Miguel F Alvelo-Rivera, MD

Biographical Statement

Dr. Alvelo-Rivera was born and raised in a small town in the mountains of Puerto Rico. He was inspired to pursue a career in medicine after losing a loved one to cancer. He completed the initial phase of his education and training at the University of Puerto Rico and then attended the University of Pittsburgh for specialty training. While at the University of Pittsburgh, he was part of a trailblazing surgical team that brought minimally invasive surgical treatment of esophageal cancer to become the standard of care.

Dr. Alvelo-Rivera has been a visiting surgeon and/or lecturer at numerous national and international locations including Italy, Abu Dhabi, Germany, India, The Netherlands and Argentina.

Dr. Alvelo-Rivera is an advocate of serving rural as well as underserved communities. He devoted a 5-year period of his career to initiating and developing a thoracic surgery program in north-central Michigan to allow patients access to care without having to travel away from their families.

Care Philosophy

"I strive to care for my patients as if they were my own family, such that their concerns and needs are fully met to the highest standards of care and with diligence and compassion. My goals when providing care for my patients revolve around maintaining their quality of life, achieving a quick recovery and return to normal life, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. I firmly believe that if my patients understand their conditions, they are better equipped to participate in their care; for this reason, I emphasize patient education in every interaction."

Research Interests

Dr. Alvelo-Rivera's main research interests revolve around the management of thoracic cancer as well as developing minimally invasive approaches to surgery of the lung and foregut.

Awards & Honors

• Thoracic Surgery Faculty of the Year, University of Pittsburgh (2008)