Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Melissa Kirkwood, MD

Vascular Surgery Physician · Dallas, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
5323 HARRY HINES BLVD, Dallas, TX 75390
2146452102
In practice since 2009 (16 years)
NPI: 1043444565 verify on NPPES ↗
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating. This page presents federal public records about Dr. Kirkwood from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
Are you Dr. Kirkwood? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Kirkwood

Dr. Melissa Kirkwood is a vascular surgery physician in Dallas, TX, with 16 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kirkwood performed 1,158 Medicare services across 1,071 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kirkwood received a total of $11,536 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 41 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in vascular surgery physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kirkwood is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 16 years in practice▲ Top 19% volume in TX$ $11,536 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,158
Medicare services
Top 19% in TX for vascular surgery physician
1,071
Unique beneficiaries
$127
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~72 Medicare services per year of practice

Top procedures by volume

Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries209$55$469
Ultrasound of both sides of head and neck blood flow108$144$841
New patient office visit (30-44 min)100$83$347
Ultrasound of one leg arteries or artery grafts81$96$692
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)73$98$344
Ultrasound study of one arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers67$91$570
Ultrasound study of arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers64$148$882
Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts50$132$985
Complete ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries48$95$725
New patient office visit (45-59 min)44$129$533
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)40$129$464
Destruction of first incompetent vein of arm or leg using radiofrequency and imaging guidance37$865$6,467
Ultrasound of hemodialysis access34$98$910
Complete ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis artery and vein blood flow30$192$1,278
Review by radiologist of arm or leg artery image26$64$177
Ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts22$79$727
Ultrasonic guidance for blood vessel access20$11$43
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)20$62$232
Initial hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes19$62$327
Ultrasound evaluation of blood vessel with review by radiologist, initial vessel18$67$5,299
Balloon dilation of artery of leg, initial vessel13$391$18,008
Ultrasound of one side of head and neck blood flow12$100$662
Ultrasound of leg arteries or artery grafts12$182$1,367
Complete ultrasound of artery and vein blood flow pre-op assessment on both sides of body for hemodialysis access11$200$1,116
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
6.2% high complexity
63.1% medium
30.7% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$11,536
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,648/year across 7 years
Top 28% in TX for vascular surgery physician
9
Companies
41
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment profile

Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$9,442 (81.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,394 (12.1%)
Scientific / Research
Research funding and grants
$700 (6.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,984
2023
$3,447
2022
$4,283
2021
$309
2020
$144
2019
$253
2018
$116

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$10,136
Medtronic, Inc.
$714
Boston Scientific Corporation
$286
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$208
Cook Medical LLC
$100
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$44
Surmodics, Inc.
$21
Cook Incorporated
$15
Bolton Medical Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 96.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COOK MEDICAL AAA · COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX · ELUVIA · EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · EXCLUDER Iliac Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE EXCLUDER Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE PROPATEN Vascular Graft · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Stent Graft · GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin · GORE VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endo · GORE-TEX Vascular Graft · Lutonix Drug Coated Balloon · Pounce Venous Thrombectomy System · Relay Plus · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · VENASEAL · VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →

The majority of payments (82%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Equivalent to $996 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a vascular surgery physician in Dallas?
Compare vascular surgery physicians in the Dallas area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse vascular surgery physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Vascular Surgery Physicians within 10 mi
56
Per 100K population
2.2
County median income
$74,149
Nearest hospital
UT OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL - WILLIAM P. CLEMENTS JR.
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Kirkwood is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in TX), and consulting-driven industry engagement, with 16 years of practice experience.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Kirkwood experienced with ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kirkwood performed 209 ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Kirkwood receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kirkwood received a total of $11,536 from 9 companies across 41 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Kirkwood's costs compare to other vascular surgery physicians in Dallas?
Dr. Kirkwood's average Medicare payment per service is $127. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Kirkwood) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.

This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. The Transparency Score measures data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →