Faces of Medicine
Meet Dr. John Gastaldo

Dr. John Gastaldo has always been passionate about science. As a student at a school for the gifted in New York City, he excelled in chemistry and computer technology, and actually built a computer, which won first place in the state science fair. It was a television show which first attracted him to medicine. The show was Ben Casey, and Dr. Casey was a neurosurgeon.

His decision to become a surgeon doesn’t leave much time for watching television anymore. He is one of the team of neurosurgeons at Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates. During his fifteen years with the practice, his concentration has been on brain tumor surgery and gamma knife radiosurgery, in addition to general neurosurgery.

Dr. Gastaldo has worked diligently with other area physicians to create a risk retention group (RRG) to provide malpractice coverage through a self-insured approach. This development is critical to the delivery of medical care in Pennsylvania, given the current climate of skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates here. It is a mission near and dear to him, and he currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board of the RRG.

Background
John Gastaldo is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College, where he also had two years of general surgical training. He completed his neurosurgical residency at Temple University Hospital, joined Lancaster NeuroScience in 1989, and has made Lancaster his home ever since. He has been active with local and state medical organizations, having served as past president of the Lancaster County Medical Society and the Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society, and on the executive council of the latter. He is also a past chief of neurosurgery at Lancaster Regional Medical Center.

In his own words...
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
"It was very direct, and very good advice: Just do your best and don’t take potshots at other people. It came from a local surgeon who is also a good friend."

What would you say to a doctor just completing medical education?
"Be sure you enjoy what you do – it’s a very rewarding career. Don’t go into it for any other reasons."

What qualities do you think it takes to make a good surgeon?
"Compassion and sound judgment."

Most influential person in your life?
"That would be Dr. William Bucheit, my professor, and Chairman of Neurosurgery at Temple."

What are you’re impressions of Lancaster?
"I’m very content in Lancaster, I feel very fortunate to be here. I grew up in New York City, but I love the countryside."

What do you think of Lancaster’s medical community?
"I believe that the quality of medicine that is available here is as good as at any university. It’s on a par with every university experience I’ve come across."

How do you think the U.S. health care system compares with other countries?
"I recently attended a conference in Marseilles, and it reminded me of how spoiled we are here, in terms of the access to good care. In many countries, you wait for months and months for specialized procedures. And state of the art equipment is something we take for granted."

What is the greatest threat to the medical profession?
"The malpractice burden is the biggest problem we have today."

If you could tell people one thing to do for their health, what would it be?
"Stop smoking! The two most difficult things for patients to do is to quit smoking and to lose weight."

What would you be, if not a surgeon?
"A pilot."

Activities in your spare time?
"Building scale models of airplanes and boats."

Book that you are reading now?
"Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons."

What CD’s are you favorites?
Right now I am listening to a set of language discs, attempting to learn Italian.