Walter Sassard, MD

Kelsey-Seybold Medical Group Provider
PointerLanguage(s): English
2727 W. Holcombe Blvd.,
Houston,
TX
77025
Joined Kelsey-Seybold: April 2022
Ways to Schedule an Appointment
My Biography
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Professional Background
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Professional Associations
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Awards & Publications
- Golden Bone Excellence in Teaching Award, 2016. Annual resident award given by the Department of Orthopedic Surgery based on nominations from rotating medical students.
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) Annual Meeting 2016 Resident Scholarship Recipient. Meeting Dates: Sept 28 – Oct 1, 2016.
Publications Presentations
- Sassard WR, Heinig CF, Pitts WR: Posterior atlanto axial dislocation without fracture. Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, 56-A(3): 625-628, 1974.
- Brodsky AE, Denis MD, Sassard WR: Alveolar soft-part sarcoma. A case report. Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, 65-A(6): 841-842, 1983.
- Brodsky AE, Khalil MA, Sassard WR, Newman BP: Repair of symptomatic pseudarthrosis of anterior cervical fusion: posterior vs. anterior repair. Spine, 17(10): 1137-1143, 1992.
- Sassard WR, Kaestner GR, Khalil MA, Gray PM, Jr.: Circumferential lumbar spine fusion through a posterior approach. Ortho Transactions, 18(2), 1994.
- Sassard WR, Eidman DK, Gray Jr., PM, Block JE, Russo R, Russell JL, Taboada EM: Augmenting local bone with grafton demineralized bone matrix for posterolateral lumbar spine fusion: avoiding second site autologous bone harvest. Orthopedics, 23(10), October 2000.
- Cammisa, Jr., F.P., Lowery, G., Garfin, S.R., Geisler, F.H., Klara, P.M., McGuire, R.A., Sassard, W.R., Stubbs, H., Block, J.E. Two-Year Fusion Rate Equivalency Between Grafton® DBM Gel and Autograft in Posterolateral Spine Fusion. Spine, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp 660-666, 2004.
- Reitman, C.A., Watters, W.C., Sassard, W.R. The Cell Saver in Adult Lumbar Fusion Surgery. Spine, Vol. 29, No.14, pp1580-1584. 2004.
Presentations
- Sassard WR: The painful shoulder. Presented at Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses, Houston Chapter, Houston, Texas, October 5, 1987.
- Sassard, WR: Internal fixation of the lumbar spine with pedicle screws. Presented at National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses Workshop, Houston, Texas, October 19, 1990.
- Sassard WR: Surgical applications of pedicle screw spine instrumentation for fusions. Presented at VSP & ISOLA In-service for St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Orthopaedic Nursing Staff, Houston, Texas, February 15, 1992.
- Kaestner GR, Sassard WR, Brodsky AE, Watters WC III, Khalil MA: Four-year experience with pedicle screw fixation in lumbar spine fusion. Presented at Texas Orthopaedic Association, San Antonio, Texas, May 15, 1992.
- Sassard WR: Circumferential lumbar fusion. Presented at Orthopaedic Grand Rounds, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, May 29, 1992.
- Brodsky AE, Khalil MA, Sassard WR, Newman BP: Comparison of posterior vs. anterior repair for symptomatic pseudarthrosis of anterior interbody fusions of the cervical spine. Presented at 7th Annual North American Spine Society, Boston, Massachusetts, July 10, 1992.
- Sassard WR: Surgical treatment of disorders of the cervical spine. Presented at concurrent nursing program of 29th Annual St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Orthopaedic Symposium, Houston, Texas, April 22, 1992.
- Sassard WR, Kaestner GR, Khalil MA, Gray, Jr. PM: Circumferential lumbar fusion through a posterior approach. Presented at the 10th Annual Meeting of the Southern Orthopaedic Association, Vienna, Austria, August 12, 1993.
- Sassard WR, Kaestner GR, Khalil MA, Gray, Jr. PM: Circumferential lumbar fusion through a posterior approach. Presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Western Orthopaedic Association, Long Beach, California, August 15, 1994.
- Watters WC, Sassard WR, Siff SJ: The cell-saver in complex lumbar spine surgery: a cost-benefit outcomes study. Presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 66th Annual Meeting, Anaheim, California, February, 4, 1999.
- Sassard WR: Making Sense of Spine Surgery. Presented at National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses Meeting, Houston, Texas, 2010.
- Sassard WR: Head and Neck Trauma. Presented at National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses Meeting, Houston, Texas, 2011.
