Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/240733
16 Sign up for Becker's Orthopedic, Spine Business & Pain Management E-Weeklies at www.BeckersOrthopedicandSpine.com or call (800) 417-2035 Pierce Nunley, MD, Director, Spine Institute of Louisiana, Shreveport: No matter what discipline, leaders are directing a team of individuals with a common goal. Effective communication, trust, mutual respect and balanced delegation are vital to this process. In the area of spine surgery, our goal is simple: to provide our patients with the best possible care. Everything else comes second. Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, Chief of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Beaumont Hospitals, Southfield, Mich.: My goal and strategy for each patient is to only perform one spine surgery that will last the patient a lifetime, if at all possible. Leaders need to show the value of what we do for our patients and society as a whole. Thus leadership strategy should focus on cost effective, high quality spine care. This will require that we remain politically active to support and advance the interest of our patients. Kenneth Pettine, MD, Cofounder, The Spine Institute, Loveland, Colo.: My ideas to leadership in spine are to aggressively move forward with researching the use of autogenous bone marrow concentrate for the treatment of spinal disorders. We are pursuing this through the Orthopedic Stem Cell Institute. In addition, we continue with a busy surgical practice, averaging 10 spine surgeries a week. I think one of the exciting futures in the treatment of spinal disorders is biologics. Frank Phillips, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: Leadership in spine surgery requires setting aside one's personal agenda and committing to advancing goals that benefit our patients and the spine community as a whole. Strong leadership involves balancing a spirit of negotiation with a sense of determination and commitment to an ethical and evidence-based approach to dealing with the challenges that we face. Raj Rao, MD, Spine Surgeon, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee: Leadership is about setting standards of excellence for oneself personally and for the entire team to emulate. It's about integrity and clarity in a mission, and a drive to "get the job done." It's about the ability to maintain a sense of old-fashioned fairness in dealing with colleagues and staff. And, finally, it's about the ability to put all of this together in a forwardlooking vision for the enterprise. David Rothbart, MD, Medical Director, Spine Team Texas, Southlake: Cost, quality and patient satisfaction are going to be of paramount importance moving forward. As a leader of a multidisciplinary spine center, it is critical to embed within the culture of the organization a focus on the entire patient experience, creating the least invasive and most effective treatment protocols and providing care in facilities that are philosophically mutually aligned in terms of excellence, safety and cost containment. J. Rafe Sales, MD, Founder, Summit Spine Institute, Portland: In today's ever-changing landscape, being a spine surgeon leader means being involved in all facets of spine care, including policy making. This includes working with the insurance companies and hospitals, as, like it or not, they are shaping our ability to provide care to our patients. Being involved early allows us to have a seat at the table, which in turn allows us to determine what options our patients have. Thomas Schuler, MD, Chief Executive, The Virginia Spine Institute, Reston: Leadership is a combination of vision, communication and delegation. Furthermore, community-wide leadership requires the physician to publicize the truly life-improving treatments that modern spinal surgery provides. The physician leader must also strive to preserve access to these great advances to enable people to receive proper treatment thereby overcoming their suffering and disability. Nick Shamie, MD, Chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery, UCLA: The key to being a leader in Spine Surgery today is to stay current with the politics of healthcare delivery in the U.S. and globally, staying active in societies that advocate for spine surgeons and not losing sight of the most important goal of providing the best and most cost effective care for our patients. The three pillars of academic medicine — research, education and patient care — should be high on the priority list of policymakers as they make tough changes designed mostly to contain costs. Khawar Siddique, MD, Founder, Beverly Hills Spine Surgery, Los Angeles: Leaders in any industry are visionaries; namely, they have the ability to correctly identify and adapt to changes in the industry. The billion dollar question is what the effect of "Obamacare" will have on the industry over the next several years. Obviously no person knows for sure, but that's why these are exciting times. Uncertainty creates opportunity. Our group has decided on a course of action. Don't be left behind. I encourage all surgeon leaders to be proactive and set a course that is right for their specific situation. Kris Siemionow, MD, Chief of Spine Surgery, University of Illinois in Chicago: Being a good doctor who presents, publishes and innovates constitutes a solid foundation for any spine surgeon leader. But it is crucial for today's leaders to have a thorough understanding of the mechanisms by which healthcare works, the anticipated changes to the healthcare landscape and how spine surgeons fit into the new model of healthcare delivery. The leader should use this knowledge to become politically active and represent his constituents and the spine surgery community. Paul Slosar, MD, President, SpineCare Medical Group, Daly City, Calif.: Leadership today in the field of spine surgery requires a tactical plan to address the immediate day-to-day challenges of maintaining an independent and fiscally solvent practice, while forging a pathway into the future with a keen focus on the changing landscape of reimbursements. We must devote time and energy to critical issues of access to care, patient advocacy and advancing surgical technologies to deliver cost-efficient and clinically effective care. Mark Stern, MD, Southern California Institute of Neurological Surgery, Escondido, Calif.: A modern spine surgeon leader today must be able to adapt new technologies and create safe, novel approaches that over time have lasting benefit to the patient, the payer and society at large. A surgeon must be able to coordinate and educate all constituents in the clinical service paradigm. Staying abreast of innovations that drive quality for patients is critical. As a surgeon advocate and leader in the field of spine, we must constantly advocate for our patients and continually support the advancement of care through research. Brian Subach, MD, President, The Virginia Spine Institute, Reston: First and foremost, lead by example. Know your outcomes, publish your results, advocate on behalf of your patients and strive for technical perfection. Daniel Sucato, MD, Chief of Staff, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas: Being a spine surgeon leader in the field today to me means always putting the patient first and at the center of all we do. This leads to three things leaders provide: first, great patient care; second, important and quality research; and finally, education of residents, fellows and colleagues. Research is the vehicle by which we answer the clinically-important questions and the reporting