Howard Dedes
M.D.
Dr. Dedes enlisted in the United States Navy directly out of high school. He served, primarily as a hospital corpsman and field medical trainer, between 1993 and 1997. He earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal and other awards before being honorably discharged.
He then went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of California – San Diego and his medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles – David Geffen School of Medicine. He completed his Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency at the prestigious UCLA multi-campus program that includes the Veterans Administration, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
He is a Harvard trained physician. Dr. Dedes completed his fellowship with the Anesthesia Department in Interventional Pain Medicine at Harvard Medical School – Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
His desire to help his patients and treat them as family members is very apparent. “I have had close family members suffering from cancer pain, and the medication used to control their pain made them sleepy and not as interactive,” Dr. Dedes says. “When I decided to pursue pain management as a career, I wanted to be able to provide treatment that allows patients to have a better quality of life without medication’s side effects. I wanted to allow them to be present for their families.”
Dr. Dedes has a special interest in the advancing field of Pain Medicine, including neuromodulation and regenerative medicine. He frequently travels throughout the country to stay up to date on the latest cutting edge options available. “We now have the power of controlling pain without the use of heavy narcotics, it is an exciting time to be an interventional pain physician!” says Dr. Dedes.
Furthermore, he has participated in a wide variety of research, and presented and been published in peer reviewed journals, abstracts and posters on a variety of medical subjects. He has also lectured at Harvard Medical School, UCLA, Cedars Sinai Medical Center and numerous other institutions.
His drive to help others is not limited to the clinic. Dr. Dedes has long volunteered his time in sports clinics targeting disadvantaged high school students, and performing health screenings for the uninsured Latino community and the homeless around Los Angeles. He has served on the board of the Advocacy Network, which helps abused and neglected children find shelter and legal resources.
In his free time, Dr. Dedes enjoys spending time with his family and being a father; he also appreciates being humbled playing golf, scuba diving, photography, movies, cooking and traveling.