News Release

Dr. Kurihara Expands His Role at HAMC

Dr. Wallace Kurihara has recently signed a 3 year contract with Heart of America Medical Center (HAMC) in Rugby.  This expands his current position to full-time beginning May 3.  The agreement coincides with the April 28 departure of Dr. Susanne Levene who has provided excellent medical care to her patients.

The team at HAMC recognizes the privilege of having such a distinguished General Surgeon on staff.   Dr. Kurihara brings with him over 30 years of experience as well as extensive credentials and peer recognition.  General Surgeons are truly specialists in medical services completing five or more years of residency and realizing numerous certifications for their rigorous training.

Dr. Kurihara is an Oregon native who pursued his understudy at the University of Oregon and attended medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.  Education was followed by enlisting in the U.S. Army and continuing his training through an Internship at the Madigan Army Med. Center, Ft. Lewis, WA.  He then served as an Army General Medical Officer in Wertheim, West Germany for two years before completing his Residency at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI. 

Nine years of service to our country during the Vietnam Era were concluded as a Staff Surgeon at the Irwin Army Hospital, Fort Riley, Kansas.  He proudly volunteered two weeks last year to cover shortages for the US Military at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Credentials include certification by the American Board of Surgery and Fellowship with the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Kurihara has membership in over ten societies and associations.  A brief list includes the Society for Vascular Surgery, American Society of General Surgeons, Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, and SAGES (Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons).  He was the first Vascular Fellowship trained surgeon in North Dakota.

Dr. Kurihara has presented over ten papers at association meetings.  He serves on the Univ. of Oregon Alumni Board of Directors and taught as an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Univ. of North Dakota School of Medicine.

North Dakota health care providers have been a significant part of Dr.Kurihara’s distinguished career.   With roughly 14 years of practice in our state he recently completed a nine year association with Altru in Grand Forks.  In seeking out Rugby he found an organization where he could provide skilled surgical services in a personalized and professional environment with staff and patients.