Every physician at Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City is Nationally Recognized as a Top Doctor.

Overland Park, KS, June 23, 2025 — The five board-certified physicians at Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City have again been recognized by Castle Connolly as Top Doctors for 2025. Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians. Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City has been caring for ear, nose, throat, audiology, and facial plastics patients for over 30 years and has locations in Overland Park, KS, South Overland Park, KS, and Grandview, MO.

Castle Connolly Top Doctors are peer-nominated and vetted by Castle Connolly’s research team. These physicians are best-in-class healthcare providers embodying excellence in clinical care.

About the Top Doctors at the Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City:

Mitchell Challis, MD, FACS – Dr. Mitchell Challis graduated magna cum laude in 2004 from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology. He attended the University of Kansas School of Medicine and was a member of the Virchow honor society. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 2009. Dr. Challis completed his General Surgery internship and residency in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Memphis in 2014. Dr. Challis is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and licensed by the Kansas and Missouri State Board of Healing Arts. He speaks Spanish fluently.

Steven Ellis, MD, FACS – Dr. Steven Ellis graduated magna cum laude from Baker University in 1987. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas in 1991. Dr. Ellis trained in general surgery for two years and completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and licensed by the Kansas and Missouri State Board of Healing Arts. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  Dr. Ellis joined Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City in 1996.

Richard Price, MD – Dr. Richard Price is a 1978 graduate of the University of Texas, and he received his MD degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1982.  Dr. Price completed his Surgery Internship and Otolaryngology Residency at the University of Kansas. He then completed a Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.  In 1988, Dr. Price opened a solo practice in Kansas City and continued in this practice for thirty-three years until 2022, when he joined Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City. Dr. Price is Board Certified in Otolaryngology and holds a second Board Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He served on the Medical Executive Committee in multiple official roles for a total of fourteen years at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, followed by five years on the Credentialing Committee at Saint Luke’s South Hospital. Dr. Price’s primary surgical interests are General Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery.

Robert Thompson, MD, FACS – Dr. Robert Thompson graduated magna cum laude in 1981 from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree with high honors in 1985 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. Dr. Thompson completed an internship in General Surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in 1986 and a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the nationally recognized Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 1990. Dr. Thompson entered professional practice in Overland Park, Kansas, in July 1990. In 1991, Dr. Thompson founded Head and Neck Surgery of Kansas City, P.A.

Dr. Thompson is a past Chairman of Surgery at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and licensed by both the Kansas and Missouri State Boards of Healing Arts. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Mark Walton, MD, FACS – Dr. Mark Walton graduated magna cum laude in 1981, with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1985, also from Creighton University. Dr. Walton completed an internship in general Surgery at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, in 1986. He was assigned as Medical Department Head aboard the U.S.S. Sacramento for one year. He returned to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego to complete his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 1991. Following residency, Dr. Walton was transferred to Bremerton, Washington, where he was assigned as a Staff Surgeon to the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He subsequently became Department Head, where he served until leaving active duty in September of 1994. During that time, he held teaching appointments at Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington, and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.

Dr. Walton is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and licensed by the Kansas and Missouri State Boards of Healing Arts. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

About the Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City

​Since 1991, Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City has cared for the greater Kansas City community. Our practice currently has five board-certified physicians, two certified physician assistants, three audiologists, a speech pathologist, and a total staff of 30. We offer comprehensive ear, nose, throat, sinus, facial plastic surgery, and audiology/hearing aid services. Our team continually strives to maintain the highest standard of care for patients while incorporating the latest technologies and expertise in surgical and noninvasive ENT procedures. We are conveniently located in Overland Park, South Overland Park, and Grandview, and our physicians have privileges at several area hospitals. For more information, please visit https://hnskc.com. Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City is supported by Parallel ENT & Allergy for non-clinical practice management, including operations support, IT, finance, marketing, and more.

​About Parallel ENT & Allergy 

Parallel ENT & Allergy is a physician-centric practice management organization for ENT and allergy practices. Parallel provides strategic, operational, and administrative support, so physicians can spend less time worrying about the business of medicine and more time caring for their patients. Parallel ENT & Allergy is backed by Trinity Hunt Partners, a growth-oriented private equity firm with deep healthcare experience. To learn more about Parallel ENT & Allergy, or to inquire about becoming a supported practice, visit https://parallelenta.com