Merlin Puterbaugh, M.D.
Merlin Puterbaugh, M.D. is a Nuclear Medicine Physician in Los Altos, CA, registered under NPI 1598104101. This provider registers 2 separate taxonomy codes, which usually means they practise across more than one recognised specialty. NPPES records them as a sole proprietor, meaning the practice is not incorporated as a separate legal entity.
Getting there
The practice address on file is 480 LASSEN ST # 1, Los Altos, CA 94022. We have not yet mapped what surrounds this office — parking, transit, and nearby pharmacies are added as our data collection reaches each location.
Credentials and Medicare
| Licence | State | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| 30316 | AZ | Nuclear Medicine Physician primary |
| C 29719 | CA | Diagnostic Radiology Physician |
Licences are recorded in 2 states: AZ, CA. Providers licensed in several states often practise near a state border or deliver telehealth across state lines.
This NPI does not appear in the PECOS Medicare enrolment file. Providers who do not bill Medicare — or who bill only through a group's enrolment — will not appear here. It is not a sign of any problem with the registration.
Licensed in 2 states
This provider holds licences in 2 states: Arizona and California. The practice address on file is in Los Altos, CA, but a licence in another state usually means they see patients there too — either at a second location or by telehealth. If the address above is far from you, it is worth calling to ask whether they practise closer to where you live.
- Licence
- C 29719
- Specialty
- Diagnostic Radiology Physician
Licence numbers are self-reported to NPPES at registration. They do not confirm a licence is currently active, in good standing, or valid for the specialty shown — only the state board can tell you that, which is why we link to each one.
What Nuclear Medicine covers
A nuclear medicine specialist employs the properties of radioactive atoms and molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and in research. Radiation detection and imaging instrument systems are used to detect disease as it changes the function and metabolism of normal cells, tissues and organs. A wide variety of diseases can be found in this way, usually before the structure of the organ involved by the disease can be seen to be abnormal by any other techniques. Early detection of coronary artery disease (including acute heart attack), early cancer detection and evaluation of the effect of tumor treatment, diagnosis of infection and inflammation anywhere in the body and early detection of blood clot in the lungs are all possible with these techniques. Unique forms of radioactive molecules can attack and kill cancer cells (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid cancer) or can relieve the severe pain of cancer that has spread to bone NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy, code 207U00000X
All registered taxonomy codes
This provider registers 2 taxonomy codes. The primary code is what appears on most claims; the others record additional recognised specialties.
| Code | Specialty | Licence | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207U00000X | Nuclear Medicine Physician | 30316 | AZ | primary |
| 2085R0202X | Diagnostic Radiology Physician Diagnostic Radiology | C 29719 | CA |
The taxonomy records how the provider classifies their own practice. It does not confirm which conditions they currently treat, whether they are accepting new patients, or which insurance they take — call the office for that.
Full NPPES record
An NPI-1 identifies a single person. It stays with the clinician for life, even if they move practice or change state, which is why the address on file can lag behind where they actually work today.
| NPI | 1598104101 valid check digit |
|---|---|
| Entity type | Individual (NPI-1) |
| Enumeration date | Jun 17, 2013 |
| Last updated | Jun 17, 2013 |
| Status | Active |
| Sole proprietor | Yes |
| Credential | M.D. |
| Practice address |
480 LASSEN ST # 1 Los Altos, CA 94022 (650) 941-7488 |
Number check
How the check works, step by step
Every NPI carries a Luhn check digit — the same scheme used on credit cards. CMS prefixes the number with 80840 before computing it, which marks it as a US health identifier.
| Digit | 8 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doubled? | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 | — | ×2 |
| Value | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Sum = 59 · next multiple of 10 = 60 · check digit = 1 · actual last digit = 1
A valid check digit only means the number is well-formed. It does not mean the provider is licensed, active, or in good standing — those are separate questions answered by the sections above.