October 22, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 11 Business Levin accepts post at HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley 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 is a bit of nostalgia involved, for sure. He vividly remembers bringing his first surgical patient to the hospi- tal in 2004, soon after he moved from New York City and joined Comprehensive Spine Care in Emerson. 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 experi- enced 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, special- ized equipment including a brand new surgical microscope and intra-operative fluoroscopy. I can do any of my surger- ies here with confidence.” Following three 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 Tech- nology, 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 ortho- pedic surgery at the Boston Medical Center. He then per- formed 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 Doc- tors. 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 auto- matically result in surgery. “People with back pain should not be afraid to consult a surgeon early in the process,” Dr. Levin said. “While sur- gery 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 (continued on page 15) Rafael Levin, M.D.