The Spine Team

Christine Baldus, RN, MHS
Clinical and Research Nurse

Chris has been with Dr. Bridwell since 1984. Her role as a Clinical and Research Nurse allows her to interact with patients and work on important research projects. Chris assists Dr. Bridwell when he meets with patients, helping out with tasks such as measuring the patient's spinal curve on an x-ray and taking patient histories.

Chris also enrolls, tracks, and collects data or "outcome scores" on surgery patients. (A couple of examples of outcome scores used by Dr. Bridwell are the Oswestry Disability Index—often simply called the Oswestry—and the SRS-22.) By comparing these before and after scores, Dr. Bridwell's spine team has a good idea of how well the treatment worked to improve a patient's pain, quality of life, and more.

Dr. Bridwell is committed to research and developing better ways to treat patients, and Chris monitors these projects. Because Chris has worked extensively on Dr. Bridwell's clinical research projects, she's able to help other doctors design studies and do statistical analysis.

"Dr. Bridwell has been a wonderful mentor and teacher for me over the years. I firmly believe he has the patient's best interest in mind. A poor outcome for the patient is a poor outcome for him. If I or any family member required spinal surgery, I would settle for no less than the best: Keith Bridwell."

Jacqueline Green, RMA
Medical Assistant II

Since 2007, Jackie has been Dr. Bridwell's Medical Assistant.  She does a lot of "behind the scenes" work to make sure patients' appointments go smoothly.  That means she works with the patients, Dr. Bridwell, and the spine team so that everyone is prepared for the appointment.

Jackie is one of the first people many patients speak to at Dr. Bridwell's office because she coordinates his appointments.  Before patients even come in for their first appointment, Jackie works closely with them.  She helps them know what information and documents to send in, among other important details.  Then throughout their time as Dr. Bridwell's patient, Jackie works with them to schedule all appointments, tests, and procedures.

Jackie is also in charge of keeping patients' charts accurate.  If additional medical records are needed for a patient, Jackie takes care of getting those from the appropriate sources (other hospitals or doctors, for example).  After each office visit, she updates a patient's chart with new test results, procedure notes, and Dr. Bridwell's dictation about the appointment.

"I have seen great life changes in many of our patients, and it's always a joy to see them smile again."

Cheri Richard, RN, MSN, APRN-BC
Nurse Practitioner

Cheri joined Dr. Bridwell's team in 2007 as his Nurse Practitioner. She's very involved with patients before, during, and after surgery.

Before surgery, Cheri evaluates each patient's chart to make sure that all the proper surgical documents are there and that the spine team is fully prepared. She also meets with patients and their families to thoroughly explain what's going to happen in the surgery and what to expect afterwards. Cheri stays right by the patient as they go to sleep in the operating room.

During surgery, Cheri assists Dr. Bridwell directly, and after surgery, she follows the patient's progress and recovery closely during their time in the hospital. Cheri is attentive, dedicated, and compassionate, which helps Dr. Bridwell's patients have positive surgical experiences. She enjoys working with patients as they overcome years of emotional and physical pain—to find contentment with their new posture and life after surgery.

"I celebrate the ongoing success of Dr. Bridwell's patients and feel honored to be a part of a unique team that makes such a difference in the lives of our patients."

Donna Sander
Academic Administrative Assistant

As Dr. Bridwell's Academic Administrative Assistant, Donna handles his personal, teaching, and speaking schedules.  Every year, Dr. Bridwell is invited to speak at meetings and conferences across America and around the world.  Donna helps him prepare for those by putting together his PowerPoint presentations; from those, Dr. Bridwell teaches other surgeons about his cases, treatments, and research.

Donna also prepares Dr. Bridwell's manuscripts for publication.  Considering that he has published more articles on clinical outcomes with pediatric and adult spinal deformity surgery than anyone else in the world, Donna is a very necessary part of his team.

Patients won't have much interaction with Donna because she focuses exclusively on his academic work.  However, Donna is responsible for coordinating and balancing his academic commitments with his all-important patient commitments so that Dr. Bridwell can effectively contribute to the medical community and serve his patients.

"Dr. Bridwell is a wonderful boss and spine surgeon.  I like working closely with Dr. Bridwell's nurse and medical assistant to keep everything running smoothly."