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MANAGEMENT
President Obama Calls for Honesty, Continues to Defend Health
Law — 6 Things to Know
By Mary Rechtoris
A
s his final weeks as president come to a close,
President Barack Obama defended the ACA say-
ing although the law isn't perfect, "it's worked,"
according to U.S. News & World Report.
Here are six things to know:
1. Open enrollment for ACA plans commenced on Nov. 1,
2016, giving the Obama administration a short window to
appeal to Americans to sign up for coverage.
2. Earlier this week, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said she
projects 13.8 million Americans to sign up for 2017 cover-
age, slightly up from 12.7 million Americans who signed
up for coverage for 2016.
3. President Obama's health law has provided millions
of Americans coverage, but legislators from both parties
have critiqued the ACA as premiums skyrocket and payers
leave state exchanges.
4. Despite criticism, President Obama is imploring both
parties to be honest about what is working and what legis-
lators need to fix. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), how-
ever, said the law cannot be fixed and officials need to
replace the ACA with "patient-centered reforms." Speaker
Ryan believes the reforms would provide Americans more
choice and control concerning their healthcare needs.
5. To improve the ACA, President Obama said states that
opted to not expand Medicaid should do so, thereby bring-
ing health insurance to millions of more Americans. He also
argued for giving tax credits for middle-class Americans and
young adults to help them afford coverage.
6. President Obama also believes a public plan fallback
would help provide more options for Americans, particu-
larly those residing in rural areas.
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8 Orthopedic Imaging Technologies to Know:
C-arms, O-arms & G-arms
By Eric Oliver
C-arm for Orthopedics, GE
Health (Chicago). GE has three orthope-
dic-based variations on its popular C-arm
machine: the OEC 9900 Elite Mobile C-arm,
the OEC 9800 Plus Mobile C-arm and the
OEC Brivo Plus. e 9800 Plus is marketed
as the most widely used mobile C-arm im-
aging machine worldwide. e 9800 Plus has
1k by 1k high resolution imaging technology
on its mobile system.
OEC Brivo Plus C-arm, GE Health (Chi-
cago). e OEC Brivo Plus is another of GE's
C-arm machines. It features "eagle-eye" tech-
nology that allows for pinpoint imaging. e
device also has an auto- adjustment feature
which will automatically adjust an image
when the anatomy is off-center. e device
produces less radiation than a regular X-ray.
Arcadis Orbic 3D, Siemens (Erlangen,
Germany). e Arcadis Orbic imaging ma-
chine is a C-arm machine with an isocentric
design and 190 degree orbital movement.
e machine offers physicians 3-D technol-
ogy for use in orthopedic, trauma and spine
surgery related procedures. It is one of six
machines that Siemens manufactures, and
the only one with 3-D technology.
Ziehm NaviPort, Ziehm Imaging (Or-
lando). e Ziehm NaviPort is an interface
for the company's flagship C-arm device,
the Ziehm Vision RFD 3D. e NaviPort
interface uses high-quality image data and
integrates it into the C-arm machine to cre-
ate a crisper picture. e NaviPort interface
obtains a quality that suits it for orthopedic,
trauma and spinal procedures.
Ziehm Vision RFD 3D, Ziehm Imaging.
e flagship product for Ziehm, the Vision
RFD 3D is the only 3-D C-arm with flat-panel
technology. e device combines both 2-D
and 3-D functionality to maximize ease-of-
use. e RFD comes in a non-3-D version and
a hybrid edition. e device is one of Ziehm's
eight C-arm machines.
Brainlab Fluoro 3D C-Arm Registra-
tion, Brainlab (Westchester, Ill.). Brainlab's
Fluoro 3D registration is an interface which
allows for intraoperative integration of 3-D
C-arms for both spine and trauma proce-
dures. e interface allows for real-time nav-
igation of intraoperative datasets. e inter-
face is compatible with common 3-D C-arms
like the Ziehm Vision RFD 3D.
G-Arm Gxi series, Whale Imaging
(Waltham, Mass.). Whale Technologies' G-
Arm GXi technology allows for 270 degrees
of freedom to view images from several dif-
ferent positions. e first edition, the GXi 1,
uses Whale's biplanar layout allowing images
to be viewed on a biplanar view no longer
requiring surgeons to shi between AP and
lateral views. e GXi 2 improved on the GXi
1 by adding tracking wheels for mobility and
a dual laser aiming system.
StealthStation, Medtronic (Dublin, Ire-
land). Medtronic's StealthStation O-arm al-
lows surgeons to visualize the anatomy of a
patient's spine while in surgery. It also allows
for the tracking of instruments in relation to
anatomy. When coupled with the StealthSta-
tion navigation soware the technologies
work together to improve workflow, while
enhancing outcomes.
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