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About Katharine Cronk MD,PhD
Katharine Cronk, MD, PhD, earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Henry Krumb School of Mines at Columbia University in New York, NY. Her path to neurosurgery began with a fascination for understanding how things work. She went on to pursue a PhD at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, where she researched how nerves develop and maintain their connections to the skin.
That interest in the nervous system eventually brought her back to Columbia for medical school and into a field that combines scientific discovery, technical precision, and personal connection. Dr. Cronk completed her neurosurgery residency at Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. She went on to advanced fellowship training in functional neurosurgery and complex spine surgery, along with an AANS/REF research fellowship at Barrow. Her postdoctoral research at Columbia University’s Brain Tumor Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital explored the role of the immune system in brain tumors.
Today, Dr. Cronk cares for adults with a wide range of brain and spine conditions. Her clinical interests include brain and spine tumors, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative conditions of the neck and lower back. She also has expertise in minimally invasive spine surgery, functional neurosurgery, and neuromodulation.
Dr. Cronk knows that a neurosurgical diagnosis can feel overwhelming. She takes time to understand what matters most to each patient, explain the findings in plain language, and talk through the available options. Her goal is to help patients and their families make informed decisions with confidence, whether the right next step is surgery or another approach to care.
Outside the operating room, Dr. Cronk enjoys traveling, cooking, and skiing with her family. She is a licensed pilot who loves to fly, and she can often be found cheering on her son at his baseball games.
Locations
480 Hawthorn Street
Dartmouth, MA
02747
Dartmouth, MA
02747
235 Hanover Street, Suite 205
Fall River, MA
02720
Fall River, MA
02720
Insurance
Southcoast Health accepts most major insurance plans. Call the Southcoast Health patient registration department at 844-297-2952 or your health plan with any questions regarding coverage.
Why aren’t there any ratings?
We do not have a rating for this provider for one of the following reasons:- Provider was newly added to our survey process and has not yet received the minimum number (30) of survey returns. Check back soon for results!
- If this provider’s biography page does not specify practicing at Southcoast Physicians Group or a Southcoast hospital site (Charlton Memorial, St. Luke’s or Tobey Hospital), he/she is affiliated with Southcoast Health Network but not employed by Southcoast Physicians Group. Our affiliates are not included in our survey process.
- If this provider’s biography page specifies practicing at Charlton Memorial, St. Luke’s or Tobey Hospital, without reference to an outpatient practice, he/she delivers care in the inpatient hospital setting only; inpatient surveys do not include questions about individual providers.
Southcoast Health physician profiles now feature star ratings. Below, you’ll find frequently asked questions about our process for calculating the ratings.
Why does Southcoast publish survey ratings online?
Southcoast is dedicated to providing patients and consumers with helpful information about the quality of our patients’ experiences. Star ratings published on our physician biography pages are based on actual responses from patients of that particular physician to patient satisfaction surveys that are distributed and processed by a national patient satisfaction survey vendor.
Who receives the survey?
Our vendor sends surveys via SMS or email to all patients seen in our outpatient physician practices who have a valid smart phone number or email address on file with Southcoast Health. Surveys are sent to patients within a few days of their appointment.
How is the Patient Satisfaction Star Rating Calculated?
Star ratings are calculated using an average of all survey responses to each of three questions: Courtesy and Respect of Staff, Provider Overall Rating, and Willingness to Recommend Provider’s Office. The star rating displayed on our physicians’ main biography page represents the average of the three measures for that particular physician.
