Of the top 50 hospitals ranked for neurology and neurosurgery in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report, nine are located on the West Coast.

Of the top 50 hospitals ranked for neurology and neurosurgery in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report, 18 are located on the East Coast.

Spine surgeon Kingsley Chin, MD, has published a book about entrepreneurship, according to a July 31 news release.

Cincinnati-based Good Samaritan Hospital has become the first hospital in Ohio  to earn the Joint Commission's gold seal of approval for advanced certification in spine surgery. 

The payer and spine surgeon relationship has been complicated over the years. Six spine surgeons discuss how those relationships can be improved.

Select Medical and Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai launched a specialized spine care program for acute or chronic spine patients, according to a July 31 news release. 

Medical device manufacturer Life Spine has earned clearance from the FDA to market its ARx SAI spinal fixation system. 

Houman Khosrovi, MD, joined Morgantown, W.Va.-based Mon Health Medical Center to introduce spine and neurosurgery services, the hospital said July 31.

Here are five spine surgeons who joined new groups or added to their titles in July.

The University of California Los Angeles received a $2 million grant from The Marcus Foundation to support spinal cord injury research, according to a July 30 news release.

Of the top 50 hospitals ranked for neurology and neurosurgery in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report, 12 are located in the Midwest.

Reimbursements have been a pain point for many spine and orthopedic surgeons in recent years, and their changes have affected how care and business is done.

The Oregon Clinic Neurosurgery & Spine West in Portland added spine surgeon Aqib Zehri, MD, according to a July 29 LinkedIn post.

CMS proposed the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, a new five-year, episode-based payment model affecting orthopedics and spine, in April and the final rule is expected to drop soon.

Stryker's Q Guidance System with Spine Guidance 5 Software featuring Copilot has earned 510(k) clearance from the FDA. 

Spine and orthopedic groups have seen an uptick in prior authorizations and denials over the last several years, and many are looking for innovative ways to sidestep insurers.

Using artificial intelligence can reduce the time needed to analyze lumbar spine MRIs, according to a study published July 25 in the European Journal of Radiology.

Even with a quarter century in use, surgical robots seem like a shiny new toy in healthcare. The number of companies incorporating some form of robotics into their products has these technological innovations constantly in the headlines.

From networking opportunities to new innovation seminars, professional spine and orthopedic societies have much to offer their members, but joining can come at a steep cost. 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a big role in shaping spine surgery over the next several years. Technology is transforming clinical care and decision-making in multiple ways, but is it always for the better?