Eliel Arrey Builds A Vision For Surgical Excellence

For many patients facing surgery, the diagnosis is only the beginning of a difficult journey. Questions about treatment, recovery, travel, family support, and access to specialists can quickly become part of the experience. For Dr. Eliel N. Arrey, MD, PhD, MBA, those realities have shaped a broader vision for surgical care in the Lewis-Clark Valley: patients should have meaningful access to advanced surgical expertise without automatically having to leave their community.

That vision is at the center of Dr. Arrey's work with TriState General Surgery. As a board eligible general surgeon with interests in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, breast disease and breast cancer care, and advanced surgical technologies, he is focused on combining clinical training with a patient centered approach. His goal extends beyond performing procedures. He wants patients and families to feel informed, respected, and involved throughout their surgical journey.

Recognized as Best Emerging General Surgeon in the Lewis-Clark Valley of 2026

Dr. Eliel N. Arrey, MD, PhD, MBA, has been recognized by Best of Best Review as the Best Emerging General Surgeon in the Lewis-Clark Valley of 2026. The recognition highlights his approach to surgical care, which brings together patient centered care, surgical innovation, medical education, research, leadership, and a commitment to expanding access to advanced care close to home.

The recognition reflects the broader vision behind Dr. Arrey's work with TriState General Surgery and his focus on developing modern surgical capabilities while keeping patients and their families at the center of the care experience.

A Broader Approach To Surgical Care

Dr. Arrey's path to surgery has been shaped by experiences that extend well beyond the operating room. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed his general surgery residency at Morehouse School of Medicine at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

His education also includes an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University. During his surgical residency, he completed the Cedars Sinai LEAP Fellowship, an executive leadership program focused on physician leadership, healthcare innovation, quality improvement, and organizational transformation.

Together, those experiences have influenced how Dr. Arrey views medicine. Surgery is not simply a technical discipline, in his view. It is also an environment where communication, teamwork, systems, leadership, and continuous improvement can directly influence the patient experience.

His philosophy is reflected in a simple principle: advanced technology should strengthen the human side of medicine rather than replace it.

“Technology can make us better surgeons, but it should never replace the human side of medicine. I want my patients to know that I see the person before I see the diagnosis,” Dr. Arrey said.

Bringing Innovation Closer To Home

One of the defining elements of Dr. Arrey's vision is access. The Lewis-Clark Valley serves communities where traveling to a major metropolitan or academic medical center can create additional challenges for patients and families. Distance can affect time, transportation, family support, work responsibilities, and the overall burden of treatment.

Dr. Arrey sees an opportunity to help expand the region's surgical capabilities while maintaining the personal relationships that are essential to community medicine.

“Advanced surgical care should not automatically mean traveling hours away from home. My goal is to bring exceptional, innovative surgery closer to the patients and families who live right here in the Lewis-Clark Valley,” he said.

His interests in minimally invasive and robotic surgery form part of that broader effort. These approaches represent areas of modern surgical practice that can provide surgeons with additional technical capabilities in appropriate cases. Dr. Arrey's emphasis, however, remains on selecting care based on each patient's individual circumstances rather than treating technology as an end in itself.

That distinction is central to his approach. Innovation matters because it can support better care, but the patient remains the focus.

Research That Connects Innovation With Access

Research has been another important part of Dr. Arrey's professional development. His scholarly work has explored subjects including access to surgical care, disparities in breast cancer outcomes, robotic surgery, surgical education, and approaches to breast cancer management.

His work has appeared in peer reviewed publications including the Journal of Surgical Oncology, The American Surgeon, Histopathology, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, and Journal of Neuro Oncology.

That research background adds another dimension to his clinical philosophy. Rather than viewing established practices as fixed, Dr. Arrey approaches surgical care with the curiosity of a researcher and the practical perspective of a physician working directly with patients.

He also serves as a Senior Medical Officer in the United States Army. That role has reinforced values such as discipline, accountability, teamwork, leadership, and service. Those principles complement his academic and clinical training and contribute to the way he approaches demanding situations.

Dr. Arrey also works as an educator for Kaplan, where he has taught students and medical graduates. Teaching has given him another opportunity to contribute to the development of future healthcare professionals while reinforcing his own commitment to lifelong learning.

Building Something The Community Can Trust

The long-term ambition behind Dr. Arrey's work is larger than the introduction of individual surgical techniques. He envisions helping build a center of excellence for surgical care in the Lewis-Clark Valley, where advanced capabilities can exist alongside accessibility, trust, compassion, and strong relationships with patients and families.

“I didn't come here simply to practice surgery. I came with a vision to help build something lasting, a center of excellence that this community can trust and be proud to call its own,” Dr. Arrey said.

That vision also reflects his understanding that healthcare excellence is rarely the result of one person working alone. His background in medicine, research, organizational leadership, healthcare administration, military service, and education has reinforced the importance of strong teams and continuous improvement.

“My research, military service, leadership training, and business background have all taught me the same lesson: excellence is never an individual accomplishment. It comes from building great teams, continually improving, and staying focused on the people we serve,” he said.

For Dr. Arrey, the measure of progress ultimately comes back to the patient. The goal is to help people receive appropriate, high quality surgical care while remaining connected to the communities, families, and support systems that matter most to them.

Explore Dr. Arrey's Vision For Surgical Care

Dr. Eliel N. Arrey, MD, PhD, MBA, is a general surgeon with professional interests in robotic and minimally invasive surgery, breast disease and breast cancer care, surgical innovation, healthcare leadership, and medical education. Readers can learn more about his professional background, research, surgical interests, and educational work through his website at elielarrey.com. 

Additional professional and social updates are available through his Facebook page, Instagram profile, and LinkedIn. For professional inquiries, Dr. Arrey can be reached at this link.

Office Information:
TriState General Surgery
1119 Highland Avenue, Suite 4
Clarkston, WA 99403
Office: 509.254.2722