Colorado Neurosurgeon Returns to Practice in the Community that Raised Him
Spine-focused neurosurgeon Michael Yang, MD, joins CU Anschutz community neurosurgeons in Highlands Ranch.
Makenzie Hardy Aug 17, 2026
Michael Yang, MD, has joined the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine as an associate professor, hoping to grow access to community neurosurgical care in the south metro Denver area.
Born and raised in Colorado and a CU Anschutz School of Medicine alumnus, Yang is returning to his home state after completing seven years of neurosurgical residency training and two different spinal neurosurgery fellowships. His neurosurgical skillset combined with a passion for improving community health makes him an asset to the CU Anschutz neurosurgery team in Highlands Ranch.
“My goal is to be clinically-oriented and focused on caring for the community where I grew up,” Yang says. “Highlands Ranch is the perfect fit.”
Yang will work with Highlands Ranch-based neurosurgeons and assistant professors Zach Folzenlogen, MD, and Daniel Craig, MD.
Community practice
Community practice focuses on direct patient care and high clinical volume, reduces travel burden for families, and allows for the neurosurgery faculty to develop relationships with local referring physicians.
Yang, along with Folzenlogen and Craig, is expanding access to the resources and surgical expertise of an academic medical center to Highlands Ranch and its surrounding communities. Instead of sending patients 45 minutes away, there are now three CU Anschutz neurosurgeons in Highlands Ranch sharing on-call responsibilities and providing neurosurgical care to the south Denver community.
In addition to emergency department coverage, Yang will also see patients for elective consultations as well as pre-op and post-op appointments at his neurosurgery clinic in Highlands Ranch.
Personal tie to CU Anschutz
After graduating high school, Yang attended CU Boulder followed by medical school at CU Anschutz, where both his father and sister completed medical school. He jokes that CU Anschutz runs in the family.
In medical school, Yang’s interest in biomechanics drew him to spine surgery. During his rotations, he met neurosurgery resident Timothy Ung, MD, now an associate professor of neurosurgery at CU Anschutz. “Tim Ung has been a tremendous friend and mentor,” Yang says. “He showed me the ropes in how to be a good student and what to do to succeed in neurosurgery.”
Ung also connected Yang with pediatric neurosurgeon Todd Hankinson, MD, and the Hankinson Lab to pursue research during medical school. Yang says Hankinson was instrumental in preparing him for residency and guiding him through the residency application process that ultimately led him to match at Tufts University School of Medicine.
“My new role at Highlands Ranch is linked to where I went to medical school and the advanced CU Anschutz campus that has the quaternary care resources to accommodate more complex spine cases, if needed,” Yang says.
Spine focused, general neurosurgeon
While Yang’s focus will be general neurosurgery at UCHealth Highlands Ranch, his interests and fellowship training are in spinal neurosurgery.
Back pain and injuries account for millions of emergency room visits every year. The most common causes of back pain are degenerative diseases including cervical myelopathy, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and traumatic injury.
Degenerative spine disease occurs when the soft cushioning in the discs between the vertebrae wear down over time as part of the natural aging process. Because this comes with aging, Yang explains that it’s common for people to seek care for chronic back pain conditions. While not all patients require surgical treatment, a neurosurgical evaluation may be recommended when conservative treatments fail to relieve pain and restore function.
“My goal is to be able to build a practice that is spine-focused and heavily community-oriented,” Yang says.
Yang completed a pediatric spinal deformity fellowship at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, followed by a complex spine fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona.
Yang also brings a strong skillset in endoscopic spine surgery and hopes to incorporate those skills into his practice. He hopes to someday bring that technology to Highlands Ranch. For now, he looks forward to traveling to the CU Anschutz campus to collaborate on complex spinal neurosurgery cases.
Collaboration with great surgeons
In addition to working alongside CU Anschutz neurosurgeons, Yang is excited to partner with orthopedic surgeons, both in Highlands Ranch and on the main CU Anschutz campus. He says the two different perspectives on spine surgery result in better patient outcomes. During his fellowship at Shriners Children’s Hospital, Yang was impressed by the camaraderie between the neurosurgeons and the orthopedic surgeons.
“The two share different perspectives and surgical approaches,” Yang says. “I love working with and learning from the orthopedic surgeons.”
Yang aims to build strong relationships with primary care practices and physical medicine and rehabilitation providers so he can share what he is trying to build in the community and work together to provide the best care for patients.
“There is a huge discrepancy in the number of patients in need of neurosurgical care in south Denver versus the number of patients receiving care in Highlands Ranch,” Yang says. “With established neurosurgical providers dedicated to Highlands Ranch and community practice, we can decrease that gap.”
Michael Yang, MD, now sees patients at his clinic location at UCHealth Highlands Ranch. For appointments or patient referrals, please call 720-213-4467.