Locations
River Oaks Clinic
2040 W. Gray St., Suites 120 and 200,
Houston,
TX
77019
Hospital Affiliations
- St. Luke's Health - Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center
- Houston Methodist
Accepted Insurance
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Humana Plans
Humana
- KelseyCare Humana (learn more)
- Humana Choice POS
- Humana COT National POS Open Access
- Humana EPO PPO Open Access
- Humana National EPO
- Humana HMO Premier (Open Access)
- Humana PPO
- Humana Preferred PPO
- Humana Preferred POS (Open Access)
- Humana/ ChoiceCare Network PPO
- Humana/ChoiceCare+ Network PPO
- Humana National POS- Open Access
- Humana National POS-Open Access Plus
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans
Blue Cross Blue Shield
The specific BCBSTX PPO and HMO plans in which Kelsey-Seybold participates are:
- Blue Edge PPO
- Blue Essentials HMO Click here to learn more about selecting a Kelsey Primary Care Physician
- Blue Choice PPO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (Basic and Standard Option)
- Health Select of Texas - ERS
- TRS-ActiveCare Primary Click here to learn more about selecting a Kelsey Primary Care Physician
- TRS-ActiveCare Primary+ Click here to learn more about selecting a Kelsey Primary Care Physician
- TRS-ActiveCare HD
- TRS-ActiveCare 2
- UT SELECT
Kelsey-Seybold will not participate in the following BCBSTX plans: Blue Premier, Blue High-Performance network, Marketplace plans: My Blue Health, and Blue Advantage HMO, or any BCBSTX Medicare products.View FAQ (pdf)
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Cigna Plans
Cigna
- KelseyCare powered by Cigna (learn more)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Choice Fund Open Access Plus (OAP)
- Cigna EPO
- Cigna HMO
- Cigna KelseyCare
- Cigna HMO Open Access (OA)
- Cigna HMO Open Access Plus (OAP)
- Cigna POS
- Cigna PPO
- Cigna Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP)
- Cigna Surefit
- LocalPlus
- LocalPlus IN
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UnitedHealthcare Plans
UnitedHealthcare (UHC)
- United Charter Kelsey-Seybold (learn more)
- UnitedHealthcare Charter
- UnitedHealthcare Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Core
- UnitedHealthcare Core Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Navigate
- UnitedHealthcare Navigate Plus
- UnitedHealthcare NexusACO
- UnitedHealthcare Options PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Select
- UnitedHealthcare Select Plus
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Aetna Plans
Aetna KelseyCare (learn more)
Aetna PPO, POS, and EPO Plans
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is an in-network provider for most Aetna PPO, POS, and EPO plans*, including:
- Aetna Select
- Open Access Select
- Elect Choice
- Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Choice POS II
- Managed Choice
- Open Choice PPO
Aetna CVS Health Marketplace Plans
Effective January 1, 2023
- Bronze S
- Silver 1
- Silver 2
- Silver 3
- Silver 4
- Silver S
- Gold
- Gold S
*All Houston area Aetna CVS Health plans are accepted at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic*
*Kelsey-Seybold does not participate in any commercial Aetna HMO and HNO plans, including Aetna QPOS.
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KelseyCare Health Plans
Local employers can add a KelseyCare plan alongside current plan offerings. Over 400 Houston-area employers offer the choice of a KelseyCare plan to their employees.
KelseyCare plans include:
- Aetna KelseyCare (learn more)
- KelseyCare powered by Cigna (learn more)
- KelseyCare Humana (learn more)
- United Charter Kelsey-Seybold (learn more)
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Other Plans
Allied Benefit Systems/NGBS
Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)
- APWU Health Plan Nationwide – CDHP with UnitedHealthcare PPO
- APWU Health Plan Nationwide – High Option with Cigna PPO
- GEHA Benefit Plan Nationwide – High & Standard Options with UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus
- NALC Nationwide with Cigna OAP
- NALC Value Option Nationwide with Cigna OAP
- SAMBA Nationwide – High & Standard with Cigna OAP
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – Standard Option
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – Basic Option
First Health
Great West Healthcare (also known as Cigna-GWH)
- POS
- PPO
- Open Access
HealthSmart PPO
Medicare
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic accepts the following Medicare Advantage Plans: KelseyCare Advantage, Aetna Medicare Advantage, WellCare TexanPlus, Humana Medicare and select UnitedHealthcare plans. Effective January 1, 2009, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic does not accept new patients with traditional Medicare.
MultiPlan PPO
Private Healthcare Systems PPO (PHCS)
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Medicare Advantage Plans