Meet Dr. Elissa Falconer: Q&A with Premier Surgical’s New Colon and Rectal Surgeon
Premier Surgical Associates is proud to welcome Elissa A. Falconer, MD, a Colon and Rectal Surgeon at Fort Sanders Regional in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Falconer specializes in treating both cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the colon, rectum, and anus, as well as pelvic floor disorders, with a strong focus on minimally invasive surgery.
Get to know Dr. Falconer in this Q&A.
What types of conditions do you treat?
As a colon and rectal surgeon, I treat a wide range of conditions, from cancerous to non-cancerous diseases. These include cancers of the colon, rectum, and anus, as well as non-cancerous conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, and anorectal conditions like hemorrhoids and fissures.
Why did you choose to become a doctor?
A lot of people find their calling in life, and for some, that calling is medicine. From a young age, I was always drawn to the sciences, and I continued to pursue that interest in college, where I studied biochemistry. During that time, I felt especially connected to the physicians who came to speak with us about careers in medicine.
Tell us about your educational background.
After college, I spent a year working as an EMT in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. After that, I began medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and then matched into General Surgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta, where I completed five years of training. During that time, I also completed a two-year Quality Scholars Fellowship at the Atlanta VA, with a focus on quality improvement and patient safety. After residency, I completed my Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Louisville.
Tell us about your background.
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and competitive target archery with a compound bow was a big part of my upbringing. I started around age 11 at the local level and eventually competed nationally and internationally. By the time I was in college, performance improvement had become very important to me. At first, that focus was personal through archery, but as I began studying medicine, I saw how important performance improvement is in achieving better patient outcomes.
What is your philosophy of care?
I prioritize listening to my patients and creating treatment plans that integrate smoothly into their daily lives. Building trust through open and honest communication is at the heart of my practice.
What do you do in your free time?
One of the things that drew us to Knoxville was the outdoors. With the Great Smoky Mountains so close by, you can often find me, my husband, and our two dogs out exploring.
Why did you choose Premier Surgical?
While I was in training, my husband accepted a job here in Knoxville nearly four years ago. As I was finishing my training, we started thinking about where the perfect place would be to settle down and put down roots, and Knoxville felt like exactly that place. As I researched practices in the Knoxville area, Premier Surgical consistently stood out as a great place to begin my career.
About Dr. Elissa Falconer
Dr. Elissa Falconer is a Colon and Rectal Surgeon with Premier Surgical at Fort Sanders Regional in Knoxville, TN. She specializes in colon and rectal surgery, treating both cancer and benign diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus, as well as pelvic floor disorders, with a strong focus on minimally invasive surgery.
She completed her Fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and her General Surgery Residency at Emory University School of Medicine. During residency, she also completed the Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars Fellowship, focusing on quality improvement and patient safety. She is a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.
Office Location
Fort Sanders Regional
1819 Clinch Avenue, Suite 200
Knoxville, TN 37916
865.524.3695