Dr. Jim N. Brantner

Dr. Jim Brantner
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Dr. Jim N. Brantner, is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, educated at the United States Military Academy, West Point, California Institute of Technology, and Emory University School of Medicine. In addition to his educational background Dr. Brantner is the recipient of an Army Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars for service in Vietnam.

Dr. Brantner founded the East Tennessee Chapter of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, serving as Medical Director and Chief Surgeon. Fresh Start is a charitable organization that provides free reconstructive surgery for underprivileged children that do not have access to the medical system. Dr. Brantner has been in practice for twenty-five years.

Dr. Jim N. Brantner, Chairman of the Board & Chief Surgeon, Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, Inc.

• Dr. Jim Brantner, nominated by Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Inc.;

With the opening of the Tennessee chapter last year by Dr. Jim Brantner, Fresh Start now has two U.S-based chapters, each serving different parts of the country and the world.Fresh Start San Diego primarily handles patients from the western United States, Mexico and Asia.The Tennessee chapter is ideally located to better serve patients east of the Mississippi, the Caribbean islands and Western Europe.

Unlike other organizations that perform similar work, Fresh Start brings children and their families to its surgery centers - as opposed to embarking on medical missions to foreign lands.Operating on kids at home bases allows Fresh Start to provide proper follow-up and long-term care for its patients.

Dr. Don Sweitzer of Bristol and Dr. Jim Brantner of Johnson City are affiliated with Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Inc., a non-profit organization that provides free reconstructive surgeries to children whose parents cannot afford the procedures on their own.
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But Saturday's cases are special, Dr. Brantner said.

"Two of these surgeries on Saturday are relatively complex, and they are things you wouldn't want to do in an outpatient setting," he said."Plus, they will require a few days of recovery."

In addition to the operating physicians, many people will donate their time and expertise for the surgeries, including the anesthesiologist and nurses.Wellmont Bristol Regional will donate the operating room and recovery facilities.

Dr. Brantner, who has seven children of his own, first became interested in offering free reconstructive surgeries to children while on a mission trip to Mexico.He is now the president and chief of surgery for Fresh Start's Tennessee branch, which usually serves children in the southeastern portion of the country.

From the East Tennessee Ambulatory Surgical Center in Johnson City, Dr. Brantner has performed more than $600,000 in free surgery in the last three and a half years.

"Our purpose is to provide free reconstructive surgery to kids who fall through the system," Dr. Brantner said.

Many of his young patients have insurance, but some procedures - such as the removal of massive burn scars - are considered cosmetic by insurance companies.

"You don't want to have that discussion with a 16-year-old teen," he said.

Anyone who wishes to refer a child to Fresh Start or who would like more information about the program may call Dr. Brantner's office at 423-283-0323 or Fresh Start Executive Director Lisa Eggers at 423-282-3476.

Located in Johnson City, the East Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center is the dream of plastic surgeon Jim Brantner, M.D. Like Fresh Start's founder Dr. Dennis Nigro, Dr. Brantner worked as a medical missionary throughout Mexico and was frustrated by the lack of resources for performing plastic surgeries.
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Located in Johnson City, the East Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center is the dream of plastic surgeon Jim Brantner, M.D. Like Fresh Start's founder Dr. Dennis Nigro, Dr. Brantner worked as a medical missionary throughout Mexico and was frustrated by the lack of resources for performing plastic surgeries.
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By the time the conference was over, Dr. Brantner had decided to open a branch of Fresh Start in his home state of Tennessee.
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During the new center's first Surgery Weekend (October 23- 24, 1999), Nicholas' problem was corrected by Dr. Brantner and his staff of 14, all of whom worked as volunteers.Called an otoplasty, the two-hour surgery involved pinning back his ears.
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Prior to its incorporation as a charitable organization, Dr. Brantner's office was the site of three surgeries in April 1998 and two surgeries in April 1999.Among these earlier surgeries was a girl from Delaware with a congenital nevus covering 30-40% of her face and body.

In 1998, Dr. Brantner removed a large portion of the nevus on her face.Now an ongoing patient of Dr. Brantner, she will undergo more surgeries on other areas of her body where adipose tissue, thickening of the skin, and precancerous areas occur.

"The whole idea here is that I am fixing physical deformities, but what I am really operating on is self-esteem," Dr. Brantner told Gregg Powers of the Johnson City Press shortly after the opening of the center.
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Board members for the new center are: Dr. Jim Brantner, Chairman; Fred Brandt, Secretary; Mark Turlee, CPA, Chairman, Finance Committee; Jack and Joyce Strickland; John O'Connor; and Sue Love.