Nobody knows more about Sarasota doctors than Sunny Olsen. As a physician liaison at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Olsen spends anywhere from two to six hours with every new doctor who joins the staff. After 13 years of guiding them through the maze of hospital services, she's gained a unique perspective on how they interact with patients, nurses and each other; and she claims, "I know in 15 minutes what their bedside manner is going to be."

Like many in her profession, Olson has an inside track to the best doctors in town. But what about the rest of us, especially those who are new to the city or have changed employers or health plans? How do we find a good doctor when we need one? "Don't wait until you need one," advises Olson. "Many physicians don't accept new patients in this town."

Sarasota is not alone. According to a nonpartisan policy research organization, the proportion of physicians accepting new Medicare patients fell from 73 percent in 1997 to 69 percent in 2001. The proportion of doctors accepting new privately insured patients fell from 70.8 percent to 68.2 percent. But say you manage to squeeze into a bulging caseload. How do you determine that your new doctor is qualified, responsive and ready to heal what hurts?

One avenue is this list, compiled exclusively for SARASOTA Magazine by New York-based Castle-Connolly Medical. The company has been profiled in Ladies Home Journal, Town & Country, and Better Homes and Gardens, among others; and its regional lists have appeared in 17 magazines around the country, including New York Magazine (which has published it for the past six years), Chicago, and Miami Metro.

Unlike other compilations (which can contain as many as 800,000 doctors), Castle-Connolly's fourth edition of America's Top Doctors, due out this month, "is a guide to the top one percent of 4,700 medical specialties and sub-specialties from across the nation," says vice president of business development William Liss-Levinson.

This regional guide showcases 39 Sarasota and Manatee doctors in a range of specialties from immunology to thoracic surgery. Selection was based on a random survey of 150 doctors and the chiefs of six services and vice presidents of medical affairs at six area hospitals, who were all asked to nominate doctors, "to whom you would send members of your family." (Liss-Levinson says some doctors also received recommendations from health professionals outside the state during their annual national survey.)

A research staff of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals validated the nominations and verified each doctor's credentials. They considered professional qualifications (education, residency, board certification, reputation, experience and disciplinary history) and interpersonal characteristics, such as communication skills, empathy, informing patients of their options, and their ability to instill trust and confidence.

Doctors cannot pay to be on this list. Advertising is in no way connected to the selection of doctors in this issue or to future "top doctor" listings that Castle Connolly may publish or license to the publisher of this magazine.

Keep in mind, though, that as rigorously as Castle-Connolly conducts its research, no list can be definitive; and there are many, many eminently qualified doctors in our region besides those who appear on this listing. Castle-Connolly has singled out just 39 of the more than 1,300 doctors practicing in Sarasota; many who do not appear on this list would receive passionate votes of confidence from their peers and patients. And Castle-Connolly entirely excludes some categories from its list, including those who have moved exclusively into administrative work. Castle-Connolly will include a doctor who has moved into administration as long as he or she is still available for consultations-for example, on our list, you'll find pediatric hematologist and oncologist Dr. Jennifer Mayer, who is medical director of All Children's Hospital at Sarasota Memorial but still sees patients.

Candidates for the list generally must have practiced at least 10 years on their field, and the company also excludes doctors who have rare specialties. That's why, for example, Dr. Washington Hill, one of only 1,000 perinatologists in the country (he handles high-risk pregnancies), is not included on this list. Another example is Dr. Kirk Conrad, a neurointerventional radiologist who recently arrived at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Fewer than 150 neurointerventional radiologists are in practice today, and Conrad is only the third between Tampa and Miami in Florida. Because experience is a major factor in Castle-Connolly's evaluation process, says Liss-Levinson, a sub-specialty such as neurointerventional radiology is considered too new to evaluate.

This list is a starting point, but a number of other considerations go into choosing a doctor. For example, you should ask yourself, " 'Am I more comfortable with a male or a female doctor?'" says Sarasota Memorial's Olson. "'Would I rather have one close to work or my home?'"