General Surgeons & Staff | Surgical Associates of WNY

Click photo to read physician bio

Richard D. Bloomberg
MD, FACS, FRCSC

Kenneth H. Eckhert III
MD, FACS

Rurik C. Johnson
MD, FACS

Robert S. Armstrong
MD, FACS

Karee A. Chella
ANP-BC, RNFA

Briana R. Kelley
RPA-C

Dr. Bloomberg is a general and fellowship-trained advanced laparoscopic surgeon, included in Buffalo Spree’s list of "Western New York’s Top Doctors.”. He specializes in minimally invasive surgical techniques for diseases of the gallbladder, appendix, intestines, spleen, adrenals, and all types of hernias. Dr. Bloomberg is also certified to use the da Vinci Surgical Robot, performing various robotic procedures including hernia repairs, bowel resections, and single-site “scarless” cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal). He serves as the Robotic Surgery Chairman at Kenmore Mercy Hospital. Additionally, he is one of the only physicians in Western New York to offer an in-office, virtually painless IRC procedure for the treatment of hemorrhoids. Dr. Bloomberg completed a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City after finishing a general surgery residency at University of Toronto Hospitals. He earned his medical degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Dr. Bloomberg is board certified in general surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In addition, he is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is a member of several professional organizations, including:

Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Buffalo Surgical Society
Erie County Medical Society
New York State Medical Society

He is accepting new patients and provides consultations at the West Seneca and Kenmore offices.

Kenneth H. Eckhert III, MD, FACS

Dr. Eckhert is a fellowship-trained general surgeon, specializing in advanced laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, and the Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS^TM) technique. Using these minimally invasive practices, Dr. Eckhert performs surgeries to treat upper gastrointestinal issues, hernias, and diseases of organs such as the colon, spleen, gallbladder and appendix.

In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Eckhert plays an important leadership role both at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and in the field of surgery. He currently serves as:

Director of OR Efficiency, Mercy Hospital
Director of Robotics at Mercy Hospital and Co-Chair of Robotics for the Catholic Health System
President-Elect, Erie County Medical Society

He also donates his time and expertise as president and lead surgeon for Friends of Good Samaritan, a non-profit organization that provides medical care in Haiti. Dr. Eckhert makes annual trips, along with other physicians and nurses, to perform surgery for those in need.

Dr. Eckhert completed his general surgery residency and a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at Albany Medical Center. Prior to that, he earned his medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland Medical School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton.

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition, Dr. Eckhert holds positions in several academic and professional organizations, including:

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, SUNY Buffalo
Clinical Adjunct Faculty, D’Youville College
Adjunct Professor of Clinical Surgery, Daemen College
Pain Committee Member, Mercy Hospital
Medical Executive Committee, Mercy Hospital
American College of Surgeons, serving in 2011 as President of the WNY Chapter
Buffalo Surgical Society, serving in 2016 as President

He sees patients in the West Seneca office.

Dr. Johnson is a general and advanced laparoscopic surgeon and is certified to use the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. He also uses the Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS^TM) technique. He uses laparoscopic, robotic and open techniques to treat diseases of the colon, small intestine, appendix, gallbladder, spleen, adrenals, and complex hernias.

Dr. Johnson completed his general surgery residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY. Prior to that, he received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Colgate University.

Beyond the hospital, he currently serves as:

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, SUNY Buffalo
President, Buffalo Surgical Society
Board Member, Mercy Hospital Foundation

Dr. Armstrong is a board certified general surgeon with extensive experience in minimally invasive surgery and complex hernia repair with abdominal wall reconstruction and component separation. Patients who have large hernias with loss of domain or have had multiple abdominal surgeries or hernia repairs are often told their recurrent hernias can't be fixed. However, new techniques and mesh allow Dr. Armstrong to create stronger repairs than ever before. Dr. Armstrong brings this to the Buffalo area, having trained with some of the leaders in hernia repair at University Hospitals in Cleveland. With Surgical Associates of WNY, he performs a broad scope of general surgery, including but not limited to:

Laparoscopic and open hernia repairs
Laparoscopic colon resections
Laparoscopic solid organ surgery of the gallbladder, adrenal glands, and spleen

Dr. Armstrong completed his general surgery residency at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. Prior to that, he received his medical degree from the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He currently serves in or is a member of several professional organizations, including:

Erie County Medical Society, President
Buffalo Surgical Society
American Hernia Society
New York State Medical Society

Dr. Armstrong sees patients in the West Seneca office.

Briana R. Kelley, RPA-C

Ms. Kelley is a Physician Assistant (RPA-C). She works closely with our team of surgeons to coordinate and manage all aspects of patient care. Daily responsibilities include pre- and post-operative care, rounding, discharge plans, and first assisting in general surgery operations. By working in concert with Karee Chella, ANP-BC, RNFA, she provides continuity of care to our patients.

Ms. Kelley holds a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Daemen College. She also received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Western New York Physician Assistant Association.

She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCPPA). Ms. Kelley sees patients at Mercy Hospital.

Meet Your Surgeon

Our general surgeons bring extensive experience in general surgery and advanced laparoscopic operations. In addition to this broad background, each of the surgeons offers a unique skill set, such as minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, or spine exposure surgery (in collaboration with local spine surgeons). All of our surgeons are board certified and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. Surgical Associates of WNY is also a teaching affiliate of SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, which keeps us involved in the latest research and the education of the next generation of physicians.