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Dr. Matthew Kozminski is a Western Pennsylvania native and is proud to call the Pittsburgh region his home. He holds dual degrees in Mathematics and Chemical Engineering. After a short career in the plastics industry, he pursued a career in medicine and is a 2005 graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). He completed his internship and residency at Madigan Healthcare System in Tacoma, WA. His residency was unique in the sense that he obtained high exposure to post-traumatic headaches and other sequelae of combat related injuries. During his residency, he was able to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present abstracts at a national conference, and received extensive training in craniofacial nerve blocks and the usage of Botulinum Toxin (Botox). Dr. Kozminski had the privilege of learning how to inject Botox for chronic migraine before it was FDA approved and furthered his injection training through a scholarship with the Callosal Connection, where he was further trained by top physicians from Emory University. After residency, Dr. Kozminski was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) where he served as the Battalion Surgeon for the 9th Infantry (the Manchus), one of the oldest and most decorated infantry regiments in the US Army. His experience in the combat theater afforded further opportunities to practice nerve blocks, publish in peer-reviewed journals and his work cumulated into an abstract presentation regarding Iraq local nationals and Headaches. His direct command consisted of Army Rangers, West Point Graduates, Bronze and Silver Star recipients and even the future West Point Chief of Staff. These commanders provided Dr. Kozminski with exemplary performance review and commendation. During his time in OIF, he was able to work with Iraq Army Muthana Brigade Medical Team and participated in the OPN Medical Alliance at Abu Ghraib Hospital. After his deployment to OIF, Dr. Kozminski was finally able to sit for his exams and earn board-certification in neurology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. His next adventure awaited him at Darnall Army Medical Center located at Fort Hood, TX, where he was the Chief of Neurology. Fort Hood remains one of the largest military bases in the free world with a high deployment tempo of it's soldiers. Being the Chief afforded an opportunity for Dr. Kozminski to focus on headache medicine and combat-related head injuries. He also had the opportunity to work closely with one of the few Defense Veterans Brain Injury Centers (DVBIC). His military obligation was over in 2012 and at that time, he made the decision to return to civilian life. About that time, he was also able to obtain formal certification in Headache Medicine through the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties (UCNS). He remained in the Fort Hood region for a short period of time in private practice before he decided to return to Western Pennsylvania. Dr. Kozminski has been a member of the American Headache Society since 2005 and in 2015, he was awarded the distinction of becoming a Fellow with the society. He currently is on staff at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital (ACMH) and other than being a private practitioner, he is also the Director the Headache Division at NeuroPitt, a collaborative practice management organization. He has been married since 2002 to Tonya, who is also a physician in Family Medicine. They have two children, his son is a student at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Culinary Academy and he will soon be transitioning to Murdoch University in Perth Australia to continue is studies in food science. His daughter is a student at PennWest Edinboro for Pre-Medicine. |
Publications/Abstracts:
Kozminski M. Cervical Dystonia Associated with Post-Traumatic Chronic Migraine, American Headache Society 2021, 63rd Scientific Meeting
Kozminski, M. Dextromethorphan/Quinidine for Post-Traumatic Migraine in Patients with Pseudobulbar Affect, American Headache Society 2019, 61st Scientific Meeting, Jul 2019
Kozminski, M. Reviews for Headache Providers in the Mid-Atlantic States, American Headache Society 2016, 58th Annual Scientific Meeting, Jun 2016
Kozminski, M, Transcutaneous Supraorbital Nerve Stimulation as a Headache Rescue Therapy, American Headache Society 2014, 56th Annual Scientific Meeting, Jun 2014
Klein R, Kozminski M, Neuropsychological profiles in Chiari I patients, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, June 2012
Kozminski M, Headache in Iraq local nationals, American Headache Society 53rd Scientific Meeting, June 2011
Desadier L, Kozminski M, Erickson JC, The improvement of headache after bariatric surgery: a prospective study, American Academy of Neurology, 63rd Scientific Meeting, Mar 2011
Kozminski T, Kozminski M, Friedreich’s Ataxia, in: Essential Evidence Plus, Wiley-Blackwell [Mar 2011]
Kozminski M, Combat-related posttraumatic headache: diagnosis, mechanisms of injury, and challenges to treatment, J Am Osteopath, 2010; 110(9):514-519
Kozminski, M, Principles of Osteopathy in the Battlefield, AAO Journal 2010;20(2):11-12
Kozminski M, Kozminski T, OMT as an adjunct therapy for post-traumatic headache in U.S. soldiers: A case series, AAO Journal 2009;19(2):23-24
Kozminski, M, Resident and fellow section. Expert opinion: trigeminal autonomic cephalgia post transsphenoidal surgery, Headache. 2008;48(4):658-659
Kozminski MP, Miller Fisher variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome: A report of case. J Am Osteopath. 2008;108(2):51-52
A few words from Dr. Kozminski about his practice philosophy
"My patients absolutely have no idea how much effort and time that I have spent reviewing their medical background. I have looked over every single medical chart that I have access to, every pertinent lab, every pertinent imaging study, etc. I guarantee that my patients have no idea how much I already know about them before I even walk into the exam room for the very first time."
"I feel that technology has been a mixed blessing in the medical industry. Back whenever I did my residency, I actually had to carry a pager! Owning a cell phone meant having a flip phone and my first real "fancy phone" was a Blackberry that my wife bought for me in 2009. Look how far we have come! We now have apps for everything! While this can be aggravating for some, we take advantage of such technologies in this office so that I am virtually available to my patients 24/7. This significantly cuts back on office phone calls and waiting for call back. "
"Becoming an independent private practitioner can be scary at times, I certainly cannot compete with my neighboring mammoth-sized healthcare institutions. That being stated, there are a number of reigns that I am not bound to or tied down. I have to freedom to further blossom my interests in this field under my current practice environment."
"I feel that technology has been a mixed blessing in the medical industry. Back whenever I did my residency, I actually had to carry a pager! Owning a cell phone meant having a flip phone and my first real "fancy phone" was a Blackberry that my wife bought for me in 2009. Look how far we have come! We now have apps for everything! While this can be aggravating for some, we take advantage of such technologies in this office so that I am virtually available to my patients 24/7. This significantly cuts back on office phone calls and waiting for call back. "
"Becoming an independent private practitioner can be scary at times, I certainly cannot compete with my neighboring mammoth-sized healthcare institutions. That being stated, there are a number of reigns that I am not bound to or tied down. I have to freedom to further blossom my interests in this field under my current practice environment."