James J. Lynch, MD, is a spinal neurosurgeon and founder of SpineNevada, locations in Reno, Sparks and Carson City, Nev.
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Lynch specializes in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection and minimally invasive spine surgery, and he is also proficient in endoscopic spine surgery techniques.
"I have had the privilege to observe Jim in different positions for more than a decade," says Scott Becker, publisher of Becker's Healthcare. "More than being a Mayo-trained spine surgeon, he has incredible integrity, great drive and is a top flight business person. He has terrific acumen, is highly respected by his peers and is a wonderful person."
Since 2002, Dr. Lynch has been performing minimally invasive spine surgery techniques, and was the first neurosurgeon in Reno, Nev., to perform MIS TLIF and MAS PLIF procedures, as well as the first to perform both cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacements. He performs more than 500 spine surgeries per year in both hospital and outpatient center settings, and performs over 200 cervical spine fusions per year.
Dr. Lynch is one among a handful of spine surgeons to earn three fellowships in the spine surgery specialty, completed at Queens Square in London, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. He currently serves as a partner and director of spine services at Regent Surgical Health, a company developing hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
"Dr. Lynch has been the steady hand leading Surgery Center of Reno for the eight years we have been partners with him and the other Reno surgeons," says Regent Surgical Health CEO Thomas Mallon. "His leadership is appreciated by all of the partners and he continues to help break down barriers for all specialties to utilize the facility. His most recent achievement was convincing the major insurance carrier in the market to award the center reasonable carve-outs for more acute spine and sinus cases, dramatically increasing the center's revenue and profit this year. Without his help and support, this would never have happened."
Here are five facts about Dr. Lynch:
1. His practice, SpineNevada includes InMotion MRI (Open and Weight-bearing MRI), and beginning in January 2016—(VMA) Vertebral Motion Analysis and Dynamic Imaging capabilities.
2. The practice is recognized in Modern Healthcare’s 2015 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. SpineNevada was the 1st spine center in this list of 100 companies, also SpineNevada was awarded 1st Place in the Quantum Workplace 2015 Best Places to Work in Northern Nevada program.
3. Dr. Lynch was awarded the inaugural 2014 High Fives Foundation Community Five Award due to his medical field expertise and natural ability to help others. He is also a 2013 Board Member for the High Fives Organization, a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to raise injury prevention awareness for mountain action sports athletes, as well as providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life-altering injuries.
4. He is a member of several societies and boards, including the Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Society of Lateral Access Surgery.
5. Dr. Lynch is a fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and has been published in leading journals such as Spine: Journal of Neurosurgery.