Find a Surgeon in Your Area App

Project Overview

The Find a Surgeon in Your Area App enables patients to quickly locate surgical specialists within their region or ZIP code.
The platform supports multi-country searches, dynamic filtering by specialty, and real-time mapping through Google’s Geolocation and Maps APIs.

Built for a medical organization operating across two WordPress environments, the app connects securely via custom API endpoints to fetch verified member data without exposing the membership database directly.

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Technical Architecture

The project utilized a split-server architecture consisting of:

• A client-side WordPress host server running the React app.
• A master membership server managing surgeon profiles and approvals.

Custom PHP-based APIs were deployed on both servers to exchange authenticated data via secure requests.
Each API handled validation, SQL queries, and data formatting before delivering structured JSON payloads back to the frontend.

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How It Works

1. Users begin by selecting:

   • Country
   • Surgeon’s last name (optional)
   • Specialty
   • ZIP code (for US regions)

2. The React frontend sends a query to the client API, which communicates securely with the membership server to retrieve results.

3. Returned data is rendered in a search results list, displaying key profile information and contact details.

4. Selecting a doctor opens a popup view showing:

   • Full contact details
   • Specializations
   • Map location

5. The system dynamically calls the Google Geolocation API to convert text-based addresses into latitude and longitude values, ensuring accurate mapping in real time.

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Security & Data Management

• Inter-server communication restricted to authenticated routes
• All data transmission over HTTPS
• Input sanitization and query validation applied before each SQL operation
• No direct access to the membership database from public endpoints

This approach allowed the membership platform to maintain independence and data security while supporting live integration with the public search app.

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Key Features

• Search Surgeons by Country, Specialty, or ZIP Code
• Dynamic Results and Profile Previews
• Google Map Integration for Real-Time Locations
• Dual-Server API Architecture for Security
• React SPA Frontend with Optimized Data Fetching
• Automated Data Sync with Membership Databases

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Business Impact

“This system made it effortless for patients to locate verified specialists near them — fast, accurate, and fully automated.”

Results

• Nationwide and regional coverage
• Secure synchronization between membership systems
• Reduced administrative involvement in data updates
• Scalable foundation for future healthcare network expansion

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Legacy Context

This project marked a pivotal step in Anton’s transition from WordPress-based ecosystems to API-first, decoupled architectures.
The design principles—secure API communication, real-time data translation, and modular React components—would later evolve into the Node.js microservice frameworks powering Villiers Vision Works' modern healthcare and enterprise platforms.