We are pleased to introduce Dr. Emily Pflug and Dr. Janos Barrera, the newest members of the orthopedic surgical team.

Dr. Emily Pflug was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She moved to the East Coast for college and “ended up loving it.” She currently lives in the Boreum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Dr. Pflug is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and wrist surgery for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. She attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in marketing communication. Dr. Pflug then received her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She later completed her orthopedic surgery residency at NYU Langone Health and a hand, upper extremity, and microsurgery fellowship at the University of Colorado and Denver Health.

Dr. Janos Barrera was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Portland, Oregon. He completed medical school and residency training in California before moving to New York in 2023. He is an orthopedic surgeon, and a hand and wrist surgeon, specializing in plastics and reconstructive surgery. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Washington, Dr. Barrera received his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine. He later completed his residency in integrated plastic surgery at Stanford Health Care, and a fellowship in hand and upper extremity at NYU Langone Health.

Dr. Pflug pursued medicine because her parents worked in the medical field. “My father was a radiologist and my mother was a cardiac rehab nurse. I saw firsthand how they contributed to tangible changes in the lives of their patients, and I knew I wanted to do something similar.” When choosing a specialty, she, like many orthopedists chose it for a specific reason. “I have a history of prior sports injuries during childhood which initially attracted me to the field. I chose hand surgery specifically because I found the anatomy complex and fascinating”, she said. “I enjoy the wide variety of pathology that I see on a daily basis including trauma, congenital issues, peripheral nerve, and degenerative conditions.”

Dr. Barrera was inspired to pursue medicine because he was an avid soccer player growing up, unfortunately, during his senior year of high school, he suffered a mandible fracture during a league championship game. “My experience as a patient got me interested in helping other patients who experienced traumatic injuries.” He chose his specialty because as he was exploring several fields during medical school, he found the breadth, scope, and variety of plastic and reconstructive surgery the best match for his interests. “Within plastic surgery, I was especially drawn toward hand surgery and microsurgery. I enjoy the complexity and variety of my practice, and I love helping patients regain function and return to the activities that bring them fulfillment.”

Dr. Pflug and Barrera are excited to join the Jamaica Hospital team and practice in the community. “I was an orthopedic resident at NYU Langone and spent several formative rotations at Jamaica Hospital during my training”, said Dr. Pflug. She hopes to bring a fresh, caring perspective to the community. “I care for patients with upper extremity injuries and pathology from the elbow to the fingertips and work with patients to develop a treatment plan that works for them.”

After spending time working with the Jamaica Hospital team during his fellowship, Dr. Barrera is thrilled to be joining them. “I’m especially excited to work with the residents and fellows while helping to further grow the hand surgery and limb salvage programs there”, he said. He hopes to bring compassionate and culturally sensitive care to his patients while providing the highest quality of care possible.

We are proud to welcome Dr. Pflug and Dr. Barrera to our team and look forward to the work that they and the rest of the Orthopedic Surgery Department will do to provide high-quality care to our community.

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