Don graduated from the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program at the

University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. He began his

medical career serving as a medic in the U.S. Army, where he also earned the Expert

Field Medical Badge. After the military, Don became a respiratory therapist, and worked in

trauma and critical care in Chicago and Portland. Prior to joining the practice, he gained

18 years of experience as a PA in neurosurgery. Don has lived in the Pacific Northwest

since 2000. He is a father of three, and is an avid surfer and chess player.

Eric Nguyen, PA-C Is a board certified Physician Assistant who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Portland State University with Bachelor of Science.  He then earned his  Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at Salus University.  He is passionate about spine surgery and takes pride in empowering patients through education and collaboration. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his family.

Kelsey is a nationally certified Physician Assistant. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego then went on to earn her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Midwestern University in Phoenix, AZ. Outside of the office she enjoys exploring her new home in the Pacific Northwest trying new restaurants, hiking, and spending time with family.   Ms. Gretzinger is a physician assistant for Dr. Tatsumi.

Nicole is a board certified Physician Assistant with a background in Athletic Training. She has dedicated her career to orthopedics with 11 years of general orthopedics and sports medicine experience before joining Oregon Spine Care. Her professional passion is helping others return to what they love to do most. Personally, Nicole is an avid dancer, likes to ski, hike, kayak and cherishes time spent with her family and Australian Shepard. She also enjoys taking advantage of Portland’s diverse food scene.

Undergraduate Education: University of Wisconsin – Madison, BS Kinesiology – Exercise Science, Certificate in Athletic Training

Graduate/Medical Education: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, MS Physician Assistant Practice

Dr. DePasse is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon who graduated from Stanford with a Bachelor of Science, studied medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and completed an orthopedic surgery residency and subsequent orthopedic trauma fellowship at Brown University. He then finished a spine surgery fellowship at Philadelphia’s prestigious Rothman Orthopaedic Institute under the direction of Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD. At Rothman, Dr. DePasse trained in the newest spine surgery techniques. He has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed orthopedic and spine surgery journals and co-authored multiple book chapters.

Dr. Alexander Ching is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon with over a decade of experience. He specializes in spinal deformity and minimally invasive spine procedures and treats a full range of spine conditions, including bulging discs, spinal stenosis, and sciatica. He is also trained in cervical disc replacement and other forms of cervical spine surgery.

Dr. Ching graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts, and attended medical school at Columbia University. He then completed his orthopedic internship and residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, as well as a spine surgery fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University. Before joining Oregon Spine Care, Dr. Ching was an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Sciences University for about 8 years.

Throughout his career, Dr. Ching has been heavily involved in research on the treatment of spine conditions. He has published numerous journal articles in Spine and the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and has given lectures on the national level. He has been named as one of Portland’s Top Doctors for several years in a row. Dr. Ching is a member of a number of academic societies focused on spine surgery including the Cervical Spine Research Society and the Lumbar Spine Research Society.

Dr. Tatsumi is a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon. He was born and raised in Beaverton, OR and graduated from Sunset High School. He completed his medical school and residency training at Oregon Health & Sciences University. He then completed his spine fellowship training at the Los Angeles Spine Institute under the direction of Rick Delamarter, MD.

Dr. Tatsumi specializes in minimally invasive surgery and has extensive training in artificial disc replacement for the neck and low back.  

Dr. Tatsumi has been involved in clinical research studies for the following technologies.

• Cervical disc replacement clinical trial : Spine Art Baguera and Synergy
• Disc replacement: Mobi C, Pro Disc C and Pro Disc L
• Anterior lumbar fusion: Depuy Synfix 
• Expandable interbody technology: Globus

Awards and Recommended Links

• Portland Monthly Top Doctor Award
• Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award
• Dr. Tatsumi was awarded “40 under 40” by Portland Business Journal.
• Dr. Tatsumi has been recognized as one of the “100 Spine Surgeons and Specialists to Know” by Becker’s ASC Review.
• Dr. Tatsumi was awarded the Aetna Smart Compare for Spine Surgery designation.

 Concierge Program

• If you want to be evaluated by Dr. Tatsumi within 1-2 weeks then ask our new patient coordinators about joining the Concierge Program.  You have priority access to Dr. Tatsumi and he can help coordinate your spine care in an expedited fashion.