ABOUT THE THYROID TOP DOCTORS DIRECTORY

The following listing includes recommended doctors and practitioners for your thyroid care.

Please note that being listed here in the Thyroid Top Doctors Directory doesn't necessarily mean a doctor is the right one for you. The doctor may be an empathetic and warm physician, but not open to working with drugs like Armour or T3 drugs. Or the doctor may be quite costly and not on insurance programs. Always call the doctor's office ahead of time to find out more about the doctor's philosophy, approach, costs, and other important factors before going in for your first appointment.

Please let us know if you have feedback about doctors listed here, or would like to recommend your doctor.

Ankeny

Fred C. Marsh, M.D., Family Practice, 1105 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny, IA 50021 515-964-4600/ 515-964-9838. "I went to many specialists for my thyroid condition before I found him. He listened, took extra time, allowed me to have some say in what was tried as to medication and testing. I have been taking Armour Thyroid for over 10 years now and thankful to have found this doctor who was truly helpful." (added 1/04)

Council Bluffs

Isam Marar Endocrinology 2201 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712-329-9100/712-328-0451. A reader writes: "Dr. Marar is a very caring listener. He took a lot of time after my thyroid surgery to go over all the questions, concerns and problems that I was facing. He got me on a dosage of medications that seem to be working. He does not order unnecessary tests. A top doctor. Thanks Dr. Marar." (Added 2/03)

Davenport

Dr. Gary Anderson D.O., 210 W. 53rd Street, Davenport, Iowa 52806, 386-3436. "He is very understanding of this disease and works with you on how to control the levels of your thyroid problem." (Added 6/02).

Des Moines

Charles R. Caughlin, M.D. Internal Medicine Lakeview Internal Medicine, 6000 University Avenue, Suite 201 West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. A reader quips, " He admittedly failed his HMO test...and he listens. He is very interested in treating the person in addition to the test. He represents all a person could want...feeling good and living with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism is soooo dependent upon finding a doc who is interested in the human aspect! He is...and you will be relieved that there is SOMEONE who doesn’t think you are nuts...(or cutting into their damn "capitated budget")" (NOTE: Some patients have written in to say that this doctor may not work with or be familiar with Armour Thyroid.)

Iowa City

Nicole Nisly, M.D., Preventive Medicine, Univ of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, IA, 384-8245. A reader writes: "Sympathetic to natural medicine." (Added June 2005)

Waukee

Kim K. Countryman, Country Clinic, 120 NE Dartmoor Dr., Waukee, Iowa, 515-987-3117, A reader writes: "Dr. Countryman is extremely intelligent, an excellent doctor and a caring and compassionate physician. She will take the time to listen to a patients needs, concerns and problems related to their thyroid condition and other conditions. She will treat with armour as well as other standard drugs for thyroid. She monitors her patients closely and gives excellent care. She also is extremely gifted at sizing up a situation accurately through observation and interview beyond what you have told her. She has done an excellent job of treating me for hypothyroidism and some other complicated physical conditions with numerous drug allergies." (Added 1/06)

Waterloo-Cedar Falls

A reader writes: "In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area of Iowa there are no endocrinologists, to my knowledge, unless someone has just set up practice. Dr. Annie Kontos is a very good general practitioner."

Waterloo

Dr. Chitra Reddy, Endocrinology, 1717 West Ridgeway, Waterloo, IA 50701, 319-833-5700. "I have seen several doctors regarding by Grave's Disease over the last six years, and none of them diagnosed Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which she did in our first visit. In my opinion Dr. Chitra Reddy is a God-send!" (added 1/04)

West Des Moines

Dr. Kathleen Gannon, Internal Medicine & Women's Health, 2929 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266 515-440-6286. "She's open to some alternative treatments, I'm on Armour Thyroid (off Levoxyl--I asked her if I could change thyroid medicine to something natural and w/o hesitation, she changed me to Armour. I had to change doctors to be able to take natural thyroid and feel much better!! She listens to what you're saying, pays attention to how you feel independent of lab test results. Besides TSH she checks my antibody levels and keeps me toward the low end of the "normal range" of the TSH." (added 1/04)

Why is a Particular Doctor No Longer Listed?

Doctors who were previously listed here are removed for a number of reasons.

1. The doctor has requested that his/her listings be removed because: he/she does not agree with this site’s philosophy or patient-orientation; the practice is too busy and can’t accept new patients; the doctor does not feel comfortable handling complicated thyroid problems; the doctor did not agree with what was said in the patient recommendations; or the doctor said “take me off the list” and offered no explanation.
2. The doctor has moved, retired, or died.
3. The doctor has lost his/her license, or given up his/her license, and is no longer practicing medicine.
4. Patients have provided negative input about the doctor that is of sufficient concern that, in the opinion of the editor, the doctor should no longer be on the Top Thyroid Doctors List.

Thyroid Top Doctors would face legal concerns if we published specific information about why patients had negative opinions about doctors, or if we shared a doctor’s occasional ranting ”take me off” email, or if we publicized doctors with licensing problems. So please, if you see that a doctor has been taken off the list and want to know why, talk to the doctor directly. If you write to us to ask why a doctor was taken off the list, we’re sorry, but we won’t be able to answer you or share that information.

LATEST UPDATE:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Mary Shomon, the patients who have recommended these physicians and practitioners, or physicians and practitioners who have recommended/listed themselves make no guarantees or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or validity of the information provided here. Mary Shomon, patients writing in to recommend their doctors, and the doctors/practitioners themselves assume no responsibility for any services provided by listed physicians or practitioners. It is your responsibility to investigate any physician with whom you plan to have a consultation, and you consult with physicians listed here expressly at your own risk.

Copyright © 2006, Mary J. Shomon. PO Box 565, Kensington, MD 20895. All rights reserved.