STONY BROOK, NY, June, 2025 – Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Family Medicine physician, Dr. Alex Aponte, has been named “Top Doctor” by Castle Connolly for 20 consecutive years. In July, Dr. Aponte will celebrate 30 years of practicing Family Medicine with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. Since 2009, he has also been practicing Functional Medicine at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Ed and Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute.
To create its list of ‘Top Doctors’, Castle Connolly surveys physicians, healthcare professionals and medical leaders across the country, which then generates a list of doctors who “embody excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills such as listening and communicating, demonstrating empathy and instilling trust and confidence in patients.”
On his philosophy of patient care, Dr. Aponte says, “I tend to approach patient care with this thought in mind: ‘You’re only as young as your oldest part.’ When seeing patients, I focus on what’s bothering them most.” Furthermore, he says, “I like to emphasize lifestyle changes as much as possible. I encourage my patients to do as much for themselves as they can without medication.”
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Westhampton Primary Care Center offers a multitude of services beyond family medicine, including physical therapy and rehabilitation, massage therapy, acupuncture, nutritional counseling, and functional medicine.
About Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH):
With 120 beds, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) is staffed by more than 280 physicians, dentists, and allied health professionals representing 48 medical specialties. SBSH offers a diverse array of clinical services, ranging from primary medical care to specialized surgical procedures, including cardiac catheterization, orthopedics and bariatrics. The sole provider of emergency care on Long Island’s South Fork, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is a designated Level III Trauma Center and primary stroke center. The hospital includes the Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department, The Phillips Family Cancer Center, a Heart and Stroke Center, Breast Health Center, The Center for Advanced Wound Healing, Wellness Institute, and 32 satellite care centers throughout the South Fork of Long Island. The hospital is the largest employer on the South Fork with more than 1,200 employees. To learn more, visit www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu
About Westhampton Primary Care:
Westhampton Primary Care provides comprehensive, family-centered medical care for patients of all ages, including child and adolescent care, vaccinations, geriatrics, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, osteopathic manipulative medicine, functional medicine, wellness and prevention. To learn more, visit www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu/services/satellite-care-centers/westhampton
About Castle Connolly:
Castle Connolly is a leading research and information resource for patients looking to find and connect with the best healthcare. They provide healthcare consumers with trusted lists of Top Doctors in their local communities, as well as across the country. Each year, Castle Connolly surveys physicians and other healthcare leaders around the country. They ask them to identify doctors that embody excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills such as listening and communicating, demonstrating empathy and instilling trust and confidence in patients. Any licensed MD, DPM or DO can nominate a fellow physician for Top Doctor recognition. To learn more, visit www.castleconnolly.com/