On December 30, Richard Cashio, MD, Plastic Surgeon at Florida Hospital Flagler, received his Board Certification from The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Already a Board Certified General Surgeon, obtaining this additional certification was a very stringent process, nearly two years in the making.
As of 2006, a total of 5,177 plastic surgeons in practice nationally were board certified by ABPS.
Board Certification status is one tool a patient can use when deciding on a surgeon. It tells the health care consumer about the training and examinations in the specialty field that a surgeon has completed.
By choosing a plastic surgeon certified by ABPS, patients can be assured that the doctor has graduated from an accredited medical school and has completed at least five years of additional training as a resident surgeon in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This includes a minimum of five years of residency training in all areas of surgery, including at least two years devoted entirely to plastic surgery. Certification is a voluntary process a surgeon seeks after this training. To become certified, the doctor must pass both comprehensive written and oral exams.
ABPS is one of the 24 specialty boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). It is the only ABMS board which certifies in the full spectrum of the specialty of plastic surgery of the entire body. That is, plastic and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, trunk and extremities.
It is important to note that any individual can claim to be a doctor, cosmetic surgeon or plastic surgeon. As a patient, it should be your first priority to check a physician’s credentials. A doctor’s training and certification should be appropriate to the planned procedure.
About Richard Cashio, MD
Dr. Cashio received an academic scholarship to Louisiana State University, which allowed him to complete a double major in biochemistry and microbiology, as well as his medical degree. Upon graduating from medical school, Dr. Cashio completed a general surgery residency at the University of Florida at Jacksonville. Dr. Cashio then completed a fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. While there, he performed more than 1,300 procedures. After his fellowship, a teacher and mentor from the University of Florida at Jacksonville encouraged Dr. Cashio to return to the coastal, Northern Florida area. To learn more about Dr. Cashio, please visit: www.RichardCashioPlasticSurgery.com.
About Florida Hospital Flagler
Florida Hospital Flagler is a non-profit organization that operates under a Christian mission of hope, health and healing. The hospital is a member of Adventist Health System, Inc., which currently operates 37 hospitals within ten states. Within the past six years, Florida Hospital Flagler has invested more than $110 million in Flagler County's healthcare, both in the facility and state-of-the-art equipment, enhancing the level of care patients receive at the facility. Florida Hospital Flagler has grown with the community and now has 99 licensed beds, with the capacity to license 16 additional beds. This 320,000 square-foot facility employs more than 700 people, of which nearly 75 percent live in Flagler County. For more information, please call (386) 586-2000 or visit www.FloridaHospitalFlagler.com.