Twenty-One Georgia Urology Physicians Receive 2021 Atlanta’s Top Doctors Honor

Drs. Abbott, Allen, Canter, Capelouto, Carmen, Chen, Elmore, Falconer, Futral, Goldstone, Gonzalez, Haber, Kaplan, Kirsch, Proctor, Rosenfeld, Scherz, Sharpe, Smith, Taghechian, and Zisholtz appear in Atlanta magazine’s July issue

Twenty-one physicians from Georgia Urology—the largest urology practice in the Southeast—rank among Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors. All of these professionals are recognized as Atlanta’s Top Doctors in Atlanta magazine’s July issue.

Those physicians are: Drs. John Abbott, Roosevelt Allen, Daniel Canter, Carl Capelouto, Darrell Carmen, Bert Chen, James Elmore, Walter Falconer, Allen Futral, Lawrence Goldstone, Froylan Gonzalez, Mark Haber, Charles Kaplan, Andrew Kirsch, Jeffrey Proctor, Joel Rosenfeld, Hal Scherz, Brent Sharpe, Edwin Smith, Shaya Taghechian, and Barry Zisholtz. These doctors represent nearly 50 percent of Georgia Urology’s practice.

Atlanta magazine works with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a healthcare research company based in New York, to assist in its annual effort. Doctors are nominated for consideration through both a nationwide survey and a peer nomination process. Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers then select the Top Doctors through a rigorous screening process that includes an evaluation of educational and professional experience. This year the publication honors physicians representing the following counties: DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Carroll, Cherokee, Coweta, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Hall, Henry, and Rockdale.

According to Dr. Hal Scherz, managing partner of Georgia Urology, this accolade is a testament to the practice’s goal of amassing a top-tier roster.

“At Georgia Urology, we pride ourselves in creating a physician team of thought leaders and expert practitioners in the field,” says Dr. Scherz. “This wonderful honor serves as validation that we’re continuing to stay on target with that mission for the betterment of our patients.”

Dr. John Abbott practices at Georgia Urology’s Fayetteville office. He completed his undergrad summa cum laude at Duke University. He graduated magna cum laude from Emory University Medical School. He then completed an internship in General Surgery at Emory University and his residency at Emory University Department of Urology. In addition to general urology, Dr. Abbott’s areas of expertise include robotic surgery, urologic oncology, stone disease, urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction. He also specializes in the treatment of enlarged prostate (BPH) utilizing procedures such as Greenlight laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) and Urolift. Dr. Abbott is diplomat of the American Board of Urology and a member of the American Urological Association. He is also involved in the Southern Crescent Robotic Surgery
Program.

Dr. Roosevelt Allen Jr.  practices at Georgia Urology’s Lawrenceville, Monroe, and Snellville offices. He graduated from Clark Atlanta University with honors. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, where he was selected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical school honor society. Dr. Allen performed his general surgery internship and residency at the University of Tennessee at Memphis. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology.

Dr. Daniel Canter practices at Georgia Urology’s Riverdale and Midtown offices. He graduated from New York University, cum laude. He later received his medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine, graduating as the valedictorian. He completed his residency in urology from the University of Pennsylvania. Following this, Dr. Canter pursued specialized fellowship training in urologic oncology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dr. Canter has been awarded many professional affiliations and awards during his career. A few examples of his memberships include the Society for Urologic Oncology (SUO) Clinical Trials Consortium, American Urologic Association (AUA), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Think Tank. He has also received multiple honors and awards, including the American College of Surgeons Young Fellow’s Mentorship Program and the Outstanding Scholar in Urology Award from the University of Pennsylvania’s Urology Department.

Dr. Carl Capelouto practices at Georgia Urology’s Canton and Woodstock offices. His areas of expertise include erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, low testosterone, vasectomy, voiding difficulties, urinary leakage, overactive bladder, and vaginal prolapse. A graduate of Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Capelouto completed his residency at the Harvard Urology Residency Program and his internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. He is a member of the American Urological Association, Southeastern Urological Association, and Atlanta Urological Association. Dr. Capelouto is a multiple recipient of Top Doctors honors by Atlanta magazine.

Dr. Darrell J. Carmen practices at Georgia Urology’s Camp Creek and Riverdale offices. With specialized training in robotic surgery and InterStim therapy, Dr. Carmen has urologic expertise in prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, penile implant surgery, urinary incontinence, and kidney stones. He graduated from Southern University before graduating from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Loyola University and his residency at Northeastern Ohio Medical University. He is a member of the American Urological Association, National Medical Association, American Association of Clinical Urologists, and American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Bert Chen practices at Georgia Urology’s Conyers and Decatur offices. In addition to general urology, Dr. Chen’s areas of expertise include laparoscopic and robotic surgery, stone disease, urinary incontinence, and urologic oncology. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He earned his medical degree at Medical College of Georgia where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical school honor society. He completed his general surgery internship and urology residency at the University of Michigan. Dr. Chen is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and a member of the American Urological Association.

