Dr. Ratzman named ‘Top Doctor’

Every year Indianapolis Monthly publishes a list of the Top Doctors in the capital city. These doctors are chosen by Indiana specialists drawn from dozens of different medical fields. In 2023 Dr. David Ratzman, who practices in both Indianapolis and at Rush Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Rushville, was elected as a Top Doctor in Pain Management.

As a physician with both urban and rural practices, Dr. Ratzman is in a position to appreciate the importance of providing quality healthcare in all types of environments. He says, “I’m very honored to see patients and provide services in Rushville. I really enjoy seeing and taking care of the members of this community in a hometown setting. I’m grateful to CEO Brad Smith and Rush Memorial for having the vision to bring world class medicine to RMH. This is demonstrated by the presence of many specialists at the hospital.”  

When asked what attracted him to the field of Pain Management, Dr Ratzman said, “It’s very exciting to be able to identify the source of someone’s pain and treat the cause of the pain instead of just treating the pain with medications.”

Brad Smith, RMH CEO, described the difference Dr. Ratzman has made since coming to RMH: “I have especially appreciated seeing the decrease in prescription opioid use in Rush County. This decrease followed the arrival of Dr. Ratzman and Dr. Sahba Charkhzarrin (another RMH Pain Management physician). Drs. Ratzman and Charkhzarrin both focus on interventional pain management, which targets the underlying source of pain rather than simply writing prescriptions to treat the symptoms. Their approach has been very beneficial for the well-being of our patients and our community.”

Dr. Ratzman has served Hoosiers for over 25 years. He is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, he is triple board-certified in both Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine through the American Board of Anesthesiology, and in Pain Medicine through the American Board of Pain Medicine.

After completing his post-Doctoral Pain Medicine Fellowship, Dr. Ratzman then spent five years working in the sub-specialized Spinal Diagnostics and Pain Disorders section of Indianapolis Neurosurgical Group (now Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine). While there, he helped develop the first Pain Medicine fellowship program in the United States accredited by the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Dr. Ratzman has served on the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Pain Medicine, and the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s Scientific Review and Guidelines Committee. He has also served as President of the Indiana Society of Anesthesiologists. Additionally, he has served as a member of the Multispecialty Physician Workgroup (MPW), a national committee comprised of thought leaders from the major Pain Medicine stakeholder societies in the United States, formed in order to develop consensus opinions related to Medicare Pain Policies as well as to advise other governmental agencies, including the FDA.