Becker's Spine Review

9 SPINE SURGEONS Cedars-Sinai names Dr. David Skaggs as co-director of spine center By Alan Condon L os Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai has appointed David Skaggs, MD, co-director of its spine center, director of the pediatrics program and executive vice chair of the department of orthopedics. "His leadership, clinical expertise and dedication to research, innovation and education will en- able us to improve treatment options for a range of spinal disorders and pediatric orthopaedic conditions," Mark Vrahas, MD, chair of Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics, said in a March 19 news release. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Skaggs was chief of orthopedic surgery and director of spine surgery at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Elaine Butterworth, RN, was appointed director of patient experience and education for Ce- dars-Sinai's pediatric spine program. Ms. Butterworth also joins from Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where she worked for 13 years. "Together, nurse Butterworth and I have helped many of the country's top gymnasts and com- petitive cheerleaders return to sports aer otherwise career-ending spine injuries," Dr. Skaggs said. "Now, our patients will benefit even more from the most advanced robotic surgery, intra- operative, 3D imaging and an experienced minimally invasive surgical team." Dr. Skaggs is a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a tenured professor at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. He also has a master's degree in medical management from the USC Marshall School of Business. n Spine, total joint bundles lead to cost savings of 10.7%, study finds By Alan Condon W hen cost-sharing is waived for patients using bundled payment programs for spinal fusion and total joint replacement, surgery costs can decrease by an aver- age of $4,229, or 10.7 percent, according to a study by nonprofit organization Rand Corp. The study, published March 1 in Health Affairs, examined three pro- cedures for commercially insured patients: spinal fusion, bariatric surgery, and total knee and hip replacement. The study included 2,372 procedures. As an incentive, out-of-pocket costs were waived for the 21 per- cent of patients in the program, with patient payments decreasing by $498, a 27.7 percent reduction, according to researchers. Spinal fusion procedures saw the biggest cost savings, followed by joint replacement surgery and bariatric surgery. After implemen- tation, 23 percent of spinal fusions, 16 percent of joint replacement and 30 percent of bariatric surger- ies were administered through the program. "Our results demonstrate that di- rect payments programs that use bundled payment mechanisms can have financial benefits for em- ployers and patients," Christopher Whaley, lead author of the study, said in a March 1 news release. "Whether these results remain lo- calized to a small number of 'big ticket' procedures or expand to broader patient populations and procedure types remains to be seen." n Dr. John Peloza returns to The Steadman Clinic By Carly Behm J ohn Peloza, MD, returned to Vail, Colo.-based The Steadman Clinic after spending several decades developing his own practice in Dallas. Dr. Peloza was a part of the clinic from its early years as a sports medicine fellow for its founder, Richard Steadman, MD, a Feb. 9 news release said. In the years after the clinic moved to Vail in 1990, Dr. Peloza visited monthly to provide conserva- tive and surgical spine treatments while establishing the Center for Spine Care in Dallas. Now, Dr. Peloza plans to continue developing The Steadman Clinic's spine pro- gram, the release said. One of his goals includes adding a spine surgery fellow- ship to the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. "My previous time at The Steadman Clinic was instrumental in my development and success as a physician," Dr. Peloza said. "In addition to learning surgical techniques from Dr. Steadman, he taught me the importance of participating in research and the advancement of treatments, as well as continued personal growth in knowledge and skills as a surgeon. However, the most important thing Dr. Steadman instilled in me was that we are not just doing surgery; we're taking care of people. I have continued to employ all of these philosophies daily in my career." n

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