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Brenna Houlihan, MD, FASCRS

Brenna Houlihan, MD, FASCRS

Colorectal Surgery, General Surgery

accepting new patients

PhysicianPractice

WPP-Doctors

Locations

Colorectal Surgery - East Raleigh

WakeMed Raleigh Campus Andrews Center 3024 New Bern Avenue
Suite 102
Raleigh , NC 27610

View hours
Monday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
Colorectal Surgery - East Raleigh

Colorectal Surgery - North Raleigh

WakeMed North Hospital Physicians Office Pavilion
10010 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 013
Raleigh , NC 27614

View hours
Monday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
Colorectal Surgery - North Raleigh

General Surgery - Oberlin

505 Oberlin Road
Suite 250
Raleigh , NC 27605

View hours
Monday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
General Surgery - Oberlin

Colorectal Surgery - Oberlin

505 Oberlin Road
Suite 250
Raleigh , NC 27605

View hours
Monday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
Colorectal Surgery - Oberlin

General Surgery - Wake Forest Medical Park

1030 Siena Drive
Suite 240
Wake Forest , NC 27587

View hours
Tuesday
7:30am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
7:30am - 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
General Surgery - Wake Forest Medical Park

About Me

Dr. Brenna Houlihan is a trained colon and rectal Surgeon and general surgeon with clinical interests in colon, rectal and anal cancers, colonic polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, anorectal disease, pelvic floor dysfunction and prolapse. She received her medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, and completed her general surgery residency at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Houlihan is fellowship trained in colon and rectal surgery from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Houlihan thinks of patients as people first. She appreciates clear and open communication and enjoys helping patients navigate through their care in a holistic manner. Outside of work, Dr. Houlihan enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, hiking and yoga.

Professional Memberships:
American Board of Surgery

Education

Undergraduate:
Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa

Medical School:
New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY

Residency:
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Fellowship:
University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

Provider Ratings

5 out of 5

(135 ratings)

The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.

81 Reviews

04/05/2024

everything

03/30/2024

Dr Houlihan is amazing. Her hands are blessed!

03/24/2024

Everything

03/18/2024

Overall care was amazing I came in through the emergency room and she quickly diagnosed and informed me what was going on and what my options were she quickly scheduled surgery and then followed up quickly when labs were in she shows she cares about her patients and their overall care even after she has completed the surgery I haven’t seen many doctors like her in many years

03/17/2024

Frankly everything about my experience with Dr. Houlihan prior to surgery and after could not have been better. I would highly recommend her to anyone - they would not be disappointed! A real gem, professional doctor.

03/14/2024

Excellent care by Dr. HOULIHAN AND STAFF.

02/27/2024

Exceeded all my expectations!!!

02/26/2024

Yes, The whole staff was awesome

02/26/2024

Dr. Houlihan was the reason I switched over to WakeMed from Duke Health

02/26/2024

The nurse that came from the Fuquay-Varina office was great. Dr. Houlihan explained everything that could be going on in deatail and she was so friendly and I could tell she's very experienced.

02/25/2024

Dr Houlihan has the rare combination of being an excellent surgeon and a caring, compassionate human being. She is relatable as a person and explains medical procedures in a way that is easy to understand.

02/20/2024

Dr. Houlihan is amazing. I came into the ER with extreme pain - ended up removing my appendix. The whole staff was compassionate, understanding and very accommodating. Dr. Houlihan explained everything in a way that eased all my concerns and made me feel relaxed as we went into surgury.

02/20/2024

Dr Houlihan is a physician to be emulated by all physicians.She makes you comfortable, she instills confidence in her.

02/19/2024

Dr. Houlihan made the visit even though zi was scared about the procedure.

02/16/2024

Dr Houlihan is the first doctor I’ve seen at WakeMed Gastro related offices to really listen, ask meaningful questions and provide treatment options.

02/16/2024

Just amazing people! Caring and life savors!

02/15/2024

I felt that Dr Houlihan explained things very well and made me aware that I needed to slow down and let myself heal.

02/15/2024

From the moment I walked in the door everyone was very pleasant and friendly. I felt very relaxed with all that I came in contact with. Dr. Houlihan was wonderful. Very pleasant and knowledgeable. Did not rush me and made me feel at ease.

