Rafael Jose Diaz-Garcia, MD
Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute
Affiliations
Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Health Quality Network
Specialties
Hand Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery
About Rafael Jose Diaz-Garcia, MD
Rafael Diaz-Garcia, M.D., FACS, is an orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. He specializes in peripheral nerve surgery to treat neuropathic pain, nerve compression (carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, radial tunnel, etc.), nerve lacerations/injuries as well as brachial plexus pathology, including neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. His clinical interests include the care of high-level athletes, arthroscopy and arthroplasty of the hand and wrist, arthritis, spasticity, treatment of rheumatologic diseases and microsurgical treatment of vascular insufficiency in the upper extremity.
Prior to joining Baptist Health, he was the director of medical operations and chief of plastic surgery at Allegheny Health Network, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He also served as a clinical associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Diaz-Garcia earned his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a master’s degree in healthcare management at the Johns Hopkins University – Carey Business School. He completed a general surgery internship and a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at the University of Michigan Health Systems. His postdoctoral training also includes a hand and upper extremity orthopedic surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of several professional organizations.
Dr. Diaz-Garcia has been named on such prestigious lists as Castle Connolly – Top Doctors. He serves as a reviewer for HAND and regional editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online and his work in orthopedic hand surgery is widely published in peer-reviewed medical journals. He frequently lectures on the management of nerve injuries in the upper and lower extremities, as well as limb salvage after trauma or cancer.
Dr. Diaz-Garcia is an early adopter of targeted muscle reinnervation for the management of neuromas and phantom pain in patients with limb loss. He has more than ten years of experience utilizing this procedure and finds it extremely gratifying to provide pain relief to those who have been told there are no options.
Dr. Diaz-Garcia takes time to understand his patients’ goals and educate them on possible outcomes so, together, they can determine the best course of treatment. Whether he is treating athletes so they can return to sport performance or helping stroke patients with spasticity, he says that watching patients improve their quality of life post-operatively is the most rewarding part of his profession.
Dr. Diaz-Garcia is fluent in English and Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, reading nonfiction books, boating and traveling with his wife.
Provider Gender
Male
Language
English
Spanish
Age Groups Seen
Adults (18+)
Adults (65+)
Hospital Affiliations
Baptist Hospital of Miami
Doctors Hospital
South Miami Hospital
West Kendall Baptist Hospital
Education & Training
Education
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Fellowship Program, Surgery, Orthopaedic Hand, 2014
University of Michigan Medical Center
Residency Program, Surgery, Plastic, 2013
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Medical School, 2007
Certifications
Plastic Surgery
American Board of Plastic Surgery, 2015
Surgery of the Hand
American Board of Plastic Surgery, 2016
Locations
Accepted Insurance
Note: Health plans that are currently contracted with Baptist Health are listed below. However, please check with our insurance provider to verify that Baptist Health is part of your provider network.
Aetna
Avmed
Beech Street
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BC/BS)
CarePlus Health Plans
- Great West
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
Devoted Health
Dimension Health
First Health Network
FL Blue Medicare PPO
- Medicare HMO
- MyBlue
- POS
- PPO
Humana Commercial/Medicare/HMO/PPO
- Railroad
Multiplan
Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP)
Oscar Health Plan
Prominence Health
United Healthcare
- HMO
- NHP
- POS
- PPO
Ratings & Reviews
The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
4.8 / 5
