Faculty
Program Leadership
- Jose Almeda, MD
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General Surgery Residency Program Director
Dr. Jose L. Almeda is an experienced Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon. Using open and laparoscopic techniques, Dr. Almeda provides surgical services for pancreatic cancer, liver tumors, and bile duct injuries.
Dr. Almeda received his medical degree and residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He completed fellowships in liver and kidney transplantation, and an advanced fellowship in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, at the University of Southern California.
- Email:
- jose.almeda@utrgv.edu
- Ricardo D. Martinez, MD, FACS, MHA
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Associate Program Director / General Surgery – Vascular Surgery – Breast Surgery
Dr. Ricardo Martinez is board certified in surgery, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. Dr. Martinez has nearly 30 years of experience and specializes in trauma, vascular, breast, and robotic surgery. Dr. Martinez has been on the DHR Health Board of Managers since inception and he currently serves as Board Secretary. He is also on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Martinez received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He completed an internship and residency training in general surgery at Yale College of Medicine, where he was named Chief Resident.
- Michael Martinez, MD
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Assistant Associate Program Director / Bariatric Surgery
Dr. Michael Martinez specializes in bariatric surgery.
Dr. Martinez received his bachelor degree from Princeton University and his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He completed residency training in general surgery at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas. He conducted fellowship training in bariatric and advanced minimally invasive surgery at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
Faculty
- Robert Alleyn, MD, FACS
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Bariatric Surgery
Dr. Robert E. Alleyn graduated from the University Of Texas Medical School Of Houston and completed general residency training at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, Texas. Dr. Alleyn served in the US Army at Darnell Army Hospital in Fort Hood, Texas. He was part of the 475th MASH unit in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Dr. Alleyn is board certified in general surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Alleyn also completed a mini fellowship in laparoscopic bariatric surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Alleyn has practiced surgery in the Rio Grande Valley since 1991 and bariatric surgery since 2004.
- Raul Barreda, Jr., MD, FACS
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General Surgery
Dr. Raul Barreda is board certified in general surgery, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Barreda specializes in trauma, vascular, biliary, colorectal, breast, hernia, and minimally invasive surgery. He serves as the Chief of Surgery and Director of Trauma at DHR Health.
Dr. Barreda received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston with general surgery residency training at Texas Tech Health Science Center.
- Lisa Chapa, MD
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General Surgery – Breast Surgery
Dr. Lisa Chapa, a McAllen native, is a Board-Certified General Surgeon at DHR Health General Surgery Institute and serves as the Director of the Breast Center of Excellence at DHR Health. With experience in providing patients with compassionate care, her specialty is caring for patients with breast cancer as well as those with benign conditions of the breast that warrant surgery. She also evaluates and cares for patients who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer due to genetic mutations or a history of high risk lesions discovered through biopsy. Dr. Chapa believes in practicing evidence based medicine and following the most up-to-date guidelines to provide the highest standard of care. She is specially trained in Breast Surgical Oncology and performs oncoplastic breast conserving surgeries as well as mastectomies - including skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies. She routinely performs sentinel lymph node biopsies for axillary staging in patients with early stage breast cancer.
Dr. Chapa graduated from medical school at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and completed her General Surgery Residency at Baylor Scott & White hospital in Temple, Texas. She returned to the Rio Grande Valley to care for her own family and friends after completing her surgical fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology within the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, New York.
- Edgar Cruz-Gonzalez, MD, FACS
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General Surgery – Surgical Critical Care
Dr. Edgar Cruz-Gonzalez is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. With 32 years of experience, Dr. Cruz specializes in minimally invasive, vascular, and critical care surgery. He performs a wide range of general surgery procedures, with a special interest in laparoscopic GERD surgery.
Dr. Cruz received his medical degree from Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University in the Dominican Republic. He received general surgery residency training at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York and the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville. He continued his education with a surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville.
- Mauricio De La Garza, MD
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Plastic Surgery
Dr. Mauricio De La Garza specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery, including breast reconstruction, complex wound reconstruction with microsurgery, and cosmetic surgery.
Dr. De la Garza trained in General Surgery at Northwestern University/ Northwestern Medical Center in Illinois, at Michigan State University/ Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, and at the University of Massachusetts/ Berkshire Medical Center. He subsequently transferred to the Southern Illinois University Institute for Plastic Surgery, where he completed an Integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency.
- Carlos Garcia-Cantu, MD, FACS
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General Surgery – Surgical Critical Care
Dr. Carlos Garcia-Cantu is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. With over 31 years of experience, Dr. Garcia specializes in breast, hernia, vascular and trauma surgery.
