Renal Transplant near Aurora, CO

Care Philosophy: Provide state of the art, minimally-invasive urologic surgical therapy in a kind and caring manner.

Care Philosophy: I am committed to providing my patients with the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatments with the highest level of quality care and clinical excellence. In addition, I believe in engaging my patients in depth to ensure they understand their conditions and their treatment options. This way, we can create a care plan that best matches their unique health needs and goals.

Biography: Dr. Vernon sees patients at our Denver and Colorado Springs locations.Dr. Ben Vernon is a native of Iowa. After graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School he completed residency training in general surgery at Duke University. After a combined transplant fellowship at University of Wisconsin and Duke, he joined the Duke surgery faculty. Since 1992 Dr. Vernon has practiced kidney, pancreas and liver transplant surgery and general surgery in Denver. He has served on the UNOS Kidney and Pancreas Committee, as Region 8 Councilor for UNOS, and on the board of directors for UNOS, the OPTN, and Donor Alliance. Dr. Vernon is a past president of the Colorado Medical Society and the Arapahoe Douglas Elbert Medical Society. His transplant experience includes over 1000 kidney transplants and over 300 pancreas transplants.

Care Philosophy: Comprehensive, multidisciplinary patient care.

Care Philosophy: Dr. Dagenais is dedicated to utilizing the latest techniques and technology to care for a full range of urologic needs.

Care Philosophy: Shared decision making by educating my patients about their condition, discussing all options for therapy, and using a holistic approach to provide state-of-the-art technology.

Care Philosophy: Our primary goal should be to educate the patient on the available data and management options, before working with them to come to a mutually agreeable treatment or management plan. Many urologic conditions do not have a single means of treatment or management, so incorporating patient goals and values is critical to creating a strong doctor-patient relationship and optimizing outcomes.

Biography: Dr. Suzanne B. Merrill is a board-certified urologist who is fellowship trained in Urologic Oncology. She specializes in the treatment of all primary and recurrent cancers of the urinary tract, including bladder, upper tract/urothelial, kidney, prostate, testicular, adrenal, and penile cancer. Dr. Merrill utilizes numerous surgical techniques to offer her patients more individualized care. She also provides her patients with top-of-class treatment options, incorporating novel medical/surgical therapies and clinical trial opportunities when appropriate. Dr. Merrill completed her bachelor's degree with summa cum laude honors at The University of Delaware and obtained her Medical Doctorate at The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Duke University, followed by a Society of Urologic Oncology fellowship at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While at the Mayo Clinic, she also received a certificate in Translational Research. Dr. Merrill has received numerous awards for her accomplishments and leadership including being named the American Urological Association Young Urologist of the Year in 2020, followed by her induction into the American Urological Association Leadership Program in 2020. Prior to joining Colorado Urology, she was an Associate Professor of Urologic Oncology and Residency Program Director at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, where she was recognized with awards for her outstanding faculty leadership and mentorship, as well as humanism and professionalism in surgery. Throughout her career, Dr. Merrill has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and been invited to speak at national society meetings regarding Oncology, research, and education. She is a faculty member for the American Urological Association Oral Board Review and Life Long Learning courses, which help urologists obtain and maintain their board certification status. Dr. Merrill is a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology, the American Urological Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Women in Urology and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.