8 things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday — Sept. 22, 2016

Spine

Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Sept. 22, 2016.

Dr. Gregory Sherr sues HealthEast, CentraCare & 6 neurosurgeons for allegedly ruining his reputation & career
Neurosurgeon Gregory Sherr, MD, is suing HealthEast Care System, CentraCare Health and six affiliated physicians for an alleged "pattern of anti-competitive, tortious and otherwise illegal conduct." The complaint alleges neurosurgeons affiliated with these hospitals made "baseless complaints," resulting in the HealthEast committee suspending Dr. Sherr's privileges for violating HealthEast Bylaws. As a result of this suspension, Dr. Sherr alleges his reputation and career were ruined and he had to resign from Midwest Spine and Brain Institute and relocate to Florida.

Rush University Medical Center providing hope to paralyzed patients
Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center became the first in the state to inject AST-OPC1 into the spinal cord of a recently paralyzed man as part of a new clinical trial. Dr. Fessler was the principal investigator for the phase 1 and phase 2 multi-center trial, and said the treatment may be the first significant breakthrough in spinal cord injury treatment in several decades.

11 highest-paying states for orthopedic surgeons: New Jersey tops the list at $494.5k
The average salary for an orthopedic surgeon totals $426,590. New Jersey leads the list with an average salary of $494,510. Connecticut ranks in the middle of the top 11, with an average orthopedic surgeon salary of $469,966. Delaware ranks as the 11th state with an average salary of $449,467.

Zimmer Biomet enhances 3D range-of-motion simulation offering via acquisition
Warsaw, Ind.-based Zimmer Biomet acquired Netherlands-based Clinical Graphics, which offers 3D range-of-motion simulation technology. With the strategic acquisition, Zimmer Biomet will enhance its hip preservation portfolio using the new imaging platform.

What are HHS' key spending areas?
HHS' purchases doubled in the last 10 years and are expected to keep rising. The current HHS spending is $21 billion annually, making it the third highest contracting agency in terms of spending. HHS has spent more than $840 million on HealthCare.gov and its innovation lab has a $10 billion budget over a 10-year period.

Humans of New York inspires $1.2M in donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering brain cancer research: 5 highlights
New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering's pediatrics department received $1.2 million in funding after the Humans of New York social media site featured neurosurgeon Mark Souweidane, MD. Humans of New York mastermind, Brandon Stanton, interviewed Dr. Souweidane about his research involving a rare and fatal childhood cancer, called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Giloma. Those who read Dr. Souweidane's story were clearly inspired, donating a total of $1.2 million to the pediatric department.

Elderly patients undergoing spinal curvature surgery jumps 107%
A new study published in Spinal Deformity shows elderly patients are undergoing surgery at a higher rate for multilevel spinal curvature. The number of three-or-more level spinal curvature patients 60 years or older jumped from 6,571 in 2004 to 16,526 in 2011. This is a 107.8 percent increase from 13.4 cases per 100,000 people to 27.9 cases per 100,000 people.

Mylan CEO to face House hearing for EpiPen price hike
Next week, the House Oversight will hold a hearing for Mylan CEO Heather Bresch to answer questions regarding EpiPen's price hike. Since Mylan acquired and began selling EpiPen nearly 10 years ago, the drug's price has spiked almost 400 percent. In August, EpiPen said it would offer a generic product, which carries a $300 list price.

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