02/13/2024

Dr. Houlihan is fantastic. She's very personable, caring, & patient. I felt completely at ease with her and can't say enough good things her. I couldn't be happier with her being my physician

02/12/2024

Dr. Houlihan

02/10/2024

The whole experience was excellent

02/10/2024

Dr. Houlihand is excellent. My first impression based upon my current condition is I felt confident with her expertise to evaluate and not rush to treatment decisions. Her communication style reflects sincerity and compassion for patient question and concerns. Looking forward to her participation in my care.

01/25/2024

All employees were very cordial

12/26/2023

Dr. Houlihan is amazing! Not only is she incredibly kind and compassionate, she also goes above and beyond to explain everything to me and include me in my care. She is one of my all time favorite physicians and I would highly recommend her care!

12/23/2023

the care was beyond excellent! The most caring and efficient nursing care possible. thank you

12/21/2023

Dr houlihan is an awesome dr. Very thorough and kind!

12/21/2023

Dr Houlihan is amazing. Well versed, knowledgeable and exceptionally caring. She is TOP NOTCH and I am so grateful she saved my life! Love you Dr H!!!

12/06/2023

the entire surgical was exceptional

12/04/2023

Dr. Houlihan is an amazing doctor. My first appointment was in the office. I was impressed with the amount of information she gathered from me regarding my history and present complaint. A treatment plan was provided at that time and follow up appointments scheduled. Unfortunately the treatment was not effective so we decided to move forward with a procedure. Knowing I had an endoscopy scheduled Dr. Houlihan made special arrangements with GI so that I would have both procedures done at the same time. This was extremely important to me both from a time perspective as well as prep/recovery. I recognize this was not the norm for Dr. Houlihan but she listened to my concerns and made it possible. Dr. Houlihan is caring, empathetic and has wonderful bedside manners. I always felt she spent a generous amount of time with me. It is obvious to me her staff respects and enjoys working with her. I am beyond grateful for Dr. Houlihan’s treatment and support.

11/24/2023

Nice staff

11/21/2023

the quickness in which i was seen and the clear understanding of my condition and what to expect during treatment.

11/13/2023

Dr. Houlihan is an outstanding physician. Her personality is an added bonus for her.

11/06/2023

Care and compassion about my health was excellent

11/04/2023

Everyone was very nice

11/03/2023

Dr Houlihand was caring, knowable, and listened to my condition. She gave good explanations of things I could to relieve my pain.

10/30/2023

Employees, cleanliness, and friendliness where wonderful.

10/28/2023

The advice and information given by Doctor

10/19/2023

Easy to schedule and the care from nurses to doctor was great.

10/19/2023

Dr Houlihan really cares.

10/17/2023

She seemed kind and caring.

10/16/2023

Dr Houlihan was very attentive and took time to answer questions with me.

10/15/2023

Personal interest in my care..and recovery

10/12/2023

My male intake nurse was very friendly. I’m blanking out on his name. He kept me informed of delays and asked me if I needed water. Dr. Houlihan he’s very friendly has a great bedside manner and answered all my questions.

10/09/2023

Dr. [] on her 2nd visit actually realized something was more wrong than a []. Immediately everything was set in place, scan, etc. Dr. Houlihan came in on her day off to perform my moms urgent surgery, thank god for that.

09/28/2023

Dr. Houlihan is amazing. She has the best bedside manner. Hands down an amazing physician.

09/28/2023

I have always received outstanding care by Dr Houlihan. She is definitely one of a kind. Everything about her is superb. She is a skilled surgeon who has provided me with excellent care. Dr Houlihan is professional, kind, caring, and patient. Thank you WakeMed for having her as a member of your staff.

09/19/2023

all

09/18/2023

Dr Houlihan genuinely cares about my condition and progress. Her responses are very heartfelt

09/14/2023

Very nice staff and very thorough examination. Love Dr. H!

08/31/2023

Rn Laura H. On the 3rd floor was outstanding

08/29/2023

Nurses stayed on top of my pain medication and Dr. Houlihan explained thoroughly my diagnosis, the procedure she was going to do, optional treatment and the risks of the surgery.

08/26/2023

Dr Houlihan is truly the best in her field. She is gracious, exceptionally knowledgeable and TOP notch. Best in class! Tks Dr H!

08/25/2023

All staff are very professional.

08/21/2023

General over-all care was great

08/18/2023

Dr. Houlihan is a very patient, considerate and caring doctor. It was a good visit.

08/17/2023

The front staff were so welcoming and nice. The triage nurse was also amazing. Dr. Houlihan was so so great! There arent many ways to make this kind of appointment “great” but this whole experience was awesome.

