North Carolina surgical assistants.
Extensively trained.
Exceptionally experienced.
Extremely capable.
The team of certified physician assistants at Elite Hands offers physicians in North Carolina many years of first assist surgical experience in multiple surgical specialties.
Harry Kurtz, PA-C
Harry has had a passion for medicine since childhood. He earned many badges on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, but none was more intriguing than First Aid, which opened his eyes to the world of health care. Watching an episode of “The Operation” in his early teens helped him focus on a career in surgery, and led to many hours volunteering in hospitals. He attended PA school at Nova Southeastern University, receiving the Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens award for Outstanding Surgical Achievement. He was then selected to join the 3rd Physician Assistant Surgical Residency class at Duke University, where his advanced skills enabled him to be treated as a PGY1 Resident working along doctors completing their residency. He has worked in numerous subspecialties, including cardiothoracic, general, bariatric, plastic, urology, OB/GYN, spine, orthopaedic and vascular surgery. Harry loves what he does, and strives to stimulate the same excitement and passion in the people he works with.
Don Drinkwater, PA-C
Don obtained his initial surgical training during six years of honorable service in the US Navy. He worked as a surgical tech through PA school, and graduated from the Surgical PA program at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH. He worked in a high-volume general, vascular, thoracics and gastroenterology surgical practice in Wilmington, NC for three years before moving to Cary, NC. After working as an assistant in multiple surgical specialties, he joined Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina in 2010, focusing on general and bariatric surgery. He became part of the Elite Hands team in 2012, to pursue his ambition to work across several surgical assisting areas, assist surgical patients in achieving their goals and promote patient wellness.
Brian Rojas, PA-C
A native of Richmond, VA, Brian graduated with honors from the PA program at Wake Forest University. Since graduating, he has worked for an orthopedic hospital service, an emergency medicine group, a general and vascular surgery group and the trauma surgery department of a leading regional hospital. Over the past two years he has assisted with nearly 100 da Vinci robotic cases, as well as orthopedic, plastics, ENT, OB/GYN, ortho/neuro spine, colorectal, and general and vascular surgery cases.
Kayla Checkovich, PA-C
Lisa David, PA-C
William Hawkins, PA-C
Sarah Hlavacek, PA-C
Rita Langworth, PA-C
Michael Modrow, PA-C
Nathaniel Ramsey, PA-C
Margaret Stowasser, PA-C
Robin Sumner, PA-C
Office Staff
Aashima Dutta
Brooke Murray
