Becker's Spine Review

8 SPINE SURGEONS Dr. Alexander Vaccaro: 2 Big Concerns and the Best Opportunity for Spine Surgeons in the Future By Laura Dyrda A s president of Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute, Alexander Vaccaro, MD, is responsible for a network of practices, including around 200 physicians and surgeons providing orthopedic and spine care. He also serves as the Richard H. Rothman Professor and chairman of the department of orthopae- dic surgery at Philadelphia-based omas Jefferson University Hospital and co-director of the spine fellowship program. Here, Dr. Vaccaro outlines the top two con- cerns for his practice in the coming year and the biggest opportunity for spine surgeons in the future. Q: What are the top two concerns you have for your practice today? Dr. Alexander Vaccaro: 1. Maintaining high quality care despite payer-side issues. We continue to face road- blocks with insurance companies declining evidenced-based procedures for patients. e time and resources dedicated to merely car- rying out patient care through peer-to-peer calls and pre-authorization is unsustainable and burdensome. In addition, practices have been required to invest significant time and money into preparing for MACRA, despite the uncertainty of how healthcare legislation will eventually play out. 2. Public misinformation about the role of spine surgery. Our practice faces an onslaught of misinformation from the in- ternet and media (including social media) about the efficacy and utility of various nonsurgical treatments and surgical proce- dures. As our patients become savvier with technology and increasingly research their condition, physicians must become aware of these resources patients use for informa- tion and prepared to answer questions on the topics. Q: What is the biggest opportunity for spine surgeons in the field? How is spine evolving? AV: Technology continues to be an evolving and exciting part of spine surgery. We believe the use of robotics and navigated technolo- gies providing advanced visualization and in- traoperative assistance can improve efficiency and outcomes while reducing complications. e big hurdle we face is integrating this into our workflow; until we become acclimated and familiar with the technology, we can't im- prove our efficiency. n Dr. Todd Albert is New Scoliosis Research Society President: 7 Highlights By Megan Wood S coliosis Research Society inducted Todd J. Albert, MD, as the 48th president during the 52nd Annual Meeting Course in Philadelphia Sept. 9. Here are seven highlights: 1. Dr. Albert will serve as society president for one year, with his term beginning Sept. 9. In his new position, he will teach fellow spine surgeons nationally and internationally as well as head administration and the SRS meetings. 2. An SRS member since 1994, Dr. Albert has held various leadership positions, including chair of the program com- mittee and the International Meeting of Advanced Spinal Techniques. 3. He has served as surgeon-in-chief at New York City- based Hospital for Special Surgery since 2014. Dr. Albert also serves as the Korein-Wilson Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. 4. Dr. Albert specializes in cervical spine disorders and minimally invasive spine surgery. 5. Author of seven books, he has contributed more than 40 book chapters and 300 articles. 6. Dr. Albert completed his fellowship at Minneapo- lis-based Minnesota Spine Center. 7. Founded in 1966, SRS currently has more than 1,000 members. "I'm truly honored to lead this organization that has been a driving force in the field of spinal deformity," said Dr. Al- bert. "As we continue to evolve into a global society, I hope to further advance the research, education and training that is necessary to bring high quality care to every patient with a spinal deformity." n "We continue to face roadblocks with insurance companies declining evidence-based procedures for patients." -Dr. Alexander Vaccaro, Rothman Institute

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