Best Anesthesiology Specialists in Independence, MO

Dr. Ray is a board certified Pain Management specialist who has seven years of experience not only as an Anesthesiologists and Pain Physician but also as an educator. After completion of her ACGME accredited Pain Fellowship from the prestigious Cook County hospital in Chicago, she joined the Leavenworth Veterans Administration Medical Center. During her tenure at the VA hospital, she served in various supervisory roles including Associate Chief of Anesthesiology and Interim Service Line Manager for Surgical Care. She set up the first Pain Clinic at the Eastern Kansas Health Care System and performed complicated spine procedures including radio-frequency ablations, cervical spine interventions and sympathetic nerve blocks.Dr. Ray also served as the Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Kansas Medical Center from 2010 to 2015. As a site Director for both residents and Interventional Spine Fellows, she published multiple case reports and mentored multiple young physicians on Pain Management. One of her case reports that was published in Sept 2013 mentions Ultrasound-guided Popliteal and Saphenous Peripheral Nerve Blocks in the Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. (http://www.pmrjournal.org/article/S1934-1482(13)00516-9/abstract)Her most recent accomplishment was during the "Pain 2014" conference in Puerto Rico in June of 2014. She presented the award winning poster on the "Evidence based approach for the role of Interventional Pain Management in Chronic headaches". She is serving as Treasurer of Kansas Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.Dr. Ray graduated Valedictorian from her Medical school and did 2 years of General Surgery residency at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, NY (affiliated with Columbia University) She was involved in clinical studies during her residency in Anesthesiology and fellowship at the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. She was selected as one of 2 Chief Residents in a program with 30 residents. She received multiple honors during her residency, including Resident of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and First Prize designations for Midwest Anesthesia Resident Conferences of 2006 and 2008. She has extensive research experience and publications. Her current medical practice focuses on acute pain, interventional pain management for headaches, radio-frequency ablation, thoraco-lumbar fascia injections, ultra-sound guided procedures and Platelet rich plasma joint injections.