08/08/2023

Dr. Houlihan was warm and friendly. I felt so comfortable in her care. Good listener.

07/29/2023

Dr. Houlihan listened carefully to my medical issues and responded with a detailed treatment plan, including a referral to another health professional. She even had her staff make the appointment on a very timely basis. She is a most professional physician who is a real credit to the WakeMed sytem.

07/28/2023

Dr. Houlihan provides an environment that makes you feel comfortable and provides very professional & thorough details of the issues.

07/27/2023

Dr. Houlihan was outstanding in her compassion, communication, surgical skills and subsequent care. She is the kind of doctor I would want helping my loved ones. In addition, while in the hospital, every single nurse that took care of me was exactly what I could have hoped for. They were skilled, showed kindness, made me feel like I was their priority every time they came to my room and helped me make it through such an unexpected and painful experience. They were amazing!

07/27/2023

Dr. Houllhan is hot

07/22/2023

Dr Houlian was the best surgeon i’ve ever worked with. She is extremely professional and considerate

07/17/2023

Dr. Houlihan is very caring and thorough

07/16/2023

Dr. Houlihan is exceptional! She is extremely knowledgeable in her field and her bedside manner is without compare. She has been compassionate regarding my ongoing medical needs and always explains things in a way that is easy to understand. She is a wonderful physician that I will recommend to others.

07/16/2023

Dr Houlihan has been great. She was able to relieve most of the fears away I had about the procedure. She explained everything thoroughly about the why and how, very patiently I must add. I started the get lightheaded and almost passed out. I left feeling incredibly confident with the plan and Dr Houlihan. Everything related to the surgery went smoothly and recovery is going well. I understand this review is for a follow up visit. 2.5 weeks after surgery. It was quick and reassuring. I feel like I’m healing quickly and haven’t experienced any complications. I feel Dr. Houlihan made this the most positive experience possible, Thank you.

07/05/2023

Dr. Houlihan hersself. I have never had a doctor like her, she is AWESOME in every aspect of patient care. My husband and I love her for the time and attention she showed to us during my illness and the two surgeries she performed on me. We will always consider her not only as a great and outstanding doctor/surgeon but also we have acquired a wonderful friend. I just can't say enough good things about her. We will always keep her in our prayers because she is certainly one of God's great treasures!

06/24/2023

Dr. Houlihan is an amazing doctor! She goes above and beyond what one would expect. All of the nursing staff have been wonderful as well!

06/22/2023

Dr Houlihan is quite thorough in her notes and explanations and very interested in the patient health and comfort. She is more concerned about me as the patient than any other doctor I've ever had and is so very very positive.

06/19/2023

Dr. Houlihan is awesome.

06/18/2023

Dr Houlihan is absolutely amazing. From my first consult, to my day of surgery, visits in the hospital, call to give me pathology results( that was hard to hear over the phone )she kept me at ease and reassured me best she could and very clearly explained everything and answered my many questions., to my post op visit where her compassion was so obvious and she took all the time we needed to leave her office feeling as good as we could with my care plan.

06/06/2023

Gave me medicine in emergency room that abated my back spasms.

06/05/2023

Overall lt was excellent

06/05/2023

Everything from the front desk, nurse,and doctor.

06/02/2023

No, very vanilla place. That’s what a medical place should look like; some of these hospitals and clinics are over the top as to how they look.

06/02/2023

Care and understanding

06/02/2023

So impressed. With Dr Houlihan and Sam as well as the facility. Everything was smooth and timely with enough time for full care and support.

05/31/2023

My appointment with Dr. Houlihan was post opp. I had questions about the healing process and Dr. Houlihan took the time to answer all my questions. When I left her office a load was taken off my shoulders. In January I was driving myself to ER the pain was so bad. I am so glad that I chose Wake Med Cary. I was really impressed with the intire staff, the surgical team with Dr. [] all the nurses that took care of me. Thank You so much!

05/31/2023

The Doctor and her staff are extremely comforting and professional. They really care.

05/31/2023

Everything was superior from the time I walked in the exam room. Would not change anything with her.

05/31/2023

Dr. Houlihan called me immediately when she received both my lab and CT results. She eased my stress and was very informative!!!

05/30/2023

Dr Houlihan is a wonderful phycian.. She is an asset to her profession. I think she has a kindred spirit. I am very lucky to have as my physician.
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