progressing to severity. In many parts of Africa and throughout the Caribbean, both awareness and care are scarce for these conditions and as a consequence, they progress until they become extremely dangerous. High magnitudes of spinal curvatures can not only result in significant cosmetic abnormality and impaired posture, but can also compromise the lungs, heart, and spinal cord.

With an elite group of minority surgeons, medical volunteers and psychologists who have a passion for helping communities in need, The ‘Healing of Minds and Spines’ program will consist of week long mission trips to Africa and throughout the Caribbean to provide free mental health and surgical care for up to 10 patients (per trip) living with severe spinal conditions. In addition, our team will create a multi-year sustainable training program that will educate, train and empower local surgeons to be able to safely operate even after our team departs.

'Healing of Minds and Spines' Mission Trip Program Goals

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Our Team

Dr. Emanuel Menga

Dr. Emmanuel Menga

Dr. Menga is the Division Chief of Spine Surgery and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Menga also serves as the Louis A. Goldstein Spine Surgery Fellowship Program Director, in addition to the Associate Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Director for the Orthopaedic Surgery residency training program at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Menga is a board certified Orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive spinal surgery and complex spinal surgery/scoliosis. Menga has extensive experience in managing degenerative disc disease or degenerative spine and disc herniation and stenosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Mengas team provides both nonoperative and operative treatment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar pain and radiculopathy/sciatica. He also manages traumatic spine disorders and a wide range of spinal pathologies using techniques ranging from minimally invasive spine surgery to complex spinal reconstruction.

Dr. Lindsey Ross

Dr. Lindsey Ross

Originally from Los Angeles, California, she earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and an M.D. from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed her Neurosurgical residency and Complex Spine fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. During medical school, she was selected as a Denzel and Pauletta Washington Gifted Scholar in Neurosciences, which sparked in interest in the brain and spine. Lindsey has enjoyed several leadership roles within the medical center and organized medicine. She currently serves as a clinical leader for the Cedars-Sinai Health Equity Council and is the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee for Graduate Medical Education.

 

In 2016, she was tapped to serve as a White House Fellow for the Obama Administration. In this position she acted as a Science and Health Policy Counselor for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. A large part of her portfolio included working with the White House on the U.S. public health strategy to the emerging opioid epidemic, which culminated in an important research report outlining the best community and state-wide strategies to combat the opioid crisis. She also worked at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) on physician-focused alternative payment models. Additionally, a large part of her portfolio included advising on the U.S. Zika response plan where she worked closely with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Ross has been recognized for her leadership and commitment to healthcare delivery and was awarded the Top 40 under 40 Leaders in Minority Health in 2017 by the Congressional Black Caucus.

Dr. Charla Fischer

Charla R. Fischer, MD, one of New York Citys top minimally invasive spine surgeons, specializes in lumbar disc herniations, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar degenerative disc disease, instability, and cervical spine degeneration.  She is an expert in endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery techniques such as endoscopic microdiscetomy, MIS lumbar fusions, robotic-assisted spine surgery, and advanced MIS techniques.  Her advanced skill in MIS helps her deliver accelerated patient recovery times with the least possible post-operative pain. Dr. Fischer is committed to improving the care of all orthopedic patients as the Spine Division Director of Quality and Patient Safety for the Department of Orthopedics. 

Dr. Fischer is an Ivy League-trained orthopedic spine surgeon having completed her residency at Columbia after completing both medical school and undergraduate school on a full academic scholarship at University of Southern California.  She spent a year specializing in spine surgery at NYU-Langone Health. 

As an associate professor of spine surgery at NYU Langone Health, Dr. Fischer regularly teaches residents and medical students in the areas of compassionate patient care and minimally invasive spine surgery.  She has received grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). The funding helps her pursue the advancement of minimally invasive surgical techniques, and quality of life improvements after spine surgery. She routinely publishes in the top peer-reviewed journals and presents her findings at internationally attended academic meetings.

Dr. Jaysson Brooks

Dr. Jaysson T. Brooks is an orthopedist in Dallas, Texas and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Childrens Medical Center Dallas and University of Mississippi Medical Center. In 2007 he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Biological Sciences and then we went on to the Loma Linda University School of Medicine graduating in 2011. In 2016, he completed his orthopaedic surgery training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland where he fell in love with the field of pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Determined to get further training in this field, he went to the Rady Childrens Hospital of San Diego to complete his formal training in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery and Scoliosis. Dr. Brooks is very involved in research related to pediatric spine and hip disorders and is the author of multiple papers and book chapters. He also is uniquely involved in producing research related to orthopaedic education and diversity within orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Brooks has two young children of his own, Callie (daughter, 10 yo) and Dean (son, 9 yo). He enjoys spending time with his family, being active in his church, playing basketball, and watching any movies related to superheroes.

Dr. Gbolabo Sokunbi

Dr. Gbolabo Sokunbi

Dr. Gbolabo Sokunbi is a spine surgeon at HSS and an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. His areas of clinical interest include degenerative conditions of the cervical, thoracic and lumbo-sacral regions as well as deformity and traumatic spinal conditions. He employs a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to spine care across a broad age range from adolescents to the elderly. When appropriate, he utilizes cutting-edge, minimally invasive and motion preservation techniques while actively leveraging new technologies such as navigation and robotics.