Dr. James Elmore practices at Georgia Urology’s Sandy Springs and Woodstock offices. Dr. Elmore specializes in all areas of pediatric urology, but commits much of his practice and research endeavors to hypospadias. He developed a grading method for hypospadias to help standardize surgery and to assess outcomes. He also has a particular interest in urinary reflux and obstruction, robotics/laparoscopy, and pediatric kidney stones. Dr. Elmore earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, graduating with highest honors. He completed his urology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and went on to specialize in pediatric urology. He completed his pediatric urology training at Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology, and is a member of the American Urological Association and the Society of Pediatric Urology.

Dr. Walter Z. Falconer practices at Georgia Urology’s Decatur and Lithonia offices. His areas of expertise include erectile dysfunction, stone disease, urinary incontinence, and prostate cancer. He received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Falconer completed his general surgery and urology residency at Emory University and affiliated hospitals. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He serves on several hospital committees, and served as the chief of surgery at Dekalb Medical Center at Lithonia and the chief of urology at Dekalb Medical Center. Dr. Falconer is a member of the American Urological Association, National Medical Association, Georgia State Medical Association, Atlanta Medical Association, and the Atlanta Urological Society.

Dr. Allen Futral practices at Georgia Urology’s Conyers office. Dr. Futral’s areas of expertise include all areas of urology with a special emphasis in erectile dysfunction, female incontinence, prostate cancer, and interstitial cystitis. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Futral completed his residency in urology at Emory University School of Medicine where he was awarded the Grady Service Award and the William Hollis Cooner Award for compassion and clinical ability. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology. Dr. Futral is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Urological Association.

Dr. Lawrence Goldstone practices at Georgia Urology’s Alpharetta and Sandy Springs offices. His areas of expertise include male infertility, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and prostate cancer. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. He received his general surgery training at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center and served his residency in urology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he also was a fellow in urologic oncology. He is a member of the American Board of Urology, the American Urological Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Fertility Society, the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction, and the American Society of Andrology. Dr. Goldstone also is a board member of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.

Dr. Froylan Gonzalez practices at Georgia Urology’s Canton and Sandy Springs offices. Dr. Gonzalez earned his B.A. with honors from Williams College. He then graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital – Washington University Medical Center in Saint Louis, Mo. He then served as clinical instructor of the Division of Urology at Washington University from 2006 to 2008 with a clinical specialty in laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Gonzalez also has additional postgraduate training in both laser and robotic surgery, his areas of expertise. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the Southeast section of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Mark A. Haber practices at Georgia Urology’s Cumming and Sandy Springs offices. His areas of expertise include female urology, endourology, urologic oncology, and robotic surgery. He received his medical degree from the Emory University School of Medicine and completed an internship in internal medicine there, along with a residency in general surgery. He also completed a residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Charles Kaplan practices at Georgia Urology’s Douglasville and Woodstock offices. In addition to general urology, Dr. Kaplan’s areas of expertise are male and female incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and prostate cancer. He has a special interest in prosthetic urology and is Georgia’s leader in the surgical correction of erectile dysfunction. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. He graduated from Emory University School of Medicine and then completed his general surgery internship at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Kaplan completed his residency in urology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the Pfizer Scholars in Urology Award as a resident. Dr. Kaplan is board certified in urology and a member of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Andrew J. Kirsch practices at Georgia Urology’s Sandy Springs pediatrics office. His areas of expertise include pediatric urology. He has written about vesicoureteral reflux, cryptorchidism, and magnetic resonance urography. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center, where he received two research fellowship awards from the National Institutes of Health. He completed residencies in general surgery and urology at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his fellowship in pediatric urology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was an American Foundation for Urologic Disease scholar. He has invented a surgical device and developed an endoscopic technique to correct urinary reflux in children that has become the standard of care worldwide. He is a member of the American Urological Association, American Association of Pediatric Urologists, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society for Pediatric Urology. Dr. Kirsch is a multiple recipient of America’s Top Doctors honors by Castle Connolly.

