Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb, Ill., has announced the launch of the Spine Center, a new program offering patients comprehensive spine care.

Fred Scialabba, MD, and James Greenspan, MD, of Glen Falls (N.Y.) Hospital Neurosurgery and Spine, have teamed with the Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center Hospital, according to a report by The Business Review.

Mission Health, Asheville, N.C.-based health system, has announced the opening of Mission Spine & Back Pain Center in Asheville.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has appointed eight members to the state's medical board, including Karl Swann, MD, board-certified neurosurgeon, according to a report by The Rancher.

Carmina F. Angeles, MD, PhD, is a neurosurgeon with The NeuroSpine Institute in Eugene, Ore. Her current hospital appointments also include Sacred Heart Medical Center At RiverBend and Mckenzie-Willamette Medical Center, both in Springfield, Ore. She is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and North American Spine Society.

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.  

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons has named Robert E. Harbaugh, MD, FAANS, FACS, its president-elect for 2013-2014

David Cech, MD, board-certified neurosurgeon, performed a successful lumbar laminectomy on four-time Indianapolis 500 champion driver A.J. Foyt, according to a NBC Sports report.   

Here are 10 big healthcare policy trends for spine surgeons to know.

Artem Y. Vaynman, MD, is a neurosurgeon with Neurological Surgery in Great Neck, N.Y. He is co-chief of spine surgery at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville, N.Y., and a member of both the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgeons.