Becker's ASC Review

21 ORTHOPEDICS Dr. Alex Vaccaro retains No. 1 spine expert status By Carly Behm A lex Vaccaro, MD, PhD, president of Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedic Institute was recognized as the world's top-rated spine care expert for the second consecutive year by Expertscape. Dr. Vaccaro is ranked in the top 0.0006 percent of spine surgeons since 2012 by Expertscape, according to a Dec. 15 LinkedIn post from Rothman Orthopaedics. Since 2012, Dr. Vaccaro has published 318 eligible publications that has validated his high-proficiency and contributions to the field of spine, and has published a total of 1,000 peer-reviewed publications, a spokesperson for Rothman told Becker's. Dr. Vaccaro's most recent articles include topics about spine patient satisfaction with telehealth, the timing of surgical decompression in acute spinal injury and predicting length of stay aer ACDF. "It's an honor to be recognized for our team's commitment to further the world's knowledge of the treatment and conditions of the spine as well as our team to be recognized by Expertscape as top-experts," Dr. Vaccaro told Becker's Dec. 16. "My colleagues and I did not enter into this field for the individual accolades, but to take care of those who oen suffer from debilitating spine conditions. We truly feel privileged that we are able to do so." Rothman Orthopaedics recently marked its first spine case under a partnership with Bayonne, N.J.-based CarePoint Health. e practice also welcomed Selene Parekh, MD, a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon, who joined from Durham, N.C.-based Duke University. Expertscape is an online platform that ranks people and institutions according to their expertise in diseases, medical conditions and treatments. n Total joints and ASCs: 3 leaders' thoughts By Patsy Newitt Three leaders joined Becker's to discuss the addition of total joint service lines to ASCs: Brenda Carter. Administrator of Wilmington (N.C.) Surgcare: The future looks bright for more total joint cases in the ASC, along with spine and cardiology. The push to the ASC creates a better patient experience, reduces costs and can ease the burden on overwhelmed, understaffed hospital facilities. However, insurance carriers will need to revisit the procedures previously only allowed in the hospital setting to create an easy transition to ASCs. As the carriers have historically been slow to respond to changing trends, this may initially present some challenges. Vishal Mehta, MD. President and Managing Partner of the Fox Valley Orthopaedic Institute (Geneva, Ill.): We will continue to grow by bringing more total joint cases and spine cases to our ASC. We will also continue to grow our practice organically, as there is continued strong demand for high quality and easily accessible musculoskeletal care. Jeany Dunaway, RN. Administrator at Effingham (Ill.) Ambulatory Surgery Center: We started our total joint program in 2021 and have had a slow start, but I'm really excited to see the program ramping up as both the surgeons and our staff become more comfortable with the processes. It's exciting to see the excellent results our patients are experiencing and how pleased they are with our services. I think the continued issues with procurement of equipment, supplies and medications are always going to make me nervous going forward. The shortages we have experienced over the last year are many and varied. Let's face it — there isn't a rhyme or reason to some of them. So anything I can't get a grasp on makes me nervous. n Orthopedic surgeon convicted for $31M staged fall scheme By Claire Wallace O rthopedic surgeon Andrew Dowd, MD, and injury lawyer George Constantine were convicted by a Manhattan federal jury on Dec. 16 of running a $31 million slip-and-fall scheme that defrauded New York City businesses and insurance companies, according to a Dec. 16 report from Law360. Dr. Dowd and Mr. Constantine allegedly ran a scheme using 400 fake patients to stage falling incidents on sidewalk cracks, cellar doors and potholes. The patients were referred to Mr. Constantine, who filed fraudulent personal injury lawsuits. Patients then sought medical treatment from Dr. Dowd, who told them they were required to have surgery to pursue the lawsuit. Patients would receive $1,000 to $1,500 in incentives following the orthopedic procedures. A jury of seven women and five men deliberated for two days before finding Mr. Constantine guilty on three counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud, and finding Dr. Dowd guilty on six counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud. Dr. Dowd earned around $3 million from the scheme, according to the report. Eight other individuals involved with the scheme have also been found guilty, including pain management specialist Sady Ribeiro, MD, attorney Marc Elefant, a litigation funder, two fraud ringleaders and three 'runners' who recruited patients. n

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