Specialist Overview: A Record of Clinical and Peer-Reviewed Excellence
This awards hub represents the culmination of over a decade of verified clinical achievement in the field of hernia surgery and abdominal wall reconstruction. These honors are not merely accolades; they are the result of rigorous peer-review, high-volume surgical success, and a commitment to patient safety. Dr. Todd Harris is recognized by the medical community as a leader in innovative, narcotic-free surgical pathways and anatomic restoration.
- OCMA Physician of Excellence (11 Consecutive Years: 2015–2026): A prestigious peer-nominated award from the Orange County Medical Association, recognizing the top tier of surgical specialists in Southern California.
- Castle Connolly Top Doctor: Nationally recognized for clinical excellence. Castle Connolly’s selection process is led by a physician-led research team that identifies doctors who are among the very best in their specialties.
- Super Doctors (Southern California): A designation awarded only to the top 5% of physicians in the region, based on a rigorous multi-step process that includes peer nominations and independent research on professional achievement.
- ACHQC Verified Surgeon of Quality: A clinical designation recognizing Dr. Harris’s active role in the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative, where patient outcomes are benchmarked against national standards.
The Science of Excellence
At California Hernia Specialists, these credentials are supported by Dr. Harris’s role as the Principal Investigator for the NOPIOIDS clinical trial (NCT05929937) and his published research in the National Library of Medicine (PMID: 39724506). This combination of national research leadership and elite peer recognition ensures that our patients receive world-class care in Newport Beach.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors Award – Tens Years in a Row (2015-2026)
Most people would agree that gambling with their health care is a dangerous idea. When it comes to medical care, excellence and expertise are crucially important. Yet Americans receive top-quality care from their doctors and hospitals only about half of the time. From inadequate screening during routine checkups to subpar treatment of critical illnesses, inferior care can have costly and tragic results. Too often, patients simply don’t know how to find the best doctors, trained to deliver the best care.
Castle Connolly takes this challenge seriously. Since the company’s founding in 1991, our “Top Doctors” guides have been identifying the nation’s best doctors and hospitals in every part of the country and in every medical specialty. Our lists are based on peer nominations and professional assessments by our physician-led research team not on hype, advertising, or third parties that have something to gain by recommending a particular provider. Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors are rigorously selected from among hundreds of thousands of physicians. Our intensive research methodology is designed to identify doctors that will speed patients’ healing, minimize pain and discomfort, shorten recovery periods and enhance and lengthen lives – in other words, achieve the best possible health outcomes. -From Castle Connolly
Orange County Medical Association Physician of Excellence Award – Ten Years in a Row (2015-2026)
Dr. Harris was awarded the 2014 – 2025 Physician of Excellence Award. The Orange County Register publishes its annual health issue and lists Orange County’s Physicians of Excellence. The Physicians of Excellence (POE) program was started by the Orange County Medical Association in 2004 (published January 2005) to take the place of the Best Doctors program that was previously used by the magazine. The purpose was to localize the selection process and to have defined selection criteria that were easy to measure.
The OCMA Board, when venturing into the POE program, recognized the fact that all physicians meet a standard of excellence simply by the fact that they have completed the training and education necessary to become medical doctors. However, there are some who go above and beyond in serving their profession and patients, and as a result, the OCMA Board believed that by creating the POE program it would be able to recognize and honor those physicians.
Super Doctors and Rising Star Awards – Ten Years in a Row
Dr. Todd S. Harris was awarded the 2014 – 2022 Southern California Super Doctors Award. Approximately 5 percent of the physicians within Southern California are named to Super Doctors (2019-2022) and no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list (2014-2018)!
Dr. Harris is the only hernia surgeon to have received the Rising Stars award and Super Doctors award for both the last 5 years. Rising Stars is awarded to outstanding physicians who have been fully licensed to practice medicine in their respective specialty for approximately 10 years or less. Physicians are leaders in their field and are rising through the ranks of the medical field in Southern California and nationwide. Read more on our Super Doctors page.
Dr. Harris Selected as ACHQC Verified Surgeon of Quality
The goal of the ACHQC Verified Surgeon of Quality program is to recognize and distinguish participating surgeons for their dedication to improving the quality and value of health care for patients who suffer from hernia disease and diseases of the abdominal wall or abdominal core. Improved quality and value are realized through the consistent entry of data in the ACHQC Registry and participation in ACHQC’s continuous quality improvement programs.
ACHQC leadership believes surgeons focusing on quality improvement efforts will perform at their highest level. We hope that through this verification program, surgeons will be recognized by their peers and broader network for their dedication to improving the quality and value of patient care in their communities.
Dr. Harris was presented with the ACHQC Verified Surgeon of Quality recognition for fulfilling the qualities and traits outlined above. This designation provides a recognition that the quality of care being provided is above and beyond the typical care being provided at other surgeons offices in the community.
Through participation in research with the ACHQC, our hernia center can ensure that we are following the highest standards of care for our patients, as well helping to define parameters for quality for future patients. Without being active in research and outcome tracking, an individual surgeon could not validate his or her level of care.
Dr. Harris, Thank you for saving Justin’s life. You saw how much he suffered. When no pediatric surg/gi would touch him, you saved him!
