Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Jan. 12, 2017.
Behind bars for fraud: Neurosurgeon Dr. Aria Sabit receives nearly 20-year prison sentence
Neurosurgeon Aria Sabit, MD, received a 235-month prison sentence on Jan. 10, 2017 for fraud, as reported by Medscape. Dr. Sabit possesses a significant criminal history, dating back to 2010. The Department of Justice reported Dr. Sabit has stolen a total of $11 million from Medicare, Medicaid and private payers. On Nov. 24, 2014, authorities arrested Dr. Sabit.
Stryker 2016 net sales hit $11.3B, up 13.9%
Stryker is expected to report net sales of $11.3 billion for 2016, according to the company's preliminary fourth quarter and full year financial report. Fourth quarter net sales were up 16.3 percent to $3.2 billion; full year net sales grew 13.9 percent to $11.3 billion. The company reported domestic net sales reached $8.2 billion in the full year, a 15.9 percent increase. International net sales were up 8.8 percent to $2.1 billion.
Mazor Robotics receives record-high 62 system orders in FY 2016
In the fourth quarter of 2016, Caesarea, Israel-based Mazor Robotics received 21 system purchase orders. The quarter ended Dec. 31, 2016. In the United States, Mazor received 16 Mazor X system orders and three Renaissance system orders. Mazor plans to relay Q4 2016 financial results in late February 2017.
Cleveland Clinic disciplines physician for writing anti-vaccination op-ed
Cleveland Clinic physician Daniel Neides, MD, penned an op-ed titled "Make 2017 the year to avoid toxins (good luck) and master your domain: Words on Wellness," in which he criticized vaccinations, specifically those given to newborns. Cleveland.com has since removed the op-ed from its website, where Dr. Neides initially posted the article. Cleveland Clinic issued a statement about its commitment to evidence-based medicine as a response to the blog post.
Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies launches orthopedic episode of care platform
Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies launched their Orthopaedic Episode of Care Approach, an offering to help health systems and surgeons reduce costs and increase quality for value-based alternative care models in orthopedics. Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, La., partnered with Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies.
Healthcare predictions for 2017 — Behavioral analytics, patient personas