Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Nov. 16, 2017.
Jury finds neurosurgeon Dr. Sonjay Fonn & fiancé owe $1.6M to Medicare, Medicaid for false claims
A federal jury in St. Louis found neurosurgeon Sonjay Fonn, DO, of Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Midwest Neurosurgeons, violated the False Claims Act, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The jury found Dr. Fonn and his fiancé, Deborah Seeger, submitted 228 false claims, for which the defendants received a statutory penalty of $5,500 to $11,000 for each claim, according to Southeast Missourian. Read more about the case, here.
10 states with the highest annual bonus for orthopedic surgeons
Orthopedic surgeons receive annual bonuses of around $50,000 to $60,000 on average, according to Salary Expert. Click here to see which 10 states house orthopedic surgeons with the highest annual bonus based on salary survey data collected from employers and employees in each state. New Jersey tops the list at $63,817.
Medicrea brings lawsuit against K2M Spine
The Medicrea Group filed a lawsuit Nov. 8 against K2M Spine in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Medicrea also filed the lawsuit against "several other defendants," according to the press release. The case regards the defendants' alleged unlawful acts, occurring during the past year.
New England Baptist Hospital to create spine institute with $3M donation
Boston-based New England Baptist Hospital plans to establish a new spine institute. New England Baptist will open the new institute with a $3 million donation, the largest in the hospital's history. A hospital trustee, Jeffrey Libert donated the money to create the Libert Family Spine Institute.
Titan Medical reports $4M in research, development expenses in Q3 2017
Titan Medical reported its 2017 third quarter financial results, with research and development expenses totaling over $4 million. Third quarter net and comprehensive loss, including adjustment for warrant liability, was $13.9 million, compared to $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2016.
Trump nominates Alex Azar to lead HHS
President Donald Trump nominated Alex Azar, II, to lead the HHS. He previously served as president of Lilly USA, affiliate of drug company Eli Lilly. Mr. Azar finds fault in the ACA, calling it a "fundamentally broken system" during a television interview, Medscape reports. The new HHS secretary will replace Don Wright, MD, who stepped into the HHS acting secretary role following the resignation of Tom Price, MD, in September.
Cervical disc replacement increases 190% in 7 years, fusion up 5.7%
A new study published in The Spine Journal examines cervical disc replacement and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion resource utilization across the U.S. The average number of spinal fusions increased 5.7 percent from 2006 to 2013, averaging around 132,425 procedures per year. Over the study period, cervical disc replacements increased 190 percent from 540 in 2006 to 1,565 in 2013.
Virtua Brain and Spine Institute holds ribbon cutting
Virtua cut the ribbon at the new Virtua Brain and Spine Institute at Mount Holly, N.J.-based Virtua Memorial Hospital. The new facility brings together Virtua orthopedic surgeons and Penn Medicine neurosurgeons to deliver spine and brain care. The specialists will treat trauma, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, scoliosis fractures and other disorders at the new facility.