Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1198635
27 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 17 patients sue Mizzou BioJoint Center over alleged procedure failures By Eric Oliver S eventeen patients filed lawsuits against Colum- bia-based University of Missouri Health Care's Mizzou BioJoint Center alleging the procedures they received failed, the Insurance Journal reported. What you should know: 1. BioJoint surgeons were treating osteoarthritis by using an osteochondral allograft procedure. In the procedure, surgeons use cadaver-harvested bone tissue and carti- lage that has been combined with a patient's knee-har- vested stem cells. 2. All 17 patients filed suits alleging their procedures failed. 3. No case has gone to trial yet. 4. An MU Health Care spokesperson said the university supports the BioJoint team, and that patients were prop- erly informed of the risks associated with the procedure. 5. Patients filed the first lawsuits in the case in late 2018. n Husband-wife neurosurgeon team bring 24-hour neurosurgery back to Arkansas hospital By Alan Condon K enneth Foxx, MD, and Kate Czerniecka-Foxx, MD, brought 24-hour neurosurgery care back to Mer- cy Fort Smith, Ark., since their arrival in August, the Van Buren County Democrat reported. Four things to know: 1. The hospital was without neurosurgerical care since 2016 and turned away roughly 2,200 neurological cases each year. 2. Drs. Foxx and Czerniecka-Foxx completed around 30 surgeries in their first few weeks at the hospital. 3. The two physicians completed a six-year residency in neurosurgery at the University of Rochester in Monroe County, N.Y. 4. Ryan Gehrig, president of MFS, told Van Buren Coun- ty Democrat that the hospital won't be "sending any [more] cases out" as it can "can take care of everything right here." n Florida spine practice expanding By Eric Oliver A ventura, Fla.-based Spine and Wellness Centers of America will expand into Northern Palm Beach County, Fla. Jeffrey Cara, DO, will lead the practice. He completed a fellowship in interventional pain management at Roches- ter, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. Dr. Cara will provide pain management services centered around spine care. SWCA operates nine centers in South Florida. It was formed in 2013. n Surgical Affiliates partners with California hospital By Eric Oliver M anagement group Surgical Affiliates partnered with Susanville, Calif.-based Banner Lassen Medical Center to enhance the hospital's emergency orthopedic care. Sacramento, Calif.-based Surgical Affiliates providers will provide 24/7 emergency orthopedic surgical ser- vices. Hospital CEO Sandy Dugger said the hospital was pleased to be able to offer round-the-clock care options once again through its partnership with Surgical Affili- ates. n