Richard C. Rooney, MD

Position: Orthopedic Surgery
Phone: 805-737-8700
Mailing Address:
1225 North H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436
A smiling person in a white coat with a blue scrub top, standing in a well-lit medical environment.

Fax: 805-737-8782

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  • Lompoc Health Provider
  • Primary Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery
  • Additional Specialty: Spine Surgery
  • Languages Spoken: English
  • Gender: Male

About

Dr. Rooney is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon practicing at Lompoc Health - North H Center.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and he earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery training in the U.S. Army and is board certified in both orthopedic and spine surgery. He was separately selected as the Clinical Travelling Fellow by the Scoliosis Research Society, the North American Spine Society, and the Cervical Spine Research Society and is the only surgeon to win all three of the awards concurrently. His accomplishments in the field of Regenerative Medicine and his knowledge of Stem Cell science were recognized by Congress and in 2009 and 2011 he was appointed as a Peer Reviewer for Congressional Directed Medical Research Programs in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell therapy in Orthopaedics. He has authored numerous research articles, lectured extensively on Spine Surgery and Regenerative Medicine and authored the Spine and Orthopaedic chapters in the definitive textbook on Combat Trauma.

Awards

  • Louis A. Goldstein Award: 2002
  • Lloyd Taylor Award: 2002
  • Edgar Dawson Traveling Fellowship: 2005
  • North American Spine Society Traveling Fellowship: 2006
  • Cervical Spine Research Society Traveling Fellowship: 2006
  • Seattle Superdoctor: 2011
  • Seattle Superdoctor: 2012
  • Seattle Superdoctor: 2013
  • Seattle Met Magazine ‘Top Doctor’ selection: 2012
  • Vitals.com Compassionate Physician Recognition: 2011
  • Vitals.com Compassionate Physician Recognition: 2012
  • Vitals.com Compassionate Physician Recognition: 2013
  • California Magazine ‘Top Doctor’ selection: 2020

Education

Internship

  • Madigan Army Medical Center
    • Tacoma, WA
    • 1996

Residency

  • Tripler Army Medical Center
    • Honolulu, HI
    • 2001

Fellowship

  • Spine Institute Northwest
    • Bothell, WA
    • 2018
  • University of Washington General Surgery
    • Seattle, WA
    • 1996
  • San Diego Center for Spinal Disosrders/UCSD
    • San Diego, CA
    • 2002

Medical Education

  • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
    • Cleveland, OH
    • 1995

Undergraduate

  • United States Military Academy
    • West Point, NY
    • 1991

Publications

  • Radiographic Accuracy in Scaphoid Waist Fractures
    • Issue #1, Volume 2, 2018 View Publication
      • Author:Rooney RC, Smith D
      • Publisher:Orthop & Spo Med Op Acc J
  • Scaphoid Angulation and the Cortical Ring Sign
    • Issue #3, Volume 4, 2018 View Publication
      • Author:Rooney RC, Smith D
      • Publisher:Ortho Res Online Journal
  • Marrowplasty is a Promising Strategy to Delay Total Joint Replacement
    • Issue #10, Volume 9, 2018 View Publication
      • Author:Rooney RC
      • Publisher:EC Orthopaedics
  • Bone Marrow Derived MSCs a Better First Treatment for Degenerative Disc
    • Issue #1, Volume 9, 2018 View Publication
      • Author:Rooney RC
      • Publisher:EC Orthopaedics
  • Preventing MRSA Infections in Orthopaedic Surgery
    • Issue #6, Volume 9, 2018 View Publication
      • Author:Rooney RC
      • Publisher:EC Orthopaedics
  • Outcomes of Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) versus Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MiLIF) in Active Duty Military Members
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #5, Volume 6, 2006
      • Author:Hardenbrook MA, Sukovich W, Rooney R
      • Publisher:The Spine Journal
  • Evaluating and Managing Back Pain in Children and Adolescents
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #6, Volume 22, 2005
      • Author:Rooney RC
      • Publisher:J Musc Med
  • Idiopathic Scoliosis in Children: An update on screening and bracing
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #5, Volume 21, 2004
      • Author:Rooney RC, Akbarnia BA
      • Publisher:J Musc Med
  • A prospective randomized evaluation of arthroscopic stabilization versus nonoperative treatment in patients with acute, traumatic, first-time shoulder dislocations
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #4, Volume 30, 2002
      • Author:Bottoni CR, Wilckens JH, DeBerardino TM, D’Alleyrand JC, Rooney RC
      • Publisher:Am J Sports Med
  • Coxa Saltans externa treated with Z-plasty of the iliotibial tract in a military population
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #2, Volume 167, 2002
      • Author:Kim DH, Baechler MF, Berkowitz MJ, Rooney RC, Judd DB
      • Publisher:Mil Med
  • Complications of Pin Fixation in Children. A Shriner’s 75 year Review
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #21, 2001
      • Author:Rooney RC, Pitcher JD, Kim DH, Bottoni CR
      • Publisher:J Neuro Ortho Med Surg
  • Intra and Inter-observer Reliability of Talar Tilt Measurement
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #21, 2001
      • Author:Rooney RC, Bottoni CR, Kim DH, Elliott A
      • Publisher:J Neuro Ortho Med Surg
  • Screw Length Selection in Distal Metaphyseal Fibula Fixation
    • ​​​​​​​Issue #21, 2000
      • Author:Kim DH, Botte MJ, Rooney RC, Parr R
      • Publisher:Foot Ankle International
  • Osteochondroma of the Lumbar Spine
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Issue #19, 1999
      • Author:Rooney RC, Pitcher JD
      • Publisher:J Neuro Ortho Med Surg