Dr. Leah M. Backhus, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician)
300 Pasteur Dr
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Who else practices at this address →
Santa Clara County includes mental health (13% of residents) shortage areas. About shortage areas
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (2000)
- Years since graduation
- 26
- In the NPI registry since
- 2009
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 91
Licensed in California since 2001, according to the Medical Board of California. We show license dates only for the states that publish them in bulk; see which states do. For other states, check the state medical board.
The NPI date is when this clinician registered for a National Provider Identifier, the billing number used on health claims. It is not a license, graduation or board-certification date. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 2000Medical school: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
- 2009Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date)
Undergraduate school, residency, fellowship, licensing exams and board certification aren’t in public federal data. Board certification can be confirmed with the certifying board (ABMS member boards for MDs, AOA boards for DOs).
Specialties and state licenses
-
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician primary
CA license A77191 (first issued 2001; current) -
Surgery Physician
CA license A77191 (first issued 2001; current)
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA
Medical groups
- Stanford Health Care (3,122 clinicians)
Hospitals this clinician lists with Medicare, and groups they bill Medicare through (Care Compare). Affiliation doesn’t mean they see patients at every location.
Medicare patients and services
- Medicare patients, 2024
- 91
- Services billed
- 224
- Patients’ average age
- 74
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 60-74 minutes | 30 | 29 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 26 | 22 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 40-54 minutes | 20 | 15 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | 16 | 13 |
Medicare fee-for-service only. CMS leaves out services billed for fewer than 11 patients. These figures describe a practice’s Medicare work; they aren’t a measure of quality.
Payments from drug and device companies
In 2025, 5 companies reported 14 payments worth $17,126 in total to this clinician.
| Ethicon US, LLC | $10,439 |
|---|---|
| Ethicon Inc. | $4,040 |
| Medical Device Business Services, Inc. | $2,371 |
| Medtronic, Inc. | $153 |
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $123 |
| Consulting Fee | $14,145 |
|---|---|
| Travel and Lodging | $2,437 |
| Food and Beverage | $544 |
What the payments were for
| Company | What it was for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ethicon US, LLC May 26, 2025 | Consulting Fee Echelon; Endopath; Enseal; Harmonic · Endo-Mechanical | $10,105 |
| Ethicon Inc. Sep 22, 2025 | Consulting Fee Echelon; Endopath; Enseal; Harmonic · Endo-Mechanical | $4,040 |
| Medical Device Business Services, Inc. May 14, 2025 | Travel and Lodging travel to RARITAN, NJ · in-kind | $1,308 |
| Medical Device Business Services, Inc. May 14, 2025 | Travel and Lodging travel to RARITAN, NJ · in-kind | $584 |
| Medical Device Business Services, Inc. May 14, 2025 | Travel and Lodging travel to RARITAN, NJ · in-kind | $274 |
| Ethicon US, LLC May 26, 2025 | Travel and Lodging Echelon; Endopath; Enseal; Harmonic · Endo-Mechanical · travel to Raritan, NJ | $271 |
Each payment as the company reported it, with the products it named. Meals are counted in the totals above but not listed one by one.
From CMS Open Payments. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing; many are for consulting, teaching or meals. Clinicians can review and dispute their records with CMS.