MD, FACS
Dr. Craig
Morgenthal
Dr. Craig Morgenthal is a Board-Certified General Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons who specializes in minimally invasive surgery of the gastrointestinal tract and abdomen. He studied pre-med at the University of Texas at Austin before attending the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University and completing Surgical and Chief Residency at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Dr. Morgenthal completed a two-year research and clinical fellowship in advanced laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Since 2008 Dr. Morgenthal has been the Medical Director for the Baptist Center for Bariatric and Reflux Surgery, which is an Accredited Center in the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery joint quality improvement program. He specializes in bariatric (weight loss) surgery as well anti-reflux surgery for the treatment of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and heartburn and swallowing disorders. Dr. Morgenthal also has expertise in hernia repair, gallbladder removal, colorectal surgery, appendectomy, and adrenal and spleen operations. He repairs many types of hernias including inguinal (groin), umbilical, incisional or ventral, as well as hiatal and paraesophageal hernias. Dr. Morgenthal uses minimally invasive surgery techniques, tailored to the patient’s medical and surgical history, including laparoscopic and robotic approaches, although occasionally an open approach is needed for these procedures. He performs revisional or re-operative surgery and often operates on patients with increased risk due to their medical or surgical history.
Watch an interview with Dr. Morgenthal by clicking the link below.
Dr. Morgenthal has worked collaboratively with Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville nurses, staff, and administration in his roles as Section Chief of the Division of General Surgery from 2011 to 2018, and current role as Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery from 2019 to present. He is a physician champion for, and founding member of, the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Committee for Baptist Health System. Dr. Morgenthal believes in minimizing pain and surgical stress and getting patients back to their usual life activities as seamlessly as possible. He practices with an evidence-based approach, and pays attention to all details in regards to a patient’s preoperative evaluation and risk modification, uses careful intraoperative technique, and partners with the amazing Baptist nursing team to ensure best practice postoperative care.
Dr. Morgenthal’s favorite part of his job is interacting with, and getting to know, his patients and the hospital staff. He strives to do the right thing for his patients, and he works with each patient as an individual to decide what that means for them. Educating patients on what to expect after surgery and what they can do to help themselves recover faster and have the best outcomes is a very important part of surgical care with Dr. Morgenthal. He states, “having the ability to help make a difference in another person’s life continues to inspire me on a daily basis”.
When he’s not at the hospital Dr. Morgenthal enjoys spending time with his wife, three sons, and two dogs. Originally from New York, he loves that his home is now Jacksonville. During free time he most enjoys being outside on the St. John’s River, going to the beach, as well as discovering new things to do in Jacksonville, Florida, the Southeast, and beyond. He loves music and reading the local and national newspapers. He’s fan of sports in general, but mainly of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Texas Longhorns, as well as Jacksonville University’s lacrosse team.
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Our Doctors
Courtland Polley
MD
Alexander Rose
MD, FACS
Gordon Polley
MD, FACS
David Niemeyer
MD, FACS
Craig Morgenthal
MD, FACS
Dr. Steven Hodgett
MD, FACS
Our PA-Cs
Kasey Colborne
PA-C
David Scott Currie
PA-C
Marisa Long
PA-C
