Here are eight spine and neurosurgeons in the headlines over the past week.
In an interview with Becker's, Stephen Hochschuler, MD, of Plano-based Texas Back Institute, shared his insight on the development of minimally invasive surgery, new payment models and emerging trends in spine, as well as his plans for the future.
Christopher Kager, MD, spoke to Becker's about the most challenging procedure in his career, biologics in spine and how bundled payments will develop in his field. Dr. Kager is a neurosurgeon with Lancaster (Pa.) NeuroScience & Spine Associates and chief, division of neurosurgery at Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital of Lancaster General Health Physicians NeuroScience & Spine Associates.
Kansas City, Miss.-based St. Joseph Medical Center added fellowship-trained neurological surgeon Frank Holladay, MD, to its medical staff. St. Joseph now provides 24/7 neurosurgery coverage, reducing the need to transfer patients.
Orthopedic spine surgeon Timothy Peppers, MD, discussed how surfing helps improve his surgical practice at Scripps Clinic Encinitas (Calif.). He believes that surfing and an active lifestyle helps him better inform his patients.
The Center for Spine Health at Providence, R.I.-based University Orthopedics added Dominic Thomas Kleinhenz, MD, to its medical staff. Dr. Kleinhenz specializes in the treatment of spine conditions such as disc herniations, degenerative cervical, thoracic, lumbar disease, spine trauma and spine deformity.
Full Alliance Group appointed Los Angeles-based neurosurgeon Gabriel Hunt, MD, to its medical advisory board. He practices at Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai department of neurosurgery/Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, as well as being the co-founder of Hunt Spine and The Hunt Foundation.
Ronald Benitez, MD, chief of endovascular neurosurgery for Summit, N.J.-based Overlook Medical Center and Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System and neurosurgeon with Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists, performed OMC's debut surgery with the ROSA Brain robot.
Jeremy Greenlee, MD, of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, won the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The PECASE is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. government for scientists at the start of their research careers.