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My general surgery training and additional fellowship in Surgical Oncology have provided me the knowledge and experience to treat patients with cancer and to guide them, as well as their families, to the most appropriate decision regarding their individual care. My staff and I compassionately provide our patients and their loved ones with the education and tools they need to meet the challenges of dealing with cancer. Our aim is to assist each individual in making the right choice for his or her particular situation regarding treatment options. I have the surgical skills to manage many different types of complicated cancers and a dedicated staff to provide the services necessary for a successful recovery. However, despite our advances in medical research and advanced operative techniques, sometimes surgery may not offer a cure. What we strive to do is help all of our patients in coordinating a treatment plan that is right for them.

Alan Bradshaw, MD is a general surgeon and President of Mission Surgery in Asheville. Dr. Bradshaw graduated Medical School at Texas A&M College of Medicine and completed his Residency in General Surgery at the University of North Carolina. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Bradshaw went onto complete an Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship at Emory University in Georgia. Dr. Bradshaw maintains a number of executive roles in his profession to enhance the well-being and care of patients in Asheville. Since 2013, Dr. Bradshaw has served as Chief of Surgery at Mission as well as Chair of the Executive Proceduralists Administrative Committee. Dr. Bradshaw’s focus of patient care is in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery: Reflux, Colon, Hernia, and Bariatric Surgery.

Dr. Elaine Chan is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. She completed her undergraduate studies at New York University and her medical education at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. Her internship and general surgery residency were completed at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital In New York City. She completed a fellowship in Trauma Surgery at Emory University - Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA, and a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at Jackson Memorial Hospital - Ryder Trauma Medical Center in Miami, FL. She continued as assistant professor of surgery at Temple University Hospital before transitioning to locums for several years. Currently, she is an adjunct professor of surgery at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC, where she serves as Director of Wellness for the MAHEC surgery residents and is also clerkship director for the Asheville cohort of UNC SOM third-year medical students.

Dwight Graham, MD, FACS is a pediatric surgeon at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville. Dr. Graham graduated from Medical School at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed a Residency in General Surgery at the University of Virginia. Upon residency graduation, Dr. Graham went on to complete a Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Harkness is a graduate of the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) and his fellowship training in gynecologic oncology at the University of Minnesota. He has a special interest in clinical research for women's cancers. Dr. Harkness and his wife are proud parents of twin girls.

John Henretta, MD is a vascular surgeon at Asheville Radiology-Carolina Vascular. Dr. Henretta graduated Medical School at the Medical College of Virginia and completed a Preliminary Internship and Residency in General Surgery at East Carolina University School of Medicine. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Henretta completed Fellowships in Endovascular and Vascular Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Before joining the Carolina Vascular team, Dr. Douglas worked for Asheville Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons, P.A. from 1999-2002.

Red Hoffman, MD is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital in Asheville. Dr. Hoffman graduated Medical School from Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine and completed her Residency in General Surgery at Maricopa Integrated Health System. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Hoffman went onto complete a Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at the University of North Carolina, and an additional Fellowship in Palliative Care at Mountain Area Health Education Center. Dr. Hoffman’s focus of patient care is in General Surgery, Palliative Care, and Trauma.

David Humphrey, MD is the Medical Director of the Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Center at Mission Hospital. Dr. Humphrey graduated Medical School at the University of Missouri and completed a Residency in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University. Dr. Humphrey has been actively involved in academia since 2007, serving as Clinical Associate Professor for the Department of Medicine at the University of North Carolina and as the Medical Advisor of ACLS at Mission Hospital since 2001.

Allison Johnson, MD is a general surgeon at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, North Carolina. Dr. Johnson graduated Medical School at the Medical University of South Carolina and completed both a Residency and Fellowship in General Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Before joining Haywood Surgical Associates, Dr. Johnson served as an Advanced Trauma and Life Support Instructor at Mississippi Medical Center. During Medical School, Dr. Johnson was actively involved as a leader for women in surgery, serving as Co-President for both Women Interested in Surgical Experiences (WISE) and American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).

Jonas Karlsson, MD is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital. Dr. Karlsson graduated from Medical School at the Ross University School of Medicine in Portsmouth, Dominica and completed a Preliminary General Surgery Internship at the Mayo Clinic as well as a Residency in General Surgery at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Karlsson went on to complete a Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care/Acute Care Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Karlsson has experience in teaching as he served as an Instructor of Surgery at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine from 2012-2013.

Lemuel Kirby, MD is a vascular surgeon at Asheville Radiology-Carolina Vascular. Dr. Kirby graduated Medical School at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and completed a Residency in General Surgery at the University of North Carolina. Upon Residency graduation, he went on to complete a Fellowship in Vascular Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia/Georgia Baptist. Dr. Kirby has shown an avid involvement in the community of Asheville by becoming the Founding Medical Director for the Haywood Street Respite, an 8 bed facility in downtown Asheville that provides a safe place for homeless adults to recover following discharge from the hospital. Dr. Kirby has become an active teacher and researcher, teaching students and residents as well as contributing to a number of research studies and publications.

