July 2010 Issue of Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review

8 Implications of Healthcare Reform on Orthopedic and Spine Practices

The recently enacted healthcare reform legislation will affect all healthcare stakeholders — consumers, providers and employers — but sorting out the winners from the losers is an inexact science at best at this point. Click to continue »

Call Coverage Payments: Trends, Regulations, Statistics and Valuation Considerations

Establishing FMV for call coverage compensation is becoming increasingly difficult as arrangements are evolving and survey data is unreliable. Click to continue »

Independent Medical Practice: Does Healthcare Reform Mark the Beginning of the End?

Declining reimbursements, uncertainties about the future and the hassles and costs of running a practice have all combined to make many of today's physicians yearn for some sense of security. In a growing number of cases, they have found it by giving up their independent practices in favor of employment arrangements. Click to continue »

Publisher’s Letter: July/August 2010

A Review of 100 Anti-Kickback and Self-Referral Settlements and Cases; The Erosion of Independent Medical Practice; Outpatient Trends – Six Key Issues; 10 Legal Issues Facing ASCs; Bobby Knight, Tucker Carlson, Lt. Colonel Bruce Bright and 95 Other Speakers; Co-Management Agreements; Anesthesia Models under Attack; Streamlining Spans and Layers. Click to continue »

5 Best Practices to Improve Spine Efficiency in ASCs

Spine surgery is performed with increasing frequency in ASCs around the country. As a result, ASCs are being forced to reexamine their approach to ensuring efficiency while maintaining appropriate levels of patient safety. Click to continue »

Building Strong Anesthesia Partnerships in Spine-Focused ASCs

Douglas H. Irvine, MD, PhD, is an anesthesiologist at East Portland Surgical Center in Portland, Ore. Q: Many spine-focused ASCs struggle to recruit well-regarded anesthesiologists. Click to continue »

6 Ancillary Services to Increase Your Orthopedic Practice Revenue

As physician fees continue to be pressured by Medicare and other payors, it becomes more important than ever for physician practices to look at ancillary services as a possible means to generate additional revenue — simply increasing patient volume may no longer be enough to maintain or grow revenue. Click to continue »

8 Statistics About Orthopedic Surgeon Compensation

Here is the median compensation for orthopedic surgeons for 2005-2008, according to the AMGA 2009 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey. Click to continue »

18 Orthopedic and Spine Practice CEOs & Administrators to Know

Patricia Brewster (Southern Orthopaedic Specialists; Atlanta). Ms. Brewster is CEO of 15-physician Southern Orthopaedic Specialists and has more than 25 years of healthcare management experience. Click to continue »

Q&A With Dr. Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, Orthopedic Surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery

Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Click to continue »

Q&A With Dr. Joshua Siegel, Director of Sports Medicine for Access Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Exeter, NH

Joshua A. Siegel, MD, is director of sports medicine for Access Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Exeter, N.H. He was recently named as a "top doctor" by New Hampshire Magazine for the sixth time. Click to continue »

9 Keys to OrthoCarolina’s Success

OrthoCarolina is an independent orthopedic practice based in Charlotte, N.C. With 80 physicians, 15 locations and 800 employees, it offers comprehensive orthopedic care including foot and ankle, hand, hip and knee, shoulder and elbow, spine, sports medicine and pediatrics. Click to continue »

Trends and Developments Shaping the Future of Spine: Q&A With Ben Shappley of Amedica Corp.

Ben Shappley is president, CEO and director of Amedica Corp., an orthopedic implant company focused on using silicon nitride ceramic technologies to develop spine and total joint implants. Click to continue »

NIH Releases New Conflict-of-Interest Rules for Medical Research Funding

The National Institutes of Health have released new rules for medical researchers seeking federal funding aimed at increasing transparency when it comes to relationships and conflicts of interests related to the drug and medical device industry, according to a report in The Washington Post. Click to continue »

4 Orthopedic Implant and Device Developments

Here are four recent technological trends involving orthopedic implants and devices. 1. Mobile bearing partial knee replacement. Click to continue »

Benefits of Not Carving Out Spine Implant Costs

Beth A. Johnson is vice president of clinical systems for Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. Click to continue »

6 Trends in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive spine procedures involving the use of facet fixation products are expected to grow faster than other sectors of the spine surgery market over the next five years, according to US Markets for Minimally Invasive Spine Technologies 2008. Click to continue »

Survey: 25% of Orthopedists Plan to Reduce Metal-on-Metal Hip Usage

A recent survey of 150 orthopedic surgeons found that 25 percent are planning to reduce their usage of metal-on-metal hip implants over the next 12 months, due, in part, to recent reports of metal debris and soft-tissue damage that led to revision surgery in some patients, according to a news release from Millennium Research Group, which conducted the survey. Click to continue »