Becker's Spine Review

6 SPINE SURGEONS Dr. Todd Albert completes surgeon-in-chief term, maintains spine practice at Hospital for Special Surgery By Laura Dyrda T odd Albert, MD, concluded his term as surgeon-in-chief and medical direc- tor of New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery in June, and orthopedic surgeon Bryan Kelly, MD, succeeded him. Five things to know: 1. In June, Dr. Albert transitioned out of the surgeon-in-chief and medical director role, which he held for the past five years. He has maintained his spine practice at Hospital for Special Surgery and became the fourth surgeon-in-chief emeritus at the hospital. 2. During his time as surgeon-in-chief, Dr. Albert helped expand the hospital's reach to new locations in Westchester, N.Y., Paramus, N.J., and Stamford, Conn. He also spearhead- ed initiatives for additional locations in Flori- da and Colorado, which are expected to open later this year. 3. Dr. Albert championed patient safety and opioid stewardship during his time as sur- geon-in-chief. 4. Dr. Kelly brings five years of experience as chief of Hospital for Special Surgery Sports and Shoulder Service to his new role as sur- geon-in-chief. During that time, he helped the department make research and innova- tion advancements as well as promote mul- tidisciplinary care and medical staff develop- ment. 5. Hospital for Special Surgery provides care to 139,000 patients annually and its surgeons typically perform around 32,000 surgical pro- cedures per year. e hospital also includes a research institute with 20 laboratories and 300 staff members. "is leadership transition will ensure HSS further extends our leadership position in musculoskeletal health," said Hospital for Special Surgery Board of Trustees Co-Chairs omas H. Lister and Robert K. Steel in a statement. n Munson Health settles $7M lawsuit with neurosurgeon: 5 things to know By Shayna Korol T raverse City, Mich.-based Munson Healthcare settled a $7 million lawsuit filed by neurosurgeon Kenneth M. Louis, MD, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Five things to know: 1. Dr. Louis was working an emergency room shift at Munson March 5 when he was suspended indefinitely due to allega- tions made against him. 2. According to the report, the allegations did not concern pa- tient care or criminal behavior. 3. Dr. Louis, who has been with Munson since 2016, filed a lawsuit against the hospital March 11. He sought $7 million and demanded that the suspension and gag order be lifted. 4. The case was set for a hearing March 14 to consider Dr. Lou- is' preliminary injunction request, which would have allowed him return to work on an interim basis during an investigation. 5. Both sides reached a settlement by March 14. The prelimi- nary injunction request was withdrawn. n Orthopedic surgeons generate $3.3M for hospitals — 4 details By Eric Oliver A Merritt Hawkins survey examined the propor- tion of revenue physicians generate for hospi- tals, finding on average, physicians account for $2.3 million in revenue. Merritt Hawkins asked hospital-based CFOs how much revenue physicians in 18 specialties generated in 2018. What you should know: 1. Cardiovascular surgeons generate $3.7 million on average. Orthopedic surgeons bring in $3.3 million on average. 2. Specialty physicians aren't the only ones driving rev- enue. Family physicians generate $2.1 million on av- erage and general internists generate $2.7 million on average. 3. Physician-generated revenue is up 52 percent from 2016. 4. While inpatient stays are decreasing or remaining flat, outpatient care incidence and cost are both sky- rocketing. n

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