Michelle Kiser, MD is a pediatric surgeon at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville. Dr. Kiser graduated Medical School and completed her Residency in General Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Upon residency graduation, Dr. Kiser went on to complete a Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In addition to being a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Kiser also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health.

Dr. Kopelman is a general and critical care surgeon with Mission Hospital. She attended medical school at the University of Miami School of Medicine and remained at the University of Miami to complete her residency in general surgery as well as both her fellowship in Surgical Critical Care and her fellowship in Trauma and Emergency General Surgery. She has held academic appointments at the Medical College of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in addition to being faculty at Greenville Memorial Hospital (1997-2002) and the University of Arizona Medical School while faculty at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona (2003-2018). Dr. Kopelman’s focus on patient care is in Surgical Critical Care, Emergency General Surgery, and Trauma.

The demanding skillset required to perform the job as well as the ability to form long-term relationships with patients were what drew me to the field of medicine. I approach patient care by partnering with each patient in their health care journey. Communication is at the core of this relationship and I tend to have a direct style when speaking with my patients, which I think they appreciate. I've been working as a dedicated bariatric surgeon for over 15 years and have performed over 4000 successful bariatric surgery cases. I'm also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. My personal interests include being a three-time Ironman finisher, Christmas lighting enthusiast, and of course hanging out with my dogs.

Douglas MacMillan, MD is a vascular surgeon at Asheville Radiology-Carolina Vascular. Dr. MacMillan graduated Medical School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After graduation, Dr. MacMillan completed an Internship in Medicine at Beth Israel – Deaconess Medical Center in Boston before beginning his Residency in General Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. MacMillan stayed at Emory University to complete a Fellowship in Vascular Surgery. Dr. MacMillan has been with Carolina Vascular since 2006.

Richard Massen, MD, is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital. Dr. Massen graduated Medical School at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and completed his Residency in Internal Medicine at Bellevue Hospital in New York. He also completed a Residency in General Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine as well as a Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Prior to joining the Trauma Services Team at Mission Hospital, Dr. Massen worked as a general surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital in New Mexico from 2007-2013 and at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center from 2005-2007.

Katherine Mastriani, MD is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital. Dr. Mastriani graduated from Medical School at the University of South Carolina and completed her Surgical Residency as well as a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Palmetto Health University of South Carolina. Dr. Mastriani is an active educator, having served as a lecturer on Surgical Hepatobiliary Disease for each group of medical students in their core surgery rotation at Palmetto Health University of South Carolina from 2012-2014

I decided to pursue a career as a surgeon to use science and the latest technology to help people lead longer and healthier lives. Along the way, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my patients and their families, and gaining an appreciation for their motivations and feelings toward their health. My training includes medical school at Washington University in Saint Louis, residency in General Surgery at the University of Connecticut and fellowship training in Endocrine Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. My area of focus is on diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the care of the Asheville and western North Carolina community!

Lindsee McPhail, MD is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital in Asheville. She also serves as the Surgical Simulation Center Director for the General Surgery Residency. Dr. McPhail graduated Medical School, Residency (General Surgery) and Fellowship (Minimally Invasive Surgery) from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Alfred Mina, MD is a general surgeon at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, North Carolina. He graduated from Medical School at Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed a Residency in General Surgery at Williams Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Mina has held several previous positions including running his own private practice from 2003-2008. He has been actively involved as an educator, teaching 3rd Year University of North Carolina Medical Students during their surgical clerkships in Asheville. Dr. Mina is currently serving on the Haywood Regional Medical Center Board of Directors and is President of the Haywood County Medical Society. His professional field of focus is in laparoscopic surgeries, cancer surgeries, and venous reflux.

I have had a lifelong interest in science and biology. I have always been curious about the human body and what makes it work, and this curiosity inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. While in medical school and during my surgical residency, I realized that I was particularly interested in caring for patients with difficult problems that require highly technical surgical procedures or complex treatment plans to overcome. Becoming a hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon has allowed me to help patients with some of the most challenging and complex problems imaginable. My care philosophy is driven first and foremost by caring for patients as if they were my own family member. I always strive to provide every patient with the background understanding for them to make informed decisions about their care. Using that understanding, my goal is to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to each patient as an individual and to provide the best care possible using the most advanced techniques and treatment modalities available. In my free time, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors camping, hiking, and fishing with my family, including our four dogs.

Sean O’Connor, MD is a board-certified general surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive and robotic techniques for repair of complex hernias, as well as foregut surgery. He takes a comprehensive approach to pre- and post-operative care to enhance recovery after surgery, minimize surgical pain and provide durable results.

Dr. O'Connor received his bachelor's degree from Elon University and graduated medical school at East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC and his fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Prisma Health in Greenville, SC.

