Name: Dr. Amy R. Spencer, MD

Specialty: General Surgery

Qualification/Board Certification: Doctor of Medicine (MD), Wayne State University School of Medicine

Affiliation(s): Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals-Blodgett and Butterworth; Spectrum Health Primary Care Partners

Location (City/State): Grand Rapids, Michigan

Languages Spoken: English

Accepting New Patients: Contact office to confirm

NPI Number: 1043489842

About the Doctor

Dr. Amy R. Spencer is a highly trained and experienced general surgeon practicing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 21 years of clinical expertise in both elective and emergency surgical care. She earned her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, a respected research-intensive institution in Michigan with strong ties to the Detroit Medical Center, where she subsequently completed her surgical residency from 2006 to 2013. Following her residency, Dr. Spencer pursued advanced subspecialty training through a Surgical Critical Care fellowship at the University of Michigan from 2013 to 2014 — one of the nation’s most prestigious academic medical programs — a distinction that sets her apart as a surgeon with highly specialized expertise in managing the most critically ill and severely injured surgical patients.

Dr. Spencer’s subspecialty designation in Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care reflects a practice profile that goes well beyond routine general surgery. Trauma surgeons and surgical intensivists are called upon to manage the most life-threatening surgical emergencies — including major traumatic injuries, multi-organ dysfunction, and postoperative critical illness — requiring a level of clinical judgment, technical precision, and rapid decision-making that demands years of intensive training and experience. Her fellowship at the University of Michigan, combined with her extended seven-year surgical residency at the Detroit Medical Center, has forged a surgeon of exceptional capability and resilience. She practices at Spectrum Health Primary Care Partners alongside a multidisciplinary team including cardiologists, internists, OB-GYN physicians, and family medicine doctors, and is affiliated with Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals-Blodgett and Butterworth, ranked number 3 in Michigan by U.S. News & World Report and recognized as a U.S. News Best Hospital. She holds an active Michigan State Medical License through 2028, has received professional awards and honors, and has published peer-reviewed research. Online appointment booking is available.

Key highlights about Dr. Spencer:

• Over 21 years of experience in general surgery and surgical critical care
• Medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Seven-year surgical residency at Detroit Medical Center (2006–2013)
• Surgical Critical Care fellowship at the University of Michigan (2013–2014)
• Subspecialty expertise in Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
• Affiliated with Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals, ranked number 3 in Michigan
• Active Michigan State Medical License through 2028
• Published researcher with professional awards and honors
• Practices within a multidisciplinary Spectrum Health physician group

Education & Training

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine

Residency: Surgery, Detroit Medical Center (2006–2013)

Fellowship: Surgical Critical Care, University of Michigan (2013–2014)

Medical Conditions Treated

Dr. Spencer diagnoses and surgically treats a broad range of conditions with particular depth in trauma and critical care surgery:

• Traumatic injuries from accidents, falls, and blunt or penetrating force
• Abdominal emergencies including bowel obstruction and perforation
• Appendicitis requiring appendectomy
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones requiring cholecystectomy
• Hernia repair (inguinal, ventral, incisional, umbilical)
• Colorectal conditions requiring resection or surgical intervention
• Soft tissue infections requiring surgical drainage or debridement
• Surgical complications and postoperative critical illness
• Multi-organ dysfunction in the surgical intensive care setting
• Solid organ injuries (liver, spleen, kidney) from trauma
• Thoracic injuries requiring emergency surgical management
• Gastrointestinal bleeding requiring surgical intervention
• Breast conditions requiring surgical evaluation or excision
• Thyroid and parathyroid conditions requiring surgical care
• Skin and soft tissue lesions requiring surgical excision

Medical Procedures Performed

• Emergency and elective laparoscopic and open abdominal surgeries
• Trauma laparotomy and damage control surgery
• Appendectomy (laparoscopic and open)
• Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
• Hernia repair (laparoscopic and open, all types)
• Bowel resection and colostomy formation
• Surgical management of solid organ injuries
• Chest tube placement and thoracic emergency procedures
• Surgical critical care management in the ICU setting
• Wound debridement and soft tissue infection management
• Breast biopsy and surgical excision
• Thyroid and parathyroid surgical procedures
• Venous access and central line placement
• Preoperative surgical consultations and evaluations
• Postoperative wound care and surgical follow-up

Services Offered

Dr. Amy R. Spencer provides a comprehensive and highly specialized range of general and trauma surgical services at her Grand Rapids, Michigan practice, serving patients who require both planned elective surgery and urgent or emergency surgical intervention. Her dual expertise in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care makes her a uniquely capable surgeon who can manage patients across the entire spectrum of surgical acuity — from routine outpatient procedures to life-threatening traumatic injuries and complex postoperative critical illness in the intensive care unit.

In her general surgery practice, Dr. Spencer evaluates and treats patients with conditions requiring surgical management of abdominal organs, the gastrointestinal tract, and soft tissues. Common elective procedures she performs include laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease, hernia repairs of all types, appendectomy, and colorectal surgery. She conducts thorough preoperative consultations to assess surgical candidacy, explain procedural risks and benefits, and develop individualized surgical plans that prioritize patient safety and optimal recovery. Her affiliation with Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals — a top-three ranked hospital in Michigan — ensures that her patients have access to a full range of advanced surgical support services and postoperative care resources.

In her trauma and surgical critical care role, Dr. Spencer manages patients with severe, life-threatening injuries and postoperative complications requiring intensive monitoring and intervention. Her University of Michigan fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care has equipped her to lead complex resuscitations, manage multi-organ dysfunction, direct damage control surgical strategies, and guide critically ill surgical patients through their most vulnerable clinical moments. This subspecialty capability is an invaluable asset to the Corewell Health surgical team and to the patients across western Michigan who depend on having access to a highly trained trauma and critical care surgeon.

Key services include:

• Elective laparoscopic and open general surgical procedures
• Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) for gallstone disease
• Hernia repair for all hernia types (inguinal, ventral, incisional)
• Appendectomy for appendicitis
• Colorectal and bowel surgery
• Trauma surgery and damage control surgical management
• Surgical critical care and intensive care unit (ICU) management
• Solid organ injury management following trauma
• Thoracic and chest wall emergency surgical procedures
• Soft tissue infection surgical drainage and debridement
• Breast and thyroid surgical evaluation and procedures
• Preoperative surgical consultation and evaluation
• Postoperative wound care and surgical recovery management
• Multidisciplinary care coordination within Corewell Health network
• Telehealth consultations (contact office for availability)
• Online appointment booking

Accepted Insurances

• Aetna – EPO, HMO, Medicare, POS, PPO
• Cigna – PPO
• CMS Medicare – Medicare
• McLaren Health Plan – HMO
• Molina – HMO, Medicaid, Medicare
• United Healthcare – HMO, POS, PPO

Practice Locations

Location 1 Address: 221 Michigan St NE, Suite 400, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Phone: (616) 486-9600

Hospital Affiliations

• Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals-Blodgett and Butterworth – Grand Rapids, MI (U.S. News Best Hospital | Ranked #3 in Michigan)