Accepting new patients

Brett C. Sheppard, M.D., FACS

Accepting new patients

  • William E. Colson Chair of Pancreatic Disease Research
  • Professor of Surgery, Division of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Cancer
  • Digestive Health
  • Surgery

Clinical focus

  • Digestive Surgery
  • GI Tract - Upper (includes esophagus, stomach, gallbladder and biliary system)
  • Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery
  • Nissen Fundoplication
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Surgical Oncology

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Modern building on a clear day with the tram in the background.
Center for Health & Healing, Building 2
503-494-8311
Read clinic details

About me

I am a surgeon who specializes in pancreatic cancer and gastrointestinal surgery. I have advanced training in surgical oncology (cancer care).

As a fourth-year medical student, I met a patient who was preparing for pancreatic cancer surgery. He was very frightened because at that time, the surgery was risky and pancreatic cancer survival rates were not high. I became committed to reducing the risks of pancreatic surgery, finding ways to detect pancreatic cancer earlier, and improving pancreatic cancer treatment.

My relationship with patients and their families, and the challenges they face, give me the foundation to keep working. The biggest thanks I can receive is to watch patients enjoy their lives anew.

Outside of surgery, I am a trail runner, hiker and winter sports enthusiast. I would join a book club if it met between 10 p.m. and midnight.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • M.D., 1984, University of Health Sciences, The Chicago Medical School

  • Residency

    • General Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 1984-87, 1989-91

  • Fellowship

    • Surgical Oncology, National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 1987-89

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Surgery, 1992, recertification, 2010

Memberships and associations:

  • Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
  • American College of Gastroenterology
  • American College of Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG)
  • American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  • Americas Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (AHPBA)
  • American Pancreas Association (APA)
  • American Surgical Association (ASA)
  • MIS Fellowship Council
  • North Pacific Surgical Association
  • Pacific Coast Surgical Association
  • Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)
  • Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT)
  • Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)
  • Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG)
  • Surgical Outcomes Club (SOC)
  • Western Surgical Association
  • The Mackenzie Alumni Society
  • Multnomah County Medical Society
  • Portland Surgical Society
  • Oregon Medical Association
  • Oregon Chapter-American College of Surgeons
  • Association of Academic Endocrine Surgeons
  • The Pacific Coast Surgical Association
  • The North Pacific Surgical Association
  • The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary tract
Read faculty profile

Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 (152 Ratings, 44 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey patient surveys.

  1. Good

  2. Everyone was very kind and very friendly and accommodating

  3. My voice was not heard

  4. Dr Sheppard surpassed our expectations and after the initial consultation we knew we had found the right doctor and location for my upcoming surgery.

  5. Dr. Sheppard was the doctor who first saw me after an emergency-room physician in Albany thought a volvulus might have caused my terrible stomach pain. I quickly realized that I would be better off seeing somebody at OHSU before submitting to exploratory surgery in a county hospital. Dr. S ordered a CAT or MRI (I don't remember) and found no evidence of volvulus, but did see something suspicious in or near my pancreas. My dad died of pancreatic cancer, so more tests were done and determined that there was no immediate cause for action, but I should have another MRI in a year to keep an eye on it. I've continued the annual MRIs, with PA Carmen Curry as my provider. She and the rest of the staff are always wonderful and answer all my questions. I was glad I got the chance this year to see Dr. S again to learn how the study on predictors of pancreatic cancer is going.

  6. This was my first visit to see Dr Shepard. He was very kind, attentive and knowledgeable.

  7. I find it very difficult to find fault with any correspondence or contact I've had with my providers at OHSU. I'm always happy to be your patient.

  8. Good

  9. Very caring seems to really understand

  10. Everything was amazing

  11. Professional and thorough.

  12. They were on top of everything

  13. Great provider!!

  14. Dr Sheppard is the most caring provider I've had, ever. He talks to you by looking at you. He brilliant, kind, compassionate, and skilled. He's a 10+ surgeon.

  15. The knowledge and expertise are amazing and greatly appreciated.

  16. Extremely compassionate; listened carefully and was patient with questions and concerns during a very frightening time after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

  17. SUPER guy!! Very friendly and knowledgeable

  18. Great

  19. I felt safe, heard, and cared for.

  20. Very kind and wonderful team! They were thorough in the explanation of my diagnosis.

  21. Highly experienced and very easy to talk with about my situation

  22. He was extremely friendly and professional. He was very good at his job and seemed to really like it.

  23. Dr. Sheppard is a caring, knowledgable, and excellent provider. He made me feel comforable as he explained the available options for my illness. .

  24. Dr Sheppard has been a doll thru the process of caring for me as welll as my support system

  25. It was great, Dr Shepherd made me feel at ease and explained everything to me so I understood next steps

  26. All good

  27. Very professional, thorough and a very friendly demeanor. Very focused on me and expressed serious concern for my situation and progress

  28. Doctors were awesome

  29. I was a former nurse with 40 years of hospital nursing and I was impressed with everyone and especially Dr Sherphard. He just explained what he may have to do during surgery depending on what he found. My daughter also was also impressed by how warm his demeanor was .

  30. Great team, caring and experienced!