October 2014 Issue of Becker's Spine Review

On The Cover 

	How Spine Surgery Will Thrive in a Data-Driven World As healthcare shifts from fee-for-service to pay-for-performance and risk-sharing compensation models, specialists are developing new and innovative ways to ensure their field's sustainability in the future. Click here to continue>>
	Spine Device Market Report: 5 Key Concepts for Future Growth There are several big factors impacting medical device technology field today. Click here to continue>>
	What spine surgeons stand to gain and lose from risk sharing payment models The Medicare pilot program for risk-sharing among orthopedic and spine surgeons is scheduled to begin January 2015. Click here to continue>>

Publisher’s Letter
This issue of Becker’s Spine Review includes expertise from some of the top spine surgeon thought leaders in the field today discussing topics such as sustainable spine care, bundled payments and data gathering. Click here to continue>>

Quality, Cost & Patient Satisfaction Post-Reform: How Top Spine Surgeons Accomplish Them All
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes three critical pillars: quality, patient safety and cost. Click here to continue>>

Sustainable Spine Care

Turning the Ideal Into Reality: How to Practice Sustainable Spine Care
Sustainability is important in healthcare and spine care, but the ideal situation can be far from reality today. Click here to continue>>

The Most Valuable Leader in Spine: 5 Ways to Become a Sustainable Spine Champion
Spine surgeon leaders traditionally held a few key roles, including teaching appointments, national organization committee chairs, hospital department heads or serving on a device company board. Click here to continue>>

Meet These Products at NASS

Rising Stars: 35 Spine Surgeons Under 40 to Know
Leaders are accomplishing more at a younger age, and the ambulatory surgery center business is no exception. Click here to continue>>

The Cost of Spine Care: 5 Factors Surgeons Can Impact
Around 80 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives and it's estimated that back pain costs more than $90 billion per year in lost productivity and work days, according to an ABC News report. Click here to continue>>>

Executive Briefing: The Lateral Appraoch Advantage

The Lateral Revolution: How New Technology Makes Spine Surgery Better
Although the lateral approach to spine surgery has been around for a few decades, surgeons are just beginning to fully realize its benefits. Click here to continue>>

Spine Device

5 Spine Device Companies Ready for Prime Time
Here are five spine device companies emerging on the scene as important players in the future. Click here to continue>>

10 Big Spine, Orthopedic Device Company Acquisitions in 2014
Here are 10 big transactions in the orthopedic and spine device market so far in 2014. Click here to continue>>

Executive Briefing: Success in the Spine Device Market

What Does it Take to Succeed in the Spine Device Market? Quality, Surgeon Partnerships & Differentiation
Healthcare is an exciting field to work in as technology evolves to improve patient outcomes and rules change to grant broader access to medical care across the United States. Click here to continue>>

Spotlight on Spine Surgeon Research

Leading the Charge in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery — How One Institution is Paving the Way
Minimally invasive spine surgery has become more pervasive over the past five years with enhanced techniques and technology to achieve better outcomes and lower the cost of care. Click here to continue>>

Practice Management

10 Statistics on Orthopedic Surgeon Salary & Bonus
The average annual salary for orthopedic surgeons is $432,013, but surgeons often have the opportunity to collect bonuses as well, according to a Salary.com report. Click here to continue>>

Orthopedist vs. Neurosurgeon for Spine Surgeries: Does it Make a Difference?
A study published in Spine examines how surgeon specialty impacts elective spine surgery outcomes. Click here to continue>>

226 Spine Surgeons to Know — 2014
Here are 240 spine surgeons to know. Click here to contine>>

PODs Under Attack — 5 Things to Know
The United States filed two complaints under the False Claims Act related to physician-owned distributorships. Click here to continue>>

Can you guarantee orthopedic outcomes?
Virginia Mason, a nonprofit regional healthcare system in Seattle, implemented a program to offer warranties for knee and hip replacement surgeries. Click here to continue>>

Spine Surgery Episodes of Care: $9k Medicare Payment Variation — 5 Things to Know
Payment based on episodes of care is becoming more common in bundled payment and accountable care organization situations. Click here to continue>>

25 Spine Surgical Specialists on the Move
Here are 21 spine surgeons and neurosurgeons that recently joined a new practice or medical center, or were promoted within their organization. Click here to continue>>