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Sign up for Becker's Orthopedic, Spine Business & Pain Management E-Weeklies at www.BeckersOrthopedicandSpine.com or call (800) 417-2035 of your results to your colleagues helps to educate them as they face similar problems. Eeric Truumees, MD, Director of Spine Research, Seton Spine & Scoliosis Center, Austin, Texas: A leader's greatest tool is information. An effective leader both keeps his colleagues apprised of coming changes and remains accessible to physician concerns. Leaders in spine care are expected to passionately advocate for their colleagues and for continued access to high quality spine care for patients. The biggest problems lie in the delicate balance of maintaining credibility with both physician colleagues and with payers and regulators. Finally, the effective leader instills passion in his colleagues. William Taylor, MD, Vice Chairman-Academic Affiars, University of California San Diego: I believe it is no longer enough to be recognized as just providing superior patient care. The modern spine surgeon is now responsible to develop new techniques, validate their use, test them in the lab, document outcomes and finally ensure the availability of excellent service and care for each patient. Working with all stakeholders that may, often with good intentions, limit the options for patients is our only choice. Alexander Vaccaro, MD, Vice Chairman of the Orthopedic Surgery Department & Co-Director of Spine Surgery, Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia: The key to being a spine surgeon leader in the field today is to prioritize patient care as the number one driving force in all clinical and business decisions. Due to contemporary financial stresses in practice, very important decisions have to be made on various investment and resource allocation issues. By prioritizing optimal patient care as the guiding principal in all decisions, ranging from insurance negotiations to implant selection and choice of surgical procedure, satisfactory outcomes are routinely experienced by both patient and medical staff. Robert Watkins IV, MD, Co-Director, Marina Spine Center, Marina Del Rey, Calif.: The key to being a spine surgeon leader in the field today is continually improving patient care. There are a lot of impediments to proper patient care in the form of declining payments, unrealistic expectations and denial of tests and treatments. Spine surgeons need to be resilient and stay focused on the only priority that ultimately matters: delivering high quality care to each individual patient. Todd Wetzel, MD, Vice-Chairperson of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia: Flexibility, while never wavering from our core values of excellence in patient care, education, and scientific advancement is the key to leadership. To an effective leader, one must also be willing to be led; in the current political, economic and regulatory atmosphere, the surgeon leader must sacrifice some measure of traditional autonomy and be willing to function as a key member of the larger healthcare team. Richard Wohns, MD, Founder, Neospine, Puget Sound, Wash.: A spine surgeon leader today must recognize the neuroeconomics of choice and valuation: what we choose to provide to patients has many ramifications not only to the patient and his/ her family, and employer, but also to the hospital and/or outpatient center, the insurance company, the leader's reputation, the spine team's prowess, public perception of spine surgery and the macroeconomics of healthcare. 17 Douglas Won, MD, Director and Founder, Minimally Invasive SpineCARE, Irving, Texas: Today, the key to being a leader in spine doesn't just take knowing the art of medicine. One has to understand the state of healthcare reform in this country. Physicians typically react to changes forced upon us rather than being proactive to make the changes. Physicians are the infantry in the healthcare industry and we need to be more engaged in shaping the reform. Anthony Yeung, MD, Founder, Desert Institute for Spine Care, Phoenix: Being a leader requires more action than words. Others will follow if they recognize the leader's dedication and can see the results of his work. Leadership not only involves participation in the leadership of spine organizations, presenting at spine meetings, participating on panels and symposiums, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and writing chapters in text books, but most importantly, advocating for our patients. Ultimately, leadership will result in a following recognized by your peers. Christopher Yeung, MD, Desert Institute for Spine Care, Phoenix: Being a leader in spine surgery requires a dedication to advancing our knowledge of spinal disorders in order to continually develop better treatment options for our patients. This can be accomplished by participating in research projects and being active in international spine organizations and your local community. Despite our current knowledge, there is still much to be discovered and developed to help our patients. n To view the extended version of this list with full quotes from the featured surgeons, please visit beckersspine.com/lists ® ACTIVE FOR LIFE AccelSPINE is a forward thinking medical device company that strives to develop products and services that treat spinal disorders. The AccelSPINE portfolio showcases a wide range of complementary products that include a minimally invasive spine system, posterior cervical system, thoracolumbar system, anterior cervical plate system, interbody device options, biologics and P-STIM a non-narcotic pain management solution. Based on a creative collective, AccelSPINE works closely with our surgeons to imagine and construct multifaceted implants and instruments that become works of art. Join us as we share our story and learn more about how science, mathematics and the arts blend to masterfully create the AccelSPINE experience.