Four Maryland-based RCCA physicians recognized as Top Doctors by Castle Connolly

The four Maryland-based RCCA physicians on the Top Doctors list include:

• Paul A. Bannen, MD, serving the Montgomery County and Greater Washington, D.C. communities
• Frederick Barr, MD, serving the Greater Washington, D.C. community
• Chitra Rajagopal, MD, serving the Montgomery County and Greater Washington, D.C. communities
• Frederick P. Smith, MD, serving the Greater Washington, D.C. community

Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors listings for primary care, oncology, and other specialties stand apart from directories that simply list all providers in a geographic area or list only doctors who pay to be included. Doctors cannot pay to be on a Top Doctors list. Each doctor must be nominated by a peer physician and then undergo an extensive review by physician-led research teams before the doctor can be listed. 

Top Doctors lists are also among the most select in the profession: Of 850,000 practicing physicians in the United States, only 7% make the list. With that level of selectivity, health care consumers who use the Top Doctors list know they are choosing from among the best physicians available.

“To be recognized by your peers as a ‘Top Doctor’ is a great testament to a physician’s expertise and experience, and I congratulate my RCCA colleagues who have received this well-deserved honor,” noted Iuliana Shapira, MD, chief medical officer for RCCA.

The fact that RCCA doctors attained Top Doctors listing status is hardly surprising, Dr. Shapira notes. RCCA consistently achieves top rankings in nationwide patient-satisfaction surveys conducted by the Community Oncology Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based oncology patient and practice advocacy organization. Likewise, a physician’s interpersonal skills are among the factors Castle Connolly considers when weighing his or her Top Doctors candidacy.

“At RCCA, we’re committed to providing the latest treatment options within a convenient, community setting and in a compassionate manner,” Dr. Shapira says. “We’re proud that our cancer specialists take the time to get to know each patient as an individual, address any questions or concerns that the patient and family members may have, and incorporate the patient’s goals, preferences, and quality of life into our treatment plans.

“The selection of so many RCCA cancer specialists as ‘Top Doctors’ and the high patient-satisfaction marks that our physicians receive are reflections of that commitment and passion,” Dr. Shapira adds.

With over 100 oncology physicians practicing at more than 24 RCCA care centers throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and the Washington, D.C. area, RCCA provides immunotherapy, targeted treatment, cell-based therapy and other cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic modalities, as well as access to clinical trials to roughly 26,000 new cancer patients and 245,000 established patients each year. RCCA care centers also provide infusion services for patients with non-oncology conditions — such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and others — who are being treated with intravenously administered medications.

To learn more about RCCA or to schedule an appointment, call 844-928-0089 or visit www.RCCA.com.