EmergeOrtho: Ashraf F. Guirgues, MD, FAAOS

A Commander in the Medical Corps within the Navy Reserve, Daniel Houskamp, MD, joined EmergeOrtho – Coastal Region in May 2025 from Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point. Dr. Housekamp will be seeing patients at the Swansboro, NC location. His extensive experience includes practicing in the naval medical centers in Guam and Camp Lejeune, and with another orthopedics and sports medicine practice in the region.An orthopedic specialist with a diverse practice, Dr. Houskamp’s expertise includes an emphasis on surgery of the foot and ankle, shoulder procedures, trauma, complex sports and joint arthroplasty. He is certified in MAKOplasty, a robotic arm-assisted surgical procedure used for partial and total knee and hip replacements.While serving in the navy, Dr. Houskamp was the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, and a frequent presenter at medical professional conferences and meetings. Dr. Daniel Houskamp welcomes new patients at the EmergeOrtho Swansboro, NC location.

About UsAshraf Guirgues, MD, leads the team at Carolinas Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, with locations in Morehead City, Swansboro, and Jacksonville, North Carolina. He is a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon with 17 years of experience practicing evidence-based medicine.Dr. Guirgues received his Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed a five-year orthopedic surgery residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a fellowship in spinal surgery with Dr. Bruce Darden at the Charlotte Spine Center in North Carolina.He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the North American Spine Society. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon.His professional interests are in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He particularly enjoys minimally invasive spinal surgery, such as microdiscectomy and minimally invasive lumbar fusion. He operates as a spinal surgeon at Carteret Health Care, Onslow Memorial Hospital and The Surgical Center of Morehead City. Dr. Guirgues is an integral part of the Carolinas Center for Joint and Spine at Carteret Health Care. He is the director of the Carolinas Center for Spine Surgery which includes a spinal surgeon, physician assistant, nurses, and physical therapists working as a cohesive team.He previously practiced in New Hampshire before joining Carteret Surgical Associates, now Carolinas Center for Surgery, in 2006. He has completed additional training and is qualified to perform artificial disc replacement in the neck and lower back.Dr. Guirgues lives and works in Morehead City and Jacksonville, North Carolina, with his wife and three sons. He enjoys the wonderful climate of the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. In his free time, Dr. Guirgues loves skeet shooting.

Gary V. Wertman, II, DO is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained hand, upper extremity, and microvascular surgery specialist. Dr. Wertman has a broad range of orthopedic knowledge with a special interest in upper extremity conditions involving the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, including carpal tunnel surgery, arthritis, fracture care, sports injuries, work related injuries, nerve compression syndromes, traumatic reconstructions and congenital abnormalities. Dr. Wertman is now seeing new and established patients at EmergeOrtho offices in Jacksonville, Morehead City and Swansboro.