Becker's Spine Review

14 Sign up for Becker's Orthopedic, Spine Business & Pain Management E-Weeklies at www.BeckersOrthopedicandSpine.com or call (800) 417-2035 Sponsored by: ® ACTIVE FOR LIFE 51 Spine Surgeons on Top Leadership Strategies By Heather Linder, Carrie Pallardy and Laura Miller H ere are 50 eminent spine surgeons discussing their number one key to being an industry leader. Visit beckersspine. com/lists for full quotations from the surgeons. Todd Albert, MD, President, Rothman Institute, Philadelphia: The key to being a leader in today's healthcare environment requires a unique understanding of the situation, the need for collection and reporting of outcomes and the interface between practice partners, hospital partners and patients. Howard An, MD, Director of the Division of Spine Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: I believe that a key to being a spine leader is the ability to work with others effectively. In taking care of patients, surgical techniques are important but all the care that the patients receive prior and after surgery by nurses, physical therapy, residents and fellows are also important for the ultimate patient outcome. Neel Anand, MD, Director of Spine Trauma, CedarsSinai Spine Center, Los Angeles: To be recognized for the work that you do, most spine leaders must have contributed something to the field in some form. Spine leaders should be articulate about their research through speaking about it and publishing papers and reports. Lastly, a key would be teaching — the ability to impart that knowledge to others, including peers, students, residents and fellows and train them in those techniques appropriately. Gunnar Andersson, MD, Chairman Emeritus, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: There's probably not a single number one key to being a spine leader, but in general I think it is important to lead by example. There is an old saying that "you're evaluated by what you do not by what you say you're going to do." Only by working together within the spine community and listening to our patients can we successfully address those concerns. Hyun Bae, MD, Medical Director, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles: Keep asking questions. As a leader you automatically assume the position of teacher, and it really is your responsibility to do so. But taking on the student role puts you in a great position to ask new questions, the hard ones, and cross-examine what we think are the easy ones, all the while using your experience and expertise to not get lost in the weeds. In doing this we keep improving the field and art of what we do. Scott Blumenthal, MD, CoDirector, Texas Back Institute, Plano: The one key to being a leader in spine surgery is the willingness to take some risk. What I mean is not being reckless with patient care but willing to investigate a technique or technology that may or may not ultimately be the treatment standard. The goal would be to advance the field of spine surgery. Christopher Bono, MD, Chief of Orthopedic Spine Service, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston: The number one key to being a spine leader for me is the ability to listen. Leading in the board room means listening to all of the board members' concerns, comments and ideas. In order to listen properly, a leader has to place any agenda of his or her own to the side. Robert Bray Jr., MD, Founder & CEO, DISC Sports & Spine Center, Marina Del Rey, Calif.: We need to assure that all choices for treatment are quality outcome-driven, and that data is collected for outcome analysis. This key point drives the best treatment plan for patients, a progression to cost-effective medicine, and sets the standard for what procedures we teach to future fellows. Frank Cammisa, MD, Chief of Spine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City: Advocating for new ideas, technologies and directions, whether in education, research, or clinical care, is a key attribute of leadership. The second and equally important attribute is the ability to persuade others to embrace those ideas and work collaboratively towards them. Clinical care leadership is not judged on proficiency alone, but also demonstration of strong moral character and integrity so patients believe you have their best interests in mind when choosing the surgical pathway based on their individual indications. Brian Cuddy, MD, Charleston Neurosurgical Associates, S.C.: The key to leadership in the spine field is similar to that in other areas — relationships. To be seen as a caring surgeon, an engaged physician partner, a supportive colleague or an active citizen allows one to have perhaps the strongest asset on one's side — goodwill and the ability to influence. Bradford Currier, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.: We can accomplish much more together than we can alone, and communicating effectively is the key to strong teamwork. Good communication is a twoway process that starts with listening and keeping an open mind. It involves many facets that are each keys to effective leadership in their own right, like integrity, mutual respect and empowering others. Finally, communication must be clear, delivered with a positive attitude and consistent with the organization's vision.

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