Expert Sources

Aviv Ben-Meir, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Medical Director, Center for Bariatric Surgery
Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

Aviv Ben-Meir, M.D., F.A.C.S., Medical Director, Center for Bariatric Surgery, joined the Hospital's surgical team as Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery in 2002, introducing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and, more recently, gastric banding to the Center. He has performed more than 2,500 laparoscopic bariatric procedures.

A Cleveland native, Dr. Ben-Meir received his medical degree with honors from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed his General Surgery residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland, and his advanced laparoscopy and bariatric surgery training at the University of Virginia, School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Dr. Ben-Meir is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons and the Society for American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. He has been involved in educating surgeons on a variety of laparoscopic procedures.

Michael B. Canales, D.P.M.

Program Surgeon, Co-Director Podiatric Surgery Residency Program

Dr. Michael Canales specializes in advanced podiatric medicine and surgery, providing complete medical and surgical care for injuries and conditions of the foot and ankle. His special interests include reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle, trauma of the foot and ankle and sports medicine of the foot and ankle.

Dr. Canales holds a degree in podiatric medicine from Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and a bachelor's degree in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University. He completed his residency training in podiatric medicine and surgery at St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Dr. Canales has co-authored several published works and serves as a national speaker on numerous podiatric medicine and surgery topics.

In addition, Dr. Canales is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Ohio Podiatric Medical Association and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

John S. Collis, M.D.

Neurosurgery
Co-Director, The Spine and Orthopedic Institute

Board-certified in neurosurgery with a special interest in disorders and injuries of the cervical and lumbar spine, Dr. Collis completed residencies in general surgery and neurological surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. A teacher and clinician, he has served as an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Among the many devices he has helped to invent are surgical instruments for total disc replacement, a laminectomy retractor, and a table for disc puncture for testing and treatment. Dr. Collis has held roles as director of spinal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, and as director of neurosurgery at both St. Vincent Charity Hospital and Lutheran Hospital.

Richard E. Christie, M.D.

Gerontology
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Richard E. Christie, M.D., has been a member of the St. Vincent Charity Medical Center family for more than 40 years. As Program Director for the Internal Medicine residency program for the last 15 years, he has taught many physicians from all over the world. Under the direction of Dr. Christie, the Internal Medicine residency program has achieved the maximum accreditation from the governing body of Internal Medicine for the third time. For the second year in a row, the graduates of the residency program have achieved 100% Board passage. Accredited to his dynamic ability to educate and commitment to being a lifetime learner, Dr. Christie, at the age of 72, passed the geriatric recertification exam for no compelling reason but to be an example to his residents.

Beyond improving the quality of patient care, he serves on the Quality Assurance Committee at Regina Health Center, a sister ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, and is an active member of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine. Dr. Christie earned his Medical Degree from St. Louis University and continued his internship at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center and residency at Virginia Medical Center in Cleveland.

Louis Keppler, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery
Co-Director, The Spine and Orthopedic Institute

Board-certified in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Keppler's clinical practice is broad, encompassing sports medicine, spinal reconstructive surgery, scoliosis surgery and joint replacement. Dr. Keppler completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedics and spinal surgery at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, and residency training in orthopedic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. He has a medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Keppler's dynamic professional practice includes serving as Medical Director for the Cleveland Indians from 2002 to 2003 and he has been a Team Orthopedic Surgeon with the club since 1991. A consultant to orthopedic device developers, Dr. Keppler is involved in implant and instrument design and ongoing clinical research.

Leslie Koblentz, M.D., J.D., M.S.

Psychiatric Emergency Department

Dr. Koblentz is board-certified in psychiatry and has served as an attending psychiatrist in the hospital’s Psychiatric Emergency Department since 2003. She has served as attending forensic psychiatrist for the Ohio Department of Mental Health at Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare and currently serves as a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. She also has held positions as a psychiatrist with Heartland Behavioral Healthcare, as district hearing officer with the Industrial Commission of Ohio and as a nutritionist with Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital.

Dr. Koblentz holds a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where she also received a master’s degree in nutrition. She holds a juris doctor degree from Cleveland State University’s Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Dr. Koblentz is a member of numerous local and national professional organizations, including American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Cleveland Psychiatric Society, Ohio Psychiatric Association and the American Dietetic Association.

