Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Sept. 15, 2016.
Thomas Jefferson University endows spine research professorship with $1M gift
Philadelphia Insurance Companies' Chairman Jamie Maguire and the McGuire Foundation gave $1 million to Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University for a new orthopedic professorship. The Sidney Kimmel Foundation Matching Program at Jefferson will match the $1 million donation dollar by dollar to create the James J. Maguire, Jr. Endowed Professorship for Spine Research.
Unused surgical supplies cost UCSF neurosurgery an estimated $2.9M annually
University of California, San Francisco researchers discovered the medical center loses about $1,000 per procedure in unused medical supplies. The Journal of Neurosurgery study identified a spinal procedure as one of the most wasteful procedures and found no correlation between a surgeon's experience and the amount of wasted supplies. The researchers estimated UCSF's neurosurgery department loses about $2.9 million a year in wasted supplies.
First surgical procedures with Implanet's Jazz Lock reap success
Bordeaux, France-based Implanet reported the first surgical procedures utilizing Jazz Lock have been a success. Hospitals in the United States, France and Italy have used the Jazz Lock, with more than 25 cases illustrating initially positive results. Implanet has plans for a wide-scale international launch of Jazz Lock by the end of 2016.
Swedish Neuroscience Institute appoints Dr. Robert Hart spinal deformities director
Board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon Robert Hart, MD, will serve as Seattle-based Swedish Neuroscience Institute's new director of spinal deformities. While at OHSU, Dr. Hart founded the spine fellowship program and served as director.
Spinal fusion devices dominate global spinal implants & devices market
The global spinal implants and devices market is anticipated to exceed $19.54 billion by 2024, according to a Grand View Research report. An increase in the number of spinal injuries, prevalence of sedentary lifestyles, poor posture habits and an increase in the number of obese people will spur market growth. The spinal fusion devices segment captured the largest market share in 2015 with 38 percent, due to their use in spine stenosis, spondylolisthesis and scoliosis procedures.
CMS allows for greater MACRA flexibility; physicians get more options
CMS has heard the concerns of many medical community members over the agency's Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and is giving providers more flexibility to avoid hefty penalties with four options. CMS is also allowing physicians to adopt MACRA options slowly, without fear of penalty in 2019.
NuVasive names Jason Hannon president, COO & Patrick S. Miles vice chairman
NuVaisve named Jason Hannon president and COO, succeeding Patrick S. Miles who was appointed vice chairman of the company. In his new role, Mr. Hannon will lead the company's global products and services that include product management and development as well as operational duties.
Hackers breach 8.8M patient records in August
A Protenus Breach Barometer report found hackers accessed nearly 8.8 million patient records during August, with 44 data breaches from 42 different incidents. Of those incidents, 49 percent were insider incidents and 29 percent entailed hacking, malware or ransomware. There have been 233 healthcare data breaches spanning January through August.