Two Alpharetta Physicians Named Atlanta's Top Doctors

Staff Report

Atlanta magazine has recognized 12 Kaiser Permanente of Georgia physicians as its Top Doctors, including two who practice in Alpharetta.

The annual Top Doctors list, which highlights the doctors whom other Atlanta area doctors trust the most, appears in the July edition of the magazine. 

"To earn such a high level of respect and confidence from your peers is an incredible honor for these doctors, who represent a much larger medical group committed to providing exceptional patient care," said Michael Doherty, M.D., executive medical director of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. 

Once again, Sharon Smith, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist, and Richard Ellin, M.D., who specializes in adult medicine, made the list. Both doctors practice at the Kaiser Permanente Alpharetta Medical Center on Preston Ridge Road. 

A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Smith has been an OB-GYN with Kaiser Permanente for more than 20 years.

"In many ways, it is the ultimate preventive specialty because we have the opportunity to influence the development of a baby by helping his or her mother be healthy before, during and after the pregnancy," Smith said. "I have always believed that if you treat a woman and change her habits and practices, you treat a whole family and even an entire community." 

Ellin, who completed medical school, his internship and residency at Emory University, has been with Kaiser Permanente for nearly 30 years.

"I provide care that has been proven successful by clinical and scientific research," the doctor added. "Most of my time is spent seeing members for acute illnesses and for follow-up visits for chronic illnesses." 

Castle Connolly, an independent health care research company, compiled the list of Top Doctors based on votes by physicians from across the Atlanta area.

Each survey respondent is asked to nominate physicians that exhibit exceptional clinical skills and commitment to patient care – those to whom they would send their own families. 

Atlanta magazine, which reaches more than a half million readers, publishes the survey results each year.