Jack Stewart, MD, a Tacoma, Wash.-based orthopedic surgeon subspecializing in hand surgery, discusses why he decided to sell his practice to a hospital and finalizing the transaction.

Today's healthcare news is ripe with medical service consolidation. With the changes to healthcare legislation, more small orthopedic practices are choosing whether to become employed by hospitals or merge with neighboring practices to form bigger groups.

St. Croix Orthopaedics in Stillwater, Minn., has named Melanie Sullivan its new CEO, according to a Stillwater Gazette report.

Here are eight upgrades for orthopedic practices in 2012.

Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore., recently welcomed Douglas Abbott, MD. Dr. Abbott has a professional interest in shoulder and knee arthroscopy.

DISC Sports & Spine Center, based in Marina del Rey, Calif., recently opened a new location in Newport Beach that includes an ambulatory surgery center, according to a practice news release.

After 20 years in private practice, Robert S. Bray, MD, a neurological spine surgeon based in Marina del Rey, Calif., founded DISC Sports and Spine Center. Established in 2006, DISC has been able to not only withstand the pressures of today's healthcare environment, but also flourish. Dr. Bray began the practice with himself as a surgeon and five employees; now, the group includes 30 physicians and 170 employees. In addition to spine care, specialties at the practice include orthopedics, pain management and chiropractic sports medicine.

Wisconsin Rapids-based orthopedic center McDonough Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center will join the Marshfield Clinic health system and change its name at the end of the month, according to a Wisconsin Rapids Tribune report.

Here are five tips for orthopedic practices to make sure their partner recruitment process is a success.

Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists surgeons are shifting cases away from Community General Hospital, where they perform fewer cases, to St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, where they perform a higher volume, according to a report from The Post-Standard.