W. Blake Rodgers, M.D.
Dr. Rodgers is president of Spine Midwest, Inc. and Spine Midwest Research, Inc.
His surgical practice in Jefferson City, Missouri is predominately dedicated to the treatment of degenerative conditions of the lumbar, cervical, and thoracic spine with a smaller emphasis on neoplastic, deformity and traumatic conditions.
He graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University, where he received the Clarence W. Mendell Prize. He completed his medical degree at Harvard Medical School and was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. He served as a surgical intern at Massachusetts General Hospital and received his orthopaedic training in the Harvard Combined Residency Program in Orthopaedic surgery in Boston, Massachusetts. He served as Chief Resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Rodgers completed a fellowship in adult spinal surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Afterwards, he was the Ober Fellow in Pediatric Spinal and Orthopaedic Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. His research as Ober Fellow won the Richard Kilfoyle Prize from the New England Orthopaedic Society in 1996. He is board certified in orthopaedics by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Rodgers is Medical Director of the Spine Center at St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Association Europeene des Groupes de Recherche pour l’Osteosynthese Rachidienne (ARGOS), St. Mary’s Health Center and the Columbia Independent School. He is a member of the Development Board of Yale University and the National Board of Advisors of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Dr. Rodgers served as Chief of Spine Surgery at William Beaumont Army Medical Center while on active duty in the Army in 2003. He is Associate Editor of ARGOS Spine News.
Dr. Rodgers is a member of the North American Spine Society, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery and numerous other medical associations; he has published more than 30 articles in various peer-reviewed medical journals and has presented at academic meetings throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Edward J. Gerber, PA-C, MPT
Ed Gerber joined Spine Midwest in January 2007. He is the Clinical Manager at Spine Midwest and assists Dr. Blake Rodgers in his orthopedic spine practice.
Ed graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry from Quincy University in 1995. He attended graduate school at Midwestern University, where he earned his Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1998. He worked as a physical therapist in a sports medicine clinic in St. Louis, Missouri for four years. He returned to graduate school at St. Louis University, where he earned a Master of Medical Science degree in 2004. Ed passed his national boards in 2004 as a Certified Physician Assistant. He worked for several years in Springfield, Illinois with an orthopedic group before moving to Jefferson City.
Ed is a member of several national organizations: Physician Assistants of Orthopedic Surgery, American Academy of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He has presented at the Physician Assistants of Orthopedic Surgery National Conference for the past three years and most recently gave three presentations at the National Conference for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He has been published in several medical journals since joining Spine Midwest in January 2007.