In the wake of last week's Presidential election, many people are debating where the healthcare system in this country is headed. Barack Obama's re-election ensures the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will move forward, with many different voices contributing to the implementation process. Here, Kenneth K. Hansraj, MD, chief of spine surgery, New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, discusses the three responsibilities Americans have as they consider how to move healthcare — and spine care — forward.

Two spine surgeons discuss the regulations that cause the biggest headaches at their practices.

Stephen Hochschuler, MD, met Ralph Rashbaum, MD, while they were both stationed at the Air Force base in Wichita Falls, Texas, before they were even specializing in orthopedics, let alone leading one of the preeminent spine groups in the country. As general medicine officers, their relationship and interest in spinal disorders grew, and both went on to focused orthopedics and spine training. Two years later, they began the process to develop their practice, Texas Back Institute in Plano, which has been at the forefront of the field ever since.

Eight leading spine surgeons discuss how President Barack Obama's re-election will impact spine surgery and what spine surgeons can expect from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the future.

This article was written by Dick Pepper, a medical marketing specialist who blogs at VoxMD.com and can be reached at dick This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The world is changing rapidly, and your practice marketing has to keep up. If you don't continue to assess the value of your marketing investment, don't be surprised if you see fewer patients. Here are 10 ways you can fail. As always, invest in a medical marketing specialist to drive your marketing strategy for measurable results, or to work with your existing marketing staff to keep them on top of today's trends and technologies. For more information or recommendations, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A. Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of spine surgery at UCLA and president of the American College of Spine Surgery, discusses new payment models on the horizon and how spine surgeons will fit into accountable care organizations.

Richard N. Wohns, MD, JD, MBA, founder and president of South Sound Neurosurgery in Puyallup, Wash., recently conducted a study titled "A Comparison of the Safety of Lumbar Fusions Performed as Outpatient (<25-Hour Discharge) or Inpatient (>24-Hour Discharge) Procedures." He presented the paper at the North American Spine Society 2012 Annual Meeting in October.

Here are 10 new spine devices recently launched or released.

Here are 20 spine surgeons who are authors of patient- and consumer-focused books. If you would like to recommend a spine surgeon for inclusion on this list, please contact Laura at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Leadership in healthcare today is defined by several characteristics, and not every surgeon can be a leader among their peers.