Accepting new patients

James Wright, M.D.

Accepting new patients

  • Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Neurological Surgery

Clinical focus

  • Spinal Surgery
  • Spine
  • Neurocritical Care
  • Traumatic Brain Injury

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Tall building with the ariel tram to its left
Center for Health & Healing, Building 1
503-494-8311
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About me

Dr. James Wright specializes in the surgical management of all conditions of the spine and spinal cord. He also specializes in traumatic injuries to the brain and spine, and in the management of critically ill patients with all neurologic conditions.

He chose neurosurgery because of the breadth of conditions treated, from the relatively minor to the most severe, and enjoys helping patients navigate the process before, during and after surgery. He finds the most satisfying aspect of his work to be caring for patients at their sickest and feels privileged to participate in the education of the next generation of neurosurgeons. Dr. Wright’s research interests are aimed at improving patient outcomes, particularly through process improvement.

Outside of work, Dr. Wright and his wife, who is also a neurosurgeon at OHSU, spend most of their time playing with their son and rescue dog in the great outdoors. He enjoys running and fishing but laments that those things don’t occur as frequently as they probably should. He dedicates as many Saturdays in the fall as he’s able to watching University of Georgia football. He finds more joy in being a dad than anything in the world.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.S., 2009, Kennesaw State University
    • M.D., 2013, West Virginia University School of Medicine

  • Residency

    • Neurological Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 2020

  • Fellowship

    • Complex Spine Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 2021
    • Neurocritical Care, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 2018

Memberships and associations:

  • AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
  • AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care
  • National Neurotrauma Society (NNS)
  • Neurocritical Care Society (NCS)
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS); Resident Subcommittee on Innovation
  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
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: 4.6 out of 5 (30 Ratings, 18 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 NRC patient surveys.

  1. Dr. Wright was beyond wonderful. We felt he answered our questions thoroughly, he explained everything in detail, and spoke in a manner we could understand. We had no doubts about him doing my surgery after meeting him. My husband and I both felt confident that he is the right doctor to operate on me!!

  2. I felt like a number. Get me in and get me out.

  3. Excellent

  4. Dr. Wright answered all my questions, including questions I had about my x-ray. He was pleased to hear I was seeing a physical therapist and taking measures to ensure my back would gradually return to its normal state, post surgery.

  5. Dr Wright was very informative. I will have more questions along the way.

  6. Thorough and Informative. Easy to communicate with. Professional and genuine. I felt confident and in good hands moving towards spine surgery. Really feel blessed to have the staff and doctors working closely with me as members of my spine team,all have provided me with reassurance,shown real care and concern for my best interests while seeking a positive, successful outcome.

  7. Dr Wright is a great Dr! Would recommend him and the spine center

  8. Dr. James Wright was very patient with me. He took the time to talk through my scans and discussed with me my surgical options. He answered all of my questions. He made me feel that I was his only patient for the day and I didn't feel rushed. My husband went in with me and he also felt Dr. Wright gave us the time to discuss my surgery and gave us a lot of information regarding why I am in pain.

  9. Very easy to talk to.

  10. If I am being asked about DR. James Wright he was fantastic in his knowledge and delivery of information. My husband accompanied me to take notes and was as impressed as I was. Dr. Wright used all of my scans and X-rays to make certain I understood exactly what my unique problems are. He took his time with us as though I was his only patient.

  11. Dr. Wright is very patient, took all our questions and answered in a very clear manner

  12. Thorough, concerned, and explained everything.

  13. Brain surgery is serious business. I always felt safe and well informed

  14. Simply outstanding. Made things clear and understandable. Total confidence in assessment and diagnosis.

  15. Appreciated his perspective and honesty. Is obviously very competent.

  16. Great team work from Dr. Wright

  17. It was well enough to feel welcome

  18. Personable, knowledgable, encouraging.