Kolandaivelu Ramaswamy, MD, FACS is a general surgeon at Mission Surgery in Asheville. Dr. Ramaswamy graduated Medical School from Madras Medical College in Chennai, India and completed his Residency in General Surgery at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital (Grace) in Michigan. Dr. Ramaswamy’s focus of patient care is in Emergency General Surgery.

Dr. Emma Rooney became a part of our team in 2023 as a Vascular Surgeon at Carolina Vascular, a division of ARA Health Specialists. She began her educational journey at Tufts University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Following this, Dr. Rooney pursued her passion for medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, where she achieved her Doctor of Medicine degree. Her post-graduate journey continued at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, where she completed her residency in General Surgery, focusing on the Early Specialization Track. This dedication to her field further led her to specialize in vascular surgery, completing a fellowship in Vascular Surgery at the same institution. Her extensive training and commitment to her specialty have made her a valuable addition to our medical team.

Joshua Rudd, DO is a general surgeon and Director of the Outpatient Wound Care Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, North Carolina. He graduated Medical School at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and completed a Residency in General Surgery at Mercy Medical Center in Iowa. Dr. Rudd is an active educator of future residents, serving as an adjunct instructor for General Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. His area of focus is in Minimally Invasive Surgery and he spends one day a week performing venous ablations in the Vein Clinic at Haywood.

Dr. Schurr is a general and critical care surgeon with Mission Hospital and is the Program Director for the General Surgery Residency Program. Dr. Schurr attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Wisconsin. He completed a fellowship in trauma and critical care at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He has held numerous academic positions, at the University of Wisconsin from 1995–2011 and Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado from 2011–2014.

Dr. Schurr has been an active clinician and teacher since he completed his fellowship, teaching students, residents, and fellows. He has published over 60 articles and has ongoing clinical trials underway at Mission Hospital.

William Shillinglaw, DO is a general surgeon as well as the Medical Director of Trauma Surgery at Mission Hospital. Dr. Shillinglaw attended Medical School at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a Residency in General Surgery at Detroit Osteopathic Hospital. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Shillinglaw completed a Fellowship in Trauma Surgery/Critical Care at the University of Maryland, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Dr. Shillinglaw has held numerous positions, most recently as Service-Line Leader, Trauma Surgery Service at Mission Hospital from 2004-2009 and Co-Medical Director, Trauma Surgery Service at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Michigan from 1998-1999. Since becoming a clinician, Dr. Shillinglaw has been actively involved in research. During the past 5 years he has studied Recombinant Factor Xa Inhibitor Antidote (Annexa-4) (2015), Inhaled Amikacin Solution BAY41-6551 as Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Gram-Negative Pneumonia (INHALE 1) (2014) and Efficacy and Safety Study of Intravenous Progesterone in patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (SyNAPSe) (2011).

Courtney Sommer, MD is a general surgeon at Mission Hospital in Asheville. She also serves as the Program Director for the General Surgery Residency. Dr. Sommer graduated Medical School from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and completed her Residency in General Surgery at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon Residency graduation, Dr. Sommer went onto complete a Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at the University of Washington. Dr. Sommer’s focus of patient care is in General Surgery and Trauma.

Peeter Soosaar, MD, FACS is a general surgeon at Mission Surgery in Asheville. Dr. Soosaar graduated medical school from Louisiana State University Medical Center and completed his Residency in General Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Soosaar’s focus of patient care is in general surgery, bariatric surgery and advanced laparoscopic surgery.

Jesse Sulzer, MD is a General Surgeon at Mission Surgery in Asheville, NC. He received his doctorate degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine University of New Orleans, and did his residency at the Louisiana State University.

Originally from Tennessee, Dr. Whitfield graduated from The University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, followed by his colorectal fellowship in Shreveport, LA. He is board-certified in both general surgery and colorectal surgery. He offers cutting edge minimally invasive and robotic surgery and is currently welcoming all new patients. Dr. Whitfield offers treatment for the following disease processes: - Cancer of the colon, rectum, and anus - Diverticulitis - Benign anorectal disease, including hemorrhoids, fissures, abscess, and fistulas - Inflammatory bowel disease - Rectal prolapse - Fecal incontinence - Screening for colorectal cancer Dr. Whitfield and his wife, Heather, have one child. Together, they enjoy outdoor activities, travel, Blues hockey, and spending exploring St. Louis.

Kent Williamson, MD is a vascular surgeon at Asheville Radiology-Carolina Vascular. Dr. Williamson graduated Medical School at Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed a Preliminary Internship, as well as his Residency in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery at Oregon Health & Sciences University. Before joining the Carolina Vascular Team, Dr. Williamson served as Chief for the Department of Surgery at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Oregon from 2012-2016. While in Oregon, Dr. Williamson was an active teacher, serving as Clinical Assistant Professor for the Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University.