METHODOLOGY
For this year’s list of Top Doctors, New Jersey Monthly commissioned an independent survey by K. Dale Associates, a locally owned research firm in Ringwood. A total of 26,058 New Jersey–based doctors were invited to recommend the physicians they would choose to treat their own family members.
Buy our November 2024 issue here. Cover photo: Nick Misani
Here’s how the survey was conducted: On January 12, 2024, a questionnaire was mailed to all New Jersey–based physicians who have been licensed by the state for at least five years. The mailing list, which is used by the state Board of Medical Examiners for licensing purposes, was obtained from the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs. Doctors for whom we have verified email addresses received email notification of the survey as well. Respondents could return the paper questionnaire or complete the questionnaire online. Web-survey participants were required to enter their license numbers to avoid duplicate voting.
Overall, 280 mail and 3,183 web responses were received. A check for non-duplication and invalid or duplicate license numbers prevented ballot stuffing. Photocopies, duplicate online entries, and surveys from ineligible participants were disqualified.
In the end, 2,790 non-duplicated responses were validated for use in the survey. Once all the eligible votes were tallied, doctors with sufficient votes were placed on a preliminary list. Any doctor who has been disciplined for a serious infraction by the state medical examiner was excluded from the list. Next, the preliminary list was submitted for professional review to a panel of 25 doctors. The doctors on the panel were chosen from among top vote getters in last year’s survey. In the review process, the final list of 1,022 Top Doctors was determined, representing 74 medical specialties.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is there any professional oversight of the process?
Each year, we assemble a professional advisory board (see section below) of previously awarded Top Doctors to review the list. The board members can suggest changes to the list.
How many votes does a doctor need to appear on the list?
It depends. Most categories have a standard threshold based on the overall number of doctors. We lower the threshold for certain pediatric and surgical specialties and in counties where the number of practitioners is smaller.
Are doctors included in the list because they buy ads in this issue?
Absolutely not. Only after the list has been finalized are doctors notified. At that point, they can choose to purchase advertising to promote the achievement. Many of the ads appear in the Special Advertising Section included in the print issue.
I have a great doctor. Why isn’t my doctor on the list?
We do not add doctors to the list based on reader suggestions. The list is based purely on the balloting by the doctors. Our advice: If you are happy with your personal doctors, stay with them.
Why are there so few doctors from some areas of the state?
It’s hard to get a statistically significant number of votes for doctors in the state’s thinly populated southern and western counties, including Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Warren and Sussex counties. To compensate, we lower the thresholds in these areas to allow more doctors onto the list.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
These 25 doctors comprise the professional advisory board for the 2024 Jersey Choice Top Doctors survey. The board members reviewed the preliminary results of the survey by New Jersey Monthly and were asked to submit names for possible addition or deletion. Doctors chosen for the board received consistently high levels of votes in their respective specialties in previous surveys.
Dr. Didier Demesmin
Anesthesiology & pain management • Somerset, Monroe Township
Dr. Adam Elfant
Gastroenterology • Mount Laurel
Dr. Andrey Espinoza
Interventional cardiology • Flemington
Dr. Frank J. Ferraro
Plastic & reconstructive surgery • Paramus
Dr. Joshua M. Fiske
Urology • Cranford, West Orange, Westfield
Dr. Charles J. Gatt Jr.
Orthopedic surgery • Somerset, Princeton
Dr. Christopher P. Godek
Plastic & reconstructive surgery • Toms River, Wall
Dr. Warren R. Heymann
Dermatology • Marlton, Camden
Dr. Matthew D. Iammatteo
Obstetrics & gynecology • Morristown
Dr. Carol Kornmehl
Radiation oncology • Cherry Hill
Dr. Cathleen J. Mullarky-DeSapio
Endocrinology diabetes & metabolism • Princeton
Dr. Massimo M. Napolitano
Vascular surgery • Hackensack
Dr. Marie E. Nevin
Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism • Morristown
Dr. Michael J. Nissenblatt
Oncology & hematology • East Brunswick, Somerset
Dr. Giovanni B. Ramundo
Anesthesiology & pain management • Brielle, Edgewater
Dr. Maithili V. Rao
Oncology & hematology • Morristown, Hackettstown, Pompton Plains
Dr. Steven Richards
Urology • Monroe
Dr. Mark A. Rieger
Pediatric orthopedics • Cedar Knolls, Springfield, Wayne
Dr. Gary R. Rombough
Orthopedic surgery • Montclair
Dr. Elliot Rosenstein
Rheumatology • Summit
Dr. Frederic J. Scoopo
Pulmonary disease • Cedar Knolls
Dr. Ellen R. Sher
Allergy & immunology • Ocean, Middletown
Dr. Christopher J. Spagnuola
Orthopedic surgery • Ocean, Brick, Freehold
Dr. Mark D. Widmann
Thoracic & cardiac surgery • Morristown
Dr. Lori Feldman Winter
Adolescent medicine • Voorhees, Camden
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