We all need a little expert help sometimes to stay at our best. For the past 13 years, Portland Monthly’s Top Doctors & Nurses feature has provided a peer-vetted go-to list of doctors, nurse practitioners, and complementary medicine providers in the Portland area. This year, we also included physician assistants (PAs), in recognition of their vital role in modern care.

So how do we make this list? We start our intensive five-month survey process by asking these professionals one question, spanning 75 medical specialties: to whom would they trust the care of their loved ones? Thousands participated in our 2016 survey, submitting more than 12,000 nominations. The list represents the top 5 percent of vote-getters, who were then carefully reviewed by a volunteer panel of local medical professionals. The result, we think, stands all on its own. 

Browse the searchable database here.

Methodology: Using a secure online survey system, Portland Monthly solicited peer nominations from every licensed doctor and registered nurse in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties. Participants logged in with their medical license number and were asked to nominate up to three names in each medical specialty; we specifically asked that they consider peers to whom they would entrust their own families’ care. After the votes were tallied, Portland Monthly compiled a list of the top vote recipients in each specialty and confirmed that they were all certified to practice in their fields by their respective medical licensing board. Next, we gathered an independent, voluntary, and anonymous panel of doctors and nurse practitioners representing a range of local hospitals and private clinics to assess each finalist by their accomplishments, education, patient satisfaction surveys, and other evidence-based criteria.