Physician Partners of America (PPOA) is pleased to announce the addition of a new board-certified pain medicine specialist to its Fort Worth, TX practice.

Dr. Rinoo Vasant Shah, M.D., M.B.A., is board certified in pain medicine, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. He has been practicing medicine since 1995 and completed a residency in clinical anesthesia at Cornell University Medical Center and an accredited fellowship in pain medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The university recognized Dr. Shah as their most outstanding teacher and faculty member. He joins PPOA after practicing as an interventional pain physician at Baylor Scott and White in Dallas. Dr. Shah has also served as a clinical professor of anesthesiology at LSUHSC Shreveport.

“I am excited to join Physician Partners of America and look forward to contributing my experience to this practice,” says Dr. Shah. “PPOA has an exceptional reputation for patient treatment, compassionate pain management, and patient advocacy.”

Dr. Shah has served in clinical pain management roles in Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York and is currently licensed to practice medicine in New York, Texas, and Louisiana. He has also served as the program director for a multidisciplinary pain fellowship and the director of chronic pain services at Ochsner-Louisiana University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He has been recognized by Becker’s among 150 Pain Physicians to Know. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology, and medicine from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

A prolific medical writer and editor, Dr. Shah’s works have appeared in PAIN Practice, Pain Physician, Spine, and the Clinical Journal of Pain. He has authored peer-reviewed publications in top medical journals and publishers on advanced interventional pain procedures, novel approaches, patient safety, malpractice litigation, patient outcomes, palliative care, evidence-based medicine, and patient access to interventional care. In addition, he has served on the boards of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians and the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.

With the addition of the services Dr. Shah brings to PPOA, PPOA will offer more solutions for more patients, giving livelihoods back through personalized, long-term pain treatment.

Taufiq Ahmed, M.D. is a pain management specialist with Pain Relief Center’s, an affiliate of Physician Partners of America, Orlando clinic.

Although he is a New Jersey native, Dr. Ahmed earned his medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 2005 and was named the school’s Intern of the Year during his transitional medicine internship. He completed his anesthesiology residency at the Emory University School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology (Georgia), and his fellowship in interventional pain medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology.

He began his career as an anesthesiologist at Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston, Va., and was later hired by the University of Florida School of Medicine Shands Jacksonville (Florida) Hospital, ultimately bringing him to Florida.

Dr. Ahmed is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, among others.

“My goal is always to improve quality of life and functionality.” –Taufiq Ahmed, M.D.

Dr. Ahmed is multilingual, speaking Urdu and Hindi in addition to English. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, hiking, travel and fitness.

Alejandro G. Tapia, M.D., is a board-certified and fellowship-trained interventional pain management physician located at both our Boynton Beach and Wellington, FL clinics. He uses his extensive medical knowledge and experience in minimally invasive techniques to treat spinal pain.

A native of Cuba, Dr. Tapia is bilingual in English and Spanish. He earned his medical degree from Universidad Central del Este Facultad de Medicina in San Pedro, Dominican Republic. He completed his Anesthesiology residency training at the University of Miami, and completed his internship at the Department of Surgery at the University of South Alabama. He completed fellowship training in Interventional Pain Medicine at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Tapia has always had a passion for medicine. “I like to help others,” he says, “seeing them become pain free is a reward.” He also enjoys the opportunity to utilize the most advanced treatments to better serve his patients.

Dr. Tapia is a member of the International Spine Intervention Society, Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Dr. Nieves is an AGME fellowship-trained, board-certified pain management specialist with Physician Partners of America’s Hurst, Texas clinic. He specializes in treating all pain conditions using minimally invasive techniques instead of symptom-masking medications.

A Sacramento, Calif., native, he received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and trained in anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He later completed his residency in family medicine at John Peter Smith Health Network. After completing a fellowship in sports medicine at JPS Health Network, he was then selected as one of a few trainees in a prestigious interventional pain management program with JPS Health Network and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Nieves was inspired at a young age to pursue a career in medicine when his uncle was diagnosed with cancer. Seeing him in pain and struggle to find relief gave Luis Nieves the motivation to take action. He vowed to help patients find the pain relief they deserve. Today, he says his greatest reward is transforming the lives of the patients he treats.

“Seeing people come in with chronic and crippling pain and leave with a new and improved lifestyle is the best part of what I do,” says Dr. Nieves, “It is so rewarding.”

He also supports important causes, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where he has given lectures, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

In his spare time, Dr. Nieves enjoys reading science fiction, working on electronics such as computers, and spending time with his wife, who he met in the medical field.

Dr. Mauricio Orbegozo is a highly experienced anesthesiologist and pain management specialist practicing at PPOA’s Fletcher clinic in Tampa.

A United States Air Force war veteran, he is also a published author, educator and public speaker.

Born in Fort Thomas, Ky., Dr. Orbegozo grew up in Colombia, where he also graduated medical school from Universidad del Rosario in Bogota. Inspired by his father’s career in medicine, he went on to complete post-graduate training in general surgery, anesthesiology and pain management. He’s been an instructor in anesthesiology and pain management at two Texas universities, and has maintained licensure as a physician and surgeon in four states.

That brought him to PPOA’s Fletcher location, where he is highly rated for both skill and compassion. “We are offering more therapeutic and less diagnostic results,” he says. “I also enjoy patient interaction and getting to know my patients, as well as teaching.”

Dr. Orbegozo is particularly interested in developing endoscopic — or small-incision — surgical procedures for PPOA. “This is the future of spine surgery,” he says. “With this, we can incorporate laser and other ablative devices that provide longer-term relief.”

He has been instrumental in PPOA’s intrathecal and spinal cord stimulation treatment programs and has written a book,  Practical Pain Management.

While he can point to many career highlights, Dr. Orbegozo is particularly proud of achieving successful results from new treatments and procedures. “I also very much enjoy being involved in the Florida initiative in containing the opioid crisis and participating in conferences of this nature,” he says.

During his free time, Dr. Orbegozo enjoys remaining active by playing tennis, running, swimming, cooking, and participating in triathlons.