Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/627546
January 2016 l Vol. 2016 No. 1 INSIDE Payer Coverage Policies in Spine Key thoughts from Dr. Gregory Przybylski. p. 8 25 Recent Spine, Neurosurgeon Moves These surgeons recently joined new practices or moved into leadership positions. p. 36 Population Health on a Budget How Dr. Daniel Ivankovich took on Chicago's impoverished neighborhoods — and received a top CNN honor. p. 12 High Physician Employment Linked to Lower Hospital Profits Six key points on how consolidation impacts hospitals' bottom lines. p. 24 14 th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine June 9-11, 2016 | Swissotel, Chicago Over 124 Physicians Speaking, Primarily Spine Surgeons, with 200+ Speakers Total and 117 Sessions SAVE THE DATE BECKER'S SPINE REVIEW The Theory Behind Geisinger's Spine Surgery Refund INSIDE: 22 Minimally Invasive Spine Devices to Know - p. 19; 14th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine Brochure - p. 25 Healthcare is Barreling Toward Integration: 5 Key Thoughts Key Thoughts on Cervical Disc Arthroplasty Coverage & Payer Policy Lou Holtz Tucker Carlson See the full story on page 10. See the full story on page 16. See the full story on page 38. Last year, Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., created a program to provide a refund for part or all of the hospital's copay for spine and bariatric procedures when patients aren't happy with their care. e hospital already provides a 90-day warranty for surgery patients, an initiative that began nearly 10 years ago. Why would they take on such risk? Jonathan Slotkin, MD, is the director of spine surgery at the Geisinger Health System Neuro- science Institute and medical director of Geisinger in Motion, along with Director of Geisinger in Motion, Division of Applied Research and Clinical Informatics Chanin Wendling, say it all comes back to the patient experience; they want to provide the best patient/consumer experience possible — not just the best patient experience within healthcare. e positive outcome literature and payer coverage decisions surrounding cervical disc arthroplasty are prompting more surgeons to train in the procedure as a potential alternative to spinal fusion. Surgeons are performing disc arthroplasty for appropriately-indicated patients in the hospital as well as outpatient setting. Vice President of Healthcare Policy and Reimbursement at LDR Spine Kimberly Norton discusses the coverage and payer policy changes going forward. Fred Davis, MD, president and co-founder of ProCare Systems, discusses the biggest trends in healthcare integration and how they're affecting physician practice and ambulatory surgery center owners and operators. Orthopedic and spine surgeons are among the most fiercely independent specialists in the United States, but the landscape continues to change as patients demand integrated care and physicians ban together—or partner with larger entities— to stay afloat.