J. Abbott Byrd III, MD, is a spine surgeon at Virginia Beach, Va.-based Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists. He is an active member of the Scoliosis Research Society and the North American Spinal Society. He has previously served served as chief of spinal surgery in the department of orthopedic surgery West Virginia University in Morgantown.

Mequon, Wis.-based Titan Spine named two spine surgeons — Kade Huntsman, MD, and Axel Reinhardt, MD — to its Key Opinion Leader Advisory Team.

Eeric Truumees, MD, is the administrative and development council director for the North American Spine Society. He is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon and practices at Seton Spine and Scoliosis Center in Austin, Texas.

Here are seven things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Six spine surgeons talk about the biggest challenges for spine surgeons in terms of healthcare reform.

More than half of physicians in the United States are employed by hospitals, including about 60 percent of family physicians, according to a Medscape report.

Daniel Resnick, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in spine surgery. He serves on the North American Spine Society's board of directors as the research council director. Dr. Resnick has been a member of the organization since 1999 and co-chairs the lumbar fusion task force.  

After analyzing physician density, malpractice coverage, insurance competition, medical board activity, insurance mix, income tax and cost of living from across the country, Medscape released the best and worst places to practice in the United States.

Samuel Cho, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Cho has expertise in scoliosis surgery, minimally invasive surgery, intervertebral disc biology and cervical spinal surgery. He spends one week each year practicing outside of the U.S. through global outreach programs. Here he discusses why he chose his field, current topics in orthopedics and his upcoming medical mission to China.

Medical care is more coordinated today than ever, and spine specialists are beginning to form groups and organizations that will provide comprehensive treatment for back pain patients. The Spine Center Network, developed by Prizm Development, Inc., two years ago, is a national network of credentialed Spine Centers of Excellence for payors and consumers to choose truly multidisciplinary spine care settings. Currently, there are 18 spine centers across the United States, including Ann Arbor Spine Center in Ypsilanti, Mich., where Jason Brodkey, MD, practices.