Dr. Eric R. Skipper, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician)
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine (1985)
- Years since graduation
- 41
- In the NPI registry since
- 2006
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 135
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. NPIs were first issued in May 2005 and became required on claims in 2007–2008, so an early date usually means the clinician was already in practice before then. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 1985Medical school: Wake Forest University School of Medicine
- 2006Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date) — NPIs began in 2005, so practice likely started earlier
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
NC license 34160 -
Surgery Physician
NC license 34160
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health Charlotte, NC
- Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC
Medical groups
- Carolinas Physicians Network Inc (2,325 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
- 135
- Services billed
- 457
- Patients’ average age
- 75
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes | 141 | 49 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 60-74 minutes | 89 | 89 |
| Evaluation of lower heart chamber assist device | 67 | 14 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes | 56 | 27 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 40-54 minutes | 36 | 30 |
| Replacement of aortic valve through the skin and femoral artery | 32 | 32 |
| Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, at least 75 minutes | 24 | 24 |
| Replacement of aortic valve on heart-lung machine | 12 | 12 |
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, 6 companies reported 33 payments worth $13,527 in total to this clinician.
| Abbott Laboratories | $12,737 |
|---|---|
| Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | $326 |
| Abiomed | $214 |
| Medtronic, Inc. | $168 |
| Atricure, Inc. | $63.64 |
| Artivion, Inc. | $18.96 |
| Consulting Fee | $11,100 |
|---|---|
| Food and Beverage | $1,680 |
| Travel and Lodging | $747 |
What the payments were for
| Company | What it was for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Abbott Laboratories Nov 18, 2025 | Consulting Fee THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart | $5,400 |
| Abbott Laboratories Sep 23, 2025 | Consulting Fee THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart | $3,900 |
| Abbott Laboratories Sep 23, 2025 | Consulting Fee THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart | $900 |
| Abbott Laboratories Nov 18, 2025 | Consulting Fee THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart | $600 |
| Abbott Laboratories Mar 4, 2025 | Travel and Lodging THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart · travel to Minnetonka, MN · in-kind | $439 |
| Abbott Laboratories Sep 23, 2025 | Consulting Fee THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart | $300 |
| Abbott Laboratories Mar 4, 2025 | Travel and Lodging THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart · travel to Fort Worth, TX · in-kind | $150 |
| Abbott Laboratories Mar 4, 2025 | Travel and Lodging THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart · travel to Fort Worth, TX · in-kind | $150 |
| Abbott Laboratories Mar 4, 2025 | Travel and Lodging THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · Structural Heart · travel to Minnetonka, MN · in-kind | $9.02 |
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.
Industry-funded research
Named as a principal investigator on 3 industry-funded studies in 2025, from 3 companies. The companies reported $6,330 in research payments for these studies, mostly to the institutions running them.
- NCT04071847--Abbott DBS Post-Market Study of Outcomes for Indications Over Time
Abbott Laboratories - CLASP IIF (2018-07)
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation - CoreValve SURTAVI
Medtronic, Inc.
From CMS Open Payments research payments, where companies name up to five principal investigators per payment. Research payments usually go to hospitals, universities and research sites, not to the investigator personally. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing.