Becker's Spine Review

Spine Surgeon Leadership 9 Advance Spine Through Leadership in Professional Societies: Q&A With Rothman Institute President Dr. Todd Albert By Heather Linder T odd J. Albert, MD, is the president of the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, as well as the Richard H. Rothman Professor and chairman of the department of orthopedics at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals. He also serves as the co-director of reconstructive spine surgery and the spine fellowship program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals. In addition to being an active surgeon and clinical leader, Dr. Albert is actively involved in myriad professional orthopedic and spine societies. He is the past president of The Cervical Spine Research Society and past chair of the International Meeting of Advanced Spinal Techniques for the Scoliosis Research Society. Q: In general, what role do professional spine organizations play in the advancement of the field? Dr. Todd Albert: There are many roles played but the most common are creating an incentive for the sharing of ideas and the presentation and promotion of new techniques and discoveries. Also, professional societies serve as a platform for education and mentorship of the next generation. Finally, they can be cauldrons for the generation of advocacy and ideas that are good for the specialty and society at large. Q: What are your best tips for other spine surgeons who want to become leaders in the field? TA: Define issues and problems we in our field have that remain unanswered or incompletely answered. Then, set out to do research to chip away at those problems and gain answers. Also, in doing so, align yourself with senior mentors who will aid you in your quest to become a leader through promotion in specialty societies and/or help with researching those questions and in networking. Q: What do you think is the current public perception of spine surgery, and how can surgeons and organizations help shape that view? TA: It is variable. From the amazing stories of patients who have been saved from neurologic catastrophe by amazing spine surgeons to the more negative stories of infighting by prominent members of our field with varying conflicts. Patients generally love their surgeons who give their best effort at using appropriate indications and reasonable interventions to treat those patients as if they were a member of their own family. Q: What are the biggest challenges currently facing the industry? Dr. Todd Albert TA: Downward pressure on pricing for implants and interventions, bundling of care from admission to follow-up, the ability for patients to access the provider of their choice and for those providers to be in a broad network as networks form and patients are captured in a limited catchment. n Read the full article at beckersspine.com. 9 Spine Surgeon Honors & Awards By Carrie Pallardy Rick Sasso, MD, is the 2013 recipient of the St. Vincent Health Research Symposium Career Achievement in Research Award. Dr. Sasso is a founding member and the president of Indiana Spine Group. He also serves as the co-medical director of the St. Vincent Spine Center and chief of spine surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. The journal Spine has awarded Fadi Taher, MD, its 2013 Young Investigator Award for his research on radiation exposure during minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Taher conducted the research during his residency training at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation has awarded Lali Sekohn, MD, PhD, FACS, its 2013 Sponsoring Physician of the Year Award. Dr. Sekhon is a neurosurgeon with Sierra Neurosurgery Group in Reno, Nev. North American Spine Society has given Michael G. Fehlings, MD, PhD, the Henry Farfan Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to spine related basic science research. Dr. Fehlings is a researcher at Toronto Western Research Institute in Canada. North American Spine Society has granted Lawrence G. Lenke, MD, the Leon Wiltse Award, which honors excellence in leadership and/or clinical research in spine care. Dr. Lenke currently serves as the chief of orthopedic spine surgery and co-director of adult and pediatric scoliosis and reconstructive spinal surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Marjorie Eskay-Auerbach, MD, JD, has received the David Selby Award from North American Spine Society. The award is given to a member of NASS for significant contributions to spinal disorder management through service to NASS. Dr. Eskay-Auerbach is a former spine surgeon and has served on the NASS board of directors. Charles Branch, MD, received the Meritous Service Award at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves Annual Meeting. He is chair of neurosurgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.  Ira Abbott, MD, director of Surgical Neuro-Oncology at The Children's Hospital of Montiefiore in the Bronx, N.Y., received the Pioneer Award for Pediatric Surgical Neuro-Oncology from the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. He received the award during the 2013 Dream & Promise Awards Benefit. Steve Garfin, MD, the chief of spine surgery and department chair of orthopedic surgery at University of California San Diego, has received the 2013 ISSLS Wilste Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by NuVasive. n

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