CONTACT:
Jenna Lowe
201-383-1019
Jenna.lowe@hackensackumcpv.com
For Immediate Release
HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley Announces the Appointment of
Rafael Levin, M.D., Chief of Spine
Westwood, NJ – If you ask Rafael Levin, M.D. why he agreed to take on the extra responsibilities
of heading the Spine Service at HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley, he might say: “it’s
complicated.” There’s a bit of nostalgia involved, for sure. He vividly remembers bringing his
first surgical patient to the hospital in 2004, soon after he moved from New York City and
joined Comprehensive Spine Care in Emerson, NJ. When the hospital closed in 2007, Dr. Levin
found he missed being able to treat patients at the hospital’s convenient location. Now, as
Chief of Spine, he embraces the opportunity to encourage his fellow surgeons to use the
facility’s new operating rooms and work with the excellent and experienced surgical staff.
“My reward for the extra work involved with being Chief is to see this hospital succeed,” Dr.
Levin said. “Patients can feel secure in having spine surgery here in Westwood. The operating
rooms are new and have excellent, specialized equipment including a brand new surgical
microscope and intra-operative fluoroscopy. I can do any of my surgeries here with
confidence.”
Following 3 years in the Israeli Air Force, Dr. Levin moved to the U.S. to attend a combined
undergraduate/graduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he
graduated at the top of his class. After obtaining both degrees in four years, he moved on to
attend Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he received his M.D. degree,
followed by a residency in orthopedic surgery at the Boston Medical Center. He then performed
a fellowship at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. Dr. Levin has won many awards
and was recognized on this year’s list of New Jersey’s Top Doctors.
In today’s hurried and harried world, back pain is all too common and stems from a wide
variety of conditions. Patients often worry that seeing a spine surgeon will automatically result
in surgery. “People with back pain should not be afraid to consult a surgeon early in the
process,” Dr. Levin said. “While surgery is the last option for correcting many spine issues, a
surgical consult should be the first action taken to ensure a complete and accurate diagnosis.
Patients believe they need to ‘work up’ to surgery after trying and failing at other treatments. A
surgical consult will often pinpoint the problem quickly and rule out surgery.”
In spinal surgery, accurate diagnosis is crucial to a successful result. Dr. Levin strongly believes
that modern, minimally invasive surgery performed on carefully diagnosed and selected
patients is the most effective way to achieve better outcomes in terms of pain reduction and
improved orthopedic function.
To make an appointment with Dr. Rafael Levin, call: 201-634-1811.
About HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley
HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley is a 128-bed, full-service, acute-care community hospital,
providing the same nationally recognized quality care for which Hackensack University Medical
Center is known. The hospital features all private patient rooms at no additional cost, a stateof-the-art obstetrical unit, an intensive/critical care unit, five operating rooms, one special
procedure room, and a cardiac catheterization laboratory. This inpatient hospital acts as an
anchor to many in-demand, outpatient services such as radiology, women’s health and same
day surgery. For more, please visit www.hackensackumcpv.com
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