Northwest Health-Porter (Ind.) has been selected as a Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana, according to an Oct. 10 report from NWI Life.

Matthews, N.C.-based Southern Pain and Spine Specialists leader Ammar Alamarie, MD, has finished training and certification to implement the Curonix freedom peripheral nerve stimulator for chronic pain treatment. 

Roger Härtl, MD, of New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine, was brought in as a member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, the hospital said in an Oct. 10 news release.

Joshua Marcus, MD, performed the first procedure with the Total Posterior Spine Surgery system at Nuvance Health Danbury (Conn.) Hospital.

James Harrop, MD, is division chief of spine and peripheral nerve surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Here are five spine centers to know:

Courtney Toombs, MD, a minimally invasive spinal surgeon, has joined Patchogue, N.Y.-based Spine Medicine and Surgery of Long Island, according to an Oct. 5 LinkedIn post.

Amid economic headwinds, spine surgeons are exploring different ways to reduce costs in their practices.

Richard Hynes, MD,recently completed his 100th robotic spine surgery at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Fla.

A lawsuit filed against Morgantown. W.Va.-based J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital accuses an anesthesiologist of negligence during a 2021 spinal surgery, The Dominion Post reported Oct. 3. 

Andrew Hecht, MD, is chief of spine surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Stephen Hochschuler, MD, of Plano-based Texas Back Institute, joined Backstop Neural's advisory board, according to an Oct. 3 news release.

New Orleans-based Culicchia Neurological added Cole Lewis, MD, and Adam Podet, MD., according to an announcement in Biz New Orleans.

St. Paul, Minn.-based Gillette Children's has launched its Spine Institute.

Themistocles Protopsaltis, MD, is chief of spine surgery at NYU Langone Health in New York City.

Becker's reported on four key spine and orthopedic studies during the third quarter of 2023:

While major insurer Aetna has taken steps to expand its coverage for spine and orthopedic care in the last year, for some surgeons, it's still not enough. 

As minimally invasive spine procedures increase in popularity, so too does their prevalence in the ASC setting. 

Christopher Shaffrey, MD, is chief of the spine division at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.

Here are 21 spine and neurosurgeons who joined new practices or added to their titles in the third quarter of 2023: