ABOUT THE DOCTOR

Mark S. Stern, M.D.

Board Certified Neurosurgeon/ Spine Surgeon

Mark S. Stern, MD, is board certified by the American Board of Neurosurgery. He is an active member of the American Association of Neurosurgeons, California Neurosurgeons Association, San Diego Academy of Neurosurgeons, and American Medical Association. Dr. Stern began his medical training at the Albany Medical College in New York. While in medical school, he was awarded a fellowship in oncology at Leads Infirmary in Leads, England. Upon completing his fellowship, he accepted an internship and residency at Georgetown University, where he was immersed in general surgery. His primary interest however remained spinal disorders, pain management, and pediatric neurosurgery. During this time, he focused on writing a number of research articles on these topics and would eventually be rewarded with a fellowship in neurological surgery from the National Institute of Health (NIH).  Upon completion of this second fellowship, Dr. Stern moved to Los Angeles to finish his residency training at the University of Southern California. Here he continued to perfect his microsurgical skills in the areas of vascular tumors, aneurysms, cranial base brain tumors, and all manner of spinal pathology.

Dr. Stern is currently the chief of the division of neurosurgery at Palomar Medical Center. Under his leadership, he has instituted a number of protocols at both hospitals such as Radiosurgery, Stereotactic surgery and minimally invasive neurosurgery and micro neurosurgery. However, one of the most important items brought by Dr. Stern was the introduction of breakthrough technology, such as image-guided procedures, to our North County hospitals. His persistence to use new technology to provide high quality and efficient care has enhanced the success rate of numerous surgeries.

ABOUT THE DOCTOR:

Robert Afra, M.D.
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr. Robert Afra is a San Diego-based orthopedic surgeon who is nationally renowned in sports medicine with expertise in treating shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle conditions. As the former Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Afra has published extensively in professional journals and books and presented at conferences around the world, where he is considered a pioneer in the study of shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle injuries in athletes and active adults. Dr. Afra is also a specialist in cartilage issues and pain in knee cap disorders; he was named Co-Director of the International Patellofemoral Study Group Conference in San Diego in July 2011. As a sports medicine physician, he has managed and treated complex joint injuries and successfully guided patients back to peak performance levels.

Dr. Afra takes a customized approach to treat each of his patients. He provides comprehensive care to injured athletes, from sprain rehabilitation and muscle and ligament tear repairs to care for broken bones. He regularly cares for children and active adults with injuries to the upper extremities (shoulders, elbows, and wrists) and lower extremities (hips, knees, and ankles). His joint replacement practice consists of shoulder replacement, hip replacement, and knee replacement surgery, including minimally invasive surgery techniques and traditional joint replacement surgery when necessary.

Dr. Afra completed his fellowship training in sports medicine at Boston University, where he treated a variety of elite college athletes in ice hockey, soccer, basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. Dr. Afra was a researcher at University of Hawaii’s Queen Emme Medical Center in the field of muscle and nerve physiology, and was a surgical fellow at the world-renowned Barnard O’Brien Microsurgical Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He has studied microsurgical techniques and the art of plastic surgery. Dr. Afra studied medicine at UCLA, where he also completed his surgery internship. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Afra worked at the Salk Institute on an NIH research stipend. In 2010, Dr. Robert Afra was selected by the Arthroscopy Association of North America, a premiere sports medicine society, as one of three surgeons to lecture to university faculty in the United States and Canada.

ABOUT THE DOCTOR

Jason Morris, DPM

Board Certified in Foot & Ankle Surgery

After completing a comprehensive three-year residency at the University of Pittsburgh, Jason Morris, DPM, moved to California to pursue a career in podiatric medicine. Following his move, Dr. Morris worked as an attending physician at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Since relocating to the Escondido area, he has been a staff physician at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido and Poway. He is a podiatric foot and ankle specialist with board certification in rearfoot and forefoot reconstructive surgery. Dr. Morris has undergone extensive training in sports medicine, reconstructive surgery, foot and ankle trauma, and diabetic limb salvage. He is affiliated with several professional associations, including:

• The American Podiatric Medical Association
• The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
• The American Board of Podiatric Medicine

ABOUT THE DOCTOR

Tania Faruque, M.D.

Board Certified Pain Management Specialist
Board Certified Anesthesiology Specialist

Tania Faruque, MD, is the Medical Director of Palomar Spine & Pain. She is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and anesthesiologist.

Dr. Faruque has extensive training and experience using a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of chronic pain. Her journey into pain medicine started with residency training at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where she worked with patients in the Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program. The highly recognized multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program treats the most complex chronic pain patients using a biopsychosocial framework. Dr. Faruque learned how to treat patients effectively to help recover their function and avoid invasive treatments.

Dr. Faruque broke barriers by becoming the first female pain management fellow at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Being one of the few female pain physicians in San Diego county, she is a powerful advocate for women’s health.

Dr. Faruque holds the distinction of being appointed physician leader of a comprehensive pain program. The program treated chronic pain patients with interventional management, physical therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and biofeedback/relaxation training. Other innovative treatments used were assertiveness training, expressive writing, mindfulness, and relapse prevention.

Dr. Faruque believes her most important role is being a patient’s advocate. Through assessment and careful diagnoses, she provides the physical, emotional, and social interventions needed to achieve optimum total health. Dr. Faruque combines a multimodal treatment plan using evidence-based treatments, rehabilitative approaches, and interventional pain procedures including spinal injections, joint injections, neuromodulation therapies, and regenerative medicine procedures.

Dr. Faruque grew up in the Midwest. She completed her training in Los Angeles and decided to settle down in Southern California after meeting her husband. Her hobbies include cross country road trips, treasure hunting, playing violin, fiction writing, and sports like tennis and boxing.
Dr. Faruque’s philosophy is “I tailor my approach to each patient individually and we can come up with a plan together on how best to treat the mind and body.”

Jeffrey Bloom, D.C., Q.M.E., I.D.E. / Teresa Guta-Bloom, D.C., Q.M.E.

PRACTICE SPECIALTIES

At Bloom Family Chiropractic, we successfully treat patients with a variety of conditions, including auto and work related accidents, sports injuries, lower back pain, and headaches.

Our treatment methods include:

Teresa Guta Chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, massage, nutritional supplementation and rehabilitative exercises. New patients are always welcome, and no-cost consultations are available.

ABOUT THE DOCTORS AND STAFF

Dr. Jeffrey Bloom is an Honors graduate of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, where he was also a member of the Delta Sigma Honorary Scholastic Society. Along with his Doctorate in Chiropractic, Dr. Bloom holds a bachelors degree in Human Biology and Environmental Studies from U.C. Berkeley.

Dr. Bloom has practiced in North County San Diego since 1990 and has been certified with the state of California as an Independent Disability Evaluator (I.D.E.). He is also an active member of the California Chiropractic Association and the San Diego Chiropractic Network. When not working with his patients, Dr. Bloom spends time with his wife, Teresa, who is also a chiropractor, and their two daughters.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From I-15 in Escondido:
Exit Valley Parkway
Head east approximately 1.5 miles until the road forks.
Bear right at the fork putting you onto eastbound Grand Avenue.
The office is two blocks east of the fork on the right hand (south) side of the street between Grape and Fig Streets.