Dr. Jeffrey G. Proctor practices at Georgia Urology’s Cartersville office. He graduated from New York Medical College, where he received the Sprague Carlton, M.D. Award for Proficiency in Urology. He completed both his internship and residency at New York Medical College. Dr. Proctor served as Lieutenant Commander in the Navy at the Naval Hospital Pensacola, where he served as Chief of Urology. Dr. Proctor’s areas of urologic expertise are interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, bladder Botox, and InterStim Therapy. Dr. Proctor has been involved in national research protocols for interstitial cystitis (IC), serving as principal investigator for a national, multi-center study. Dr. Proctor is board certified by the American Board of Urology and is a member of American Urological Association, Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association, Society for Infection and Inflammation in Urology, GAG Society, and Physician National Advisory Board for Elmiron.

Dr. Joel A. Rosenfeld practices at Georgia Urology’s Jasper and Canton locations. Dr. Rosenfeld’s areas of urologic expertise are robotic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and urinary tract reconstruction procedures. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia. He then completed both an internship and his residency at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences. He also completed postgraduate work in laser surgery, robotic surgery, and laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Rosenfeld is a member of the Southeast Section of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Hal Scherz practices at Georgia Urology’s Alpharetta, Marietta, and Sandy Springs pediatrics offices. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He performed his surgical and urology residencies at the University of California, San Diego. He completed a fellowship in pediatric urology at the Children’s Hospital of San Diego and the University of California, San Diego. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics – Urology Section, the American Urological Association, Genitourinary Reconstructive Society, UROPAC, American Association of Clinical Urologists, American College of Surgeons, Medical Association of Georgia, and the Greater Atlanta Pediatric Society. Dr. Scherz also is an associate professor of urology at Emory University School of Medicine and is an original member of the board of directors for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Ambulatory Surgery Center. He is the managing partner of Georgia Urology and Georgia Pediatric Urology. He has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Atlanta magazine every year since 2007.

Dr. Brent A. Sharpe practices at Georgia Urology’s Braselton and Gainesville locations. Dr. Sharpe received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his Medical Degree from East Carolina University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Urology at Emory University in 2005 after a surgical internship at Texas Tech Health Science Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology. Dr. Sharpe treats all urological conditions, but has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery for a wide range of urological conditions such as prostate enlargement (BPH), urological cancers, erectile dysfunction, and vaginal prolapse. Additionally, he has special expertise in prosthetic urology. Dr. Sharpe has vast robotic surgery experience, and performs robotic partial nephrectomy, robotic pelvic prolapse surgery, and outpatient robotic prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

Dr. Edwin A. Smith practices at Georgia Urology’s Sandy Springs and Marietta pediatrics offices. He has a special interest and broad experience in the management of pediatric urinary stone disease and genitourinary reconstructive surgery. A graduate of Davidson College, he received his medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine. His general surgery internship and urology residency were completed at Emory University affiliated hospitals. Dr. Smith completed a two-year postgraduate fellowship in pediatric urology at Egleston Children’s Hospital and Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital. Dr. Smith is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of several professional medical associations, including the American Urological Association, Society for Pediatric Urology, and the Society for Fetal Urology. Dr. Smith is a clinical faculty member at Emory University. He has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters.

Dr. Shaya Taghechian practices at Georgia Urology’s Marietta and Woodstock offices. In addition to general urology, Dr. Taghechian’s special interest and expertise include prostate health, female urology, urinary control problems, and sexual dysfunction. Dr. Taghechian received her Bachelor of Science in biology and Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Emory University. She remained at Emory University, attending the School of Medicine, where she completed her medical degree. Dr. Taghechian completed a residency in surgery and urology at the University of Texas in Houston. She is a member of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Barry M. Zisholtz practices at Georgia Urology’s Midtown and Riverdale offices. His areas of expertise include kidney stones, prostate cancer, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence, low testosterone, and erectile dysfunction. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College. He was awarded a summer fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Metropolitan Hospital in New York. He performed his urology residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, N.Y. and completed a surgical internship there, as well. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is board certified by the American Board of Urology. He also is a member of the Atlanta Urological Society and the American Urological Association.

Georgia Urology is the largest urology practice in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. Georgia Urology has more than 30 locations and seven ambulatory surgery centers. The practice is comprised of more than 60 providers, and many of its physicians are fellowship-trained and hold advanced specialty training in oncology, robotic surgery, laparoscopy, infertility, incontinence, and pediatrics. Georgia Urology physicians use state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and advanced treatment techniques, including robot-assisted technology and minimally invasive procedures, in order to manage all urological problems in men, women, and children. It is the practice’s mission to inform and partner with patients to develop a personalized, compassionate, and comprehensive treatment plan for all of their urological conditions.

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