Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for May 24, 2018.
DISC Sports & Spine Center creates bundled payment with Global One, Blue Shield
Newport Beach, Calif.-based DISC Sports & Spine Center entered a partnership with Global One and Blue Shield to form a bundled payment model. Patients with Blue Shield coverage may now access minimally invasive spine surgery, orthopedic procedures, sports medicine, pain management and other services at DISC.
Zimmer Biomet awarded $13.3M in patent spat with Stryker subsidiary
U.S. District Judge William H. Walls (N.J.) awarded Zimmer Biomet $13.3 million in attorneys' fees and more than $500,000 in costs after a polymer-patent dispute with Howmedica Osteotonics led to the invalidation of four Howmedica patents, Law360 reports. Howmedica Osteotonics is a Stryker subsidiary. Read more about the case, here.
Key trends in the spine & orthopedic device industries
From ASCs to biologics and robotics, spine and orthopedic device companies are trying to get ahead as the shift to value-based care continues in the industry. Check out 10 key trends in the device industry, here.
Nurse accused of stealing more than $550k from New York hospital
A nurse in New York City faces felony charges for allegedly stealing more than $550,000 from Interfaith Medical Center, a nonprofit hospital in Brooklyn, and defrauding Medicaid of more than $30,000, according to Acting New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood. Read more, here.
DHS: Medtronic devices implanted near spine are vulnerable to security issues
The Department of Homeland Security issued a vulnerability warning for Medtronic's N'Vision Clinician Programmer, a device used to program neurostimulator implants, Healthcare Analytics News reports. DHS said the N'Vision Clinician Programmer can be compromised with "low skill level." Read more, here.
Regent, 14 physicians unveil new total joint, spine ASC
Regent Surgical Health and 14 physicians opened the Oregon Surgical Institute in Beaverton. The ambulatory surgery center, spanning 14,000 square feet, offers orthopedics, spine and pain management services.
HCA aims to acquire AmSurg, partners with KKR in bid for Envision's physician services
HCA Healthcare and KKR partnered to make Envision an offer to buy out the company's physician services unit, including AmSurg, according to a Reuters report. HCA and KKR made the offer to compete with private equity firms Carlyle Group and TPG Global for the deal. According to the report, Envision is seeking final offers later in May.
Cerapedics i-FACTOR yields 50% fusion rate vs. 20% for allograft at 1-year follow-up
Mikkel O. Andersen, MD, of Middelfart Hospital in Denmark, reported results from the IVANOS study investigating Cerapedics' i-FACTOR Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft. At one-year postoperative follow-up, researchers found a 50 percent fusion rate using i-FACTOR versus a 20 percent fusion rate using allograft. Read more about the study, here.