Srinivas Merugu, M.D.

Patient-Centered Medical Home
Primary Care

Dr. Srinivas Merugu is board-certified in internal medicine. In addition to leading the medical home, he is also the associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. A member of Cuyahoga Physician Network, Dr. Merugu joined St. Vincent Charity Hospital in 2000 as a medical resident.

Ted Parran, JR, M.D. FACP

Co-Medical Director of Rosary Hall
Addiction Medicine

Dr. Ted Parran pursues several areas of special interest in medical education including Dr – Patient Communication, Faculty Development, Continuing Medical Education, and Addiction Medicine. In addition Dr. Parran is certified by the American Society on Addiction Medicine and his group practice provides medical directorship services to several Substance Abuse treatment programs in northeast Ohio, including Rosary Hall at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. He is the co-director of the Foundations of Clinical Medicine Course teaching Dr-Pt Communications / Clinical Interviewing / Clinical Reasoning / Physical Diagnosis / Professionalism / and Dr-Pt Relationship skills to students and residents.

Dr. Parran is also the medical director of the Program in Continuing Medical Education, and in 2008 was named as the Carter and Isabel Wang Professor of Medical Education, all at CWRU School of Medicine. He is a 1974 graduate from Hawken School, a 1978 graduate with honors in History from Kenyon College and a 1982 graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Baltimore City Hospital of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Parran was selected to be the Medical Chief Resident for one year following his residency, and received the Outstanding Faculty Teacher Award from the Department of Medicine in 1987. In 1988 he returned to Cleveland and CWRU School of Medicine.

Mona L. Reed, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I.

Cardiology, Women’s Heart Health
Medical Director, Cath Lab

Mona L. Reed, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I., is a member of the Women’s Heart Care Team at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. She is board-certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular diseases and vascular medicine.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, Dr. Reed earned her medical degree from the Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine and completed an invasive cardiology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

In addition to working as an assistant professor of medicine at the Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Dr. Reed is active in the St. Vincent Charity Hospital Regional Center for Blood Conservation and serves on the Board of Directors of the FMA Health Education Network.

Laurie S. Sadler, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Medical Director / Research Investigator
Center for Vascular Health

Laurie S. Sadler, M.D., F.A.C.P., is a member of the Women’s Heart Care Team at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. As medical director and site principal investigator of the Center for Vascular Health at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, she manages patient-directed cardiovascular prevention and risk reduction programs, and conducts clinical research for improving cardiovascular health.

Dr. Sadler holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry for Life Sciences from John Carroll University and a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. She completed her residency training at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She also serves as an assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine.

Honored with the Cleveland Magazine’s peer-nominated ‘Top Doctor Award’ (1997, 1998, 2002-2006), Dr. Sadler is an advocate for education and prevention programs to improve the cardiovascular health of the community.

Joseph A. Sopko, M.D.

Pulmonology, Hyperbaric Medicine
Chairman, Department of Medicine

Dr. Sopko has been a member of the Medical Staff at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center since 1979. He is Medical Director, Pulmonary Services; Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit; Director, Department of Medicine; and Chair, Division of Pulmonary Medicine. In addition, he shares his knowledge and expertise through the Hospital’s medical residency program.

Among his many contributions, Dr. Sopko played an integral role in establishing the Hospital’s Regional Center for Blood Conservation – one of the first hospital-wide blood conservation programs in the country – and was one of the physician champions involved in obtaining licensure for respiratory therapists in the state of Ohio in 1988. He established the first hyperbaric oxygen chamber in Cuyahoga County to treat infection, radiation tissue damage, and emergencies such as diving accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning. St. Vincent maintains the only 24/7 emergency treatment for patients with carbon monoxide poisoning.

In the community, Dr. Sopko serves on the Board of Directors of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPCF) of Ohio, the Board of Trustees of the Sisters of Charity Health System, the Board of Medical Consultants for the Cleveland Police Department and the Respiratory Therapy Advisory Committee for Cuyahoga Community College. A proponent of boating safety, he also teaches classes and participates in public service campaigns as an active volunteer member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

He received his medical degree from Tufts University, and completed his internship, residency and fellowship training at University of Iowa Hospitals.