Dr. Sokunbi has authored several peer-reviewed scientific articles as well as book chapters on various spine and orthopedic topics. He serves on the editorial review board of North American Spine Society Journal and Asian Spine Journal.

Dr. Sokunbi is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and also a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons. In addition, he is an active member of several national orthopedic societies. He was previously Network Chairman (Interim) of Orthopedic Surgery and Section Chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at St. Lukes Health Network, PA, and served as (adjunct) Clinical Professor of Orthopedic surgery at Temple University.

After graduating from Rutgers University/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, Dr. Sokunbi completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. He completed his fellowship in spine surgery at HSS.

Dr. Shaina Lipa

Dr. Shaina Lipa is a spine surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who specializes in the treatment of adult spinal disorders. Her training enables her to care for patients with cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral spine issues that arise from all causes – degenerative, deformity, traumatic and neoplastic. Her primary goal is to provide excellent, evidence-based patient care to all patients. 

She completed her spine fellowship at New York University (NYU) where she learned to treat complex spine disorders through minimally invasive surgery, navigation/robotics, and more traditional open techniques. Prior to this, she received her BS degree in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego, her MD with distinction from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, her MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and completed her orthopaedic residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. 

Dr. Lipa is actively engaged in research efforts and is a member of numerous academic societies. Her research interests include the impact of healthcare reform on orthopaedic quality of care. 

Dr. Lipa welcomes new patients. She sees patients at the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, as well as our offices at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. She operates at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. 

Stephen George

Dr. Stephen George

Dr. Stephen G. George is the medical director of Surgical Services for Nicklaus Childrens Hospital, and is also the medical director of Pediatric Spinal Surgery for Nicklaus Childrens Hospital Center for Spinal Disorders. He earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York. Dr. George pursued a research fellowship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. George then acquired advanced training with an additional fellowship in complex spinal deformity surgery at the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in New York City. His clinical interests include scoliosis and other complex spinal deformities.
 
Dr. George is board certified in orthopedic surgery. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and he has presented at conferences both nationally and globally. He is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spine Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Florida Orthopaedic Society, and Harms Study Group, a renowned pediatric spinal deformity research group. He currently serves on the board of directors for
Nicklaus Childrens Pediatric Specialists,(NCPS) the physician-led multispecialty group practice of Nicklaus Childrens Health System.
 
The Center for Spinal Disorders at Nicklaus Childrens Hospital provides diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders in children and teens. The center has established itself as one of the most experienced and successful in the nation in treating spine disorders in children. In fact, the program was instrumental in developing surgical spine treatments now in use around the world and continues to contribute extensively to clinical research to advance treatment practice. The team is among national leaders using dashboard reporting with colleagues around the country to develop best practice guidelines. These standards have been implemented and significantly decreased length of hospital stays after scoliosis surgery.

Sydian Brisset

Sydian Hammond holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Masters in Communications Studies from the UWI, Mona. She also has a post graduate certificate in Paralegal Studies from The University of Georgia. Sydian has over 20 years of experience in Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States in the field of Customer Service, Communications, Marketing and Administration. She has managed several projects focused on Customer Service Delivery Improvement and Transformation as well as Public Sector Modernization. She is married, a mother of two boys, a 2007 Kiwanian of the year award recipient, 2007 Public Service Manager of the year, a 2006 Governor General’s Youth Award recipient for service to the Parish of Kingston and 1999 Miss St. Catherine Festival Queen and 1st Runner Up for Miss Jamaica Festival Queen.

Chad Jackson

Vivian Doan

Vivian Doan is a certified Integrative Health Practitioner, Neuro-Accelerated Hypnotist, and the visionary behind SCOLIOFITNESS™️, a revolutionary approach tailored to individuals with scoliosis. 

Beyond physical fitness and rehabilitation, SCOLIOFITNESS™️ fosters holistic growth, nurturing not only physical strength but also emotional resilience and mental fortitude. Through her comprehensive methodology including lifestyle practices, scoliosis-specific exercises based on physical therapy and neurology, mindset and nutrition; Vivian helps individuals with scoliosis build a foundation of physical, emotional, and mental fitness, guiding them towards a life of vitality and empowerment.

Her coaching also blends cutting-edge insights from quantum and circadian biology with ancient wisdom from Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese & Vietnamese Medicine, RRT and GNM. Her integrative approach transcends conventional boundaries, guiding individuals towards optimal health and profound balance.

As a dedicated Mind-Body specialist, Vivian dives deep into the intricate connections between physical well-being and emotional harmony. She uncovers underlying root causes and stressful conflicts, empowering clients to embark on a transformative journey.

With her education and background in Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Healthcare & Rehabilitation, Neurology, Human Development, Psychology, and Sociology; Vivian is committed to advancing holistic wellness and serves on the Advisory Board for Back to Healing as our Director of Partnerships and advocates passionately for scoliosis awareness as a supporter of The Paige Fraser Foundation. 

Donate

40% of individuals affected by scoliosis are more likely to have suicidal thoughts due to perceived self-image and appearance. Your generous donation to BTH contributes towards creating life-changing scoliosis empowerment initiatives .

Donate

40% of individuals affected by scoliosis are more likely to have suicidal thoughts due to perceived self-image and appearance. Your generous donation to BTH contributes towards creating life-changing scoliosis empowerment initiatives .

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