Dr. Garcia received his medical degree from Universidad de Monterrey. He conducted internal medicine residency training at Mount Vernon Hospital-New York Medical College. He also completed general surgery residency training at New York Medical College Cabrini Medical Center. Dr. Garcia conducted a surgical critical care fellowship at Lincoln Hospital Center-New York Medical College.
- Rachel Giese, MD
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Head and Neck Surgery
- J. Andres Gonzalez, MD, FACS
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General Surgery – Vascular Surgery
Dr. Jose Andres Gonzalez is board certified in general surgery and vascular surgery, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. With nearly 30 years of experience, Dr. Gonzalez specializes in vascular, critical care, and minimally invasive surgery.
Dr. Gonzalez received his medical degree from Universidad Autónoma de Neuvo León, where he also received general surgery residency training at the University Hospital of Universidad Autónoma de Neuvo León. Dr. Gonzalez also completed general surgery residency training at James H. Quillen College of Medicine in Tennessee. He continued his education with a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Arizona.
- Victor Haddad, MD, FACS, FRCS, (C) RVT
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General Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Dr. Victor Haddad is board certified in general surgery and vascular surgery, providing surgical care for a broad range of diseases and disorders. With 45 years of experience. Dr. Haddad specializes in vascular, breast, and laparoscopic surgery.
Dr. Haddad received his medical degree from National Autonomous University of Mexico. He completed general surgery residency training at St. Agnes Hospital in Maryland, where he was named Chief Resident. Dr. Haddad continued his education with a general surgery fellowship at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Massachusetts.
- David Antonio Mateo de Acosta, MD
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Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. David Mateo de Acosta specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery, including complex wound reconstruction, hand surgery, and cosmetic surgery at DHR Health Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Institute. Dr. Mateo is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. David Mateo de Acosta received his medical degree in La Salle University in Mexico City. After General Surgery training at the University of Illinois, he completed his fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the world renowned aesthetic surgeons, Luis Vascones and James Grotting. Dr. David Mateo de Acosta has completed several post graduate courses on the advance management of maxillofacial trauma, pre-pectoral breast reconstruction, and flap dissection. He is fluent in English and Spanish and has a special interest on breast reconstruction and after-massive weight loss body contouring.
- Alberto Pena, MD, FACS, FASCRS
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Colorectal Surgery – General Surgery
Dr. Alberto Peña is board certified in colon and rectal surgery as well as general surgery. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the colon, rectum and anus, using both complex and minimally invasive surgical procedures. He also performs routine and diagnostic colonoscopy. Dr. Peña also offers anorectal physiology and treats fecal incontinence.
Dr. Peña received his medical degree from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He completed an internship and residency training in general surgery at Methodist Health System in Dallas, TX. He also completed colon and rectal surgery residency training at the University of Southern California.
- Jeffrey Skubic, DO
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Surgical Critical Care
Dr. Jeffrey Skubic is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both Surgical Critical Care and General Surgery, and is the only surgeon in the Rio Grande Valley to have completed an Acute Care Surgery fellowship. Dr. Skubic specializes in trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care.
As part of the Rio Grande Valley’s largest and most comprehensive surgical team, Dr. Skubic offers patients the latest in trauma surgical treatment and technology. He provides a wide range of surgical care, with minimally invasive options for conditions such as tracheostomy, feeding tube insertion, hernia repair, gallbladder removal, video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and thoracic reconstruction for rib fractures and sternal fractures.
Dr. Skubic earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Science in Musculoskeletal Medicine at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology, located in Old Westbury, New York. His general surgery residency was completed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. That is where he found a passion in trauma surgery and decided to attend Harvard University (The Brigham and Women’s Hospital) to pursue a fellowship in acute care surgery / critical care. In addition to his education, Dr. Skubic has been a recipient of many awards including 2019 Surgery Faculty of the Year and Surgery Intern of the Year. He is also a member of several professional societies (EAST, AAST and Pan-American Trauma) and is widely published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Dr. Skubic is bi-lingual and speaks English and Spanish.
- Samuel Snyder, MD
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Endocrine and General Surgery
Samuel K. Snyder M.D., F.A.C.S. is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a member of the American and International Associations of Endocrine Surgeons, American Thyroid Association, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and specializes in endocrine surgery treating a range of disorders impacting the body’s endocrine system through open and minimally invasive surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands.
Dr. Snyder earned his medical degree at Loyola University School of Medicine located in Maywood, Illinois. He completed a surgery internship and general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Snyder has had several academic and hospital appointments and has been heavily involved in the training of general surgery residents and endocrine surgery fellows. He has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, is widely published in peer-reviewed medical journals, the author of several book chapters and a member of several professional societies, including several Endocrine Surgical Associations.
