Dr. Staggs 'gravitated' to interventional pain practice

Family is an anchor for newest Mayfield physician

Dr. Donnie Staggs seems to seek out stability in his life.

He met his wife in seventh grade – "middle school sweethearts," he says. After he finished medical school at Wright State University, he wanted a focus where he could offer hands-on care with a predictable work schedule. He eventually found a home in interventional pain treatments.

Dr. Staggs and his wife Mallory have built their family life in Loveland around their two young daughters. He hopes their newest purchase, a camping trailer, will create adventures for the entire family.

"Our goal is to make the world smaller for our girls," Dr. Staggs says. "We want to give them all the great experiences they can possibly have."

And when looking for professional opportunities last year, he chose Mayfield Brain & Spine, an independent practice where he could see patients in Mayfield office clinics and provide pain treatments in Mercy Health hospitals. He started February 5 as Mayfield's newest physician.

Dr. Staggs sees patients two days a week at Mayfield's Norwood office and a third day at the West Chester office.

Dr. Staggs and wife Mallory

He performs procedures one day at The Jewish Hospital and one day at Mercy Hospital Fairfield. He also will perform traditional PM&R tests, such as EMGs, in Mayfield offices.

It's part of an evolving care model for Mayfield, increasing collaboration with health system partners to treat patients when and where they need care. As an independent practice, Mayfield physicians can perform procedures at the region's leading health systems, including Mercy Health, TriHealth, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and The Christ Hospital Health Network.

"You want to be close and convenient for the patients," Dr. Staggs says. "You also want to have enough control over the process so patients are getting the approvals and the medications they need. We're effectively extending our procedure sites."

Dr. Staggs grew up in northern Ohio, in a rural area near Wooster. His parents were both teachers, and he focused on potential careers pretty early in his education.

"I was always kind of motivated by science classes," he says. "I knew that I wanted to do something with that. Being a doctor seemed like a natural choice."

After medical school at Wright State, Dr. Staggs completed an internship there and then his residency at Emory University in Atlanta, where he was introduced to the practice of interventional pain.

"I picked PM&R (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) not knowing much about the interventional side of it," he says. "I gravitated to that right away. It was a perfect spot for me, being able to help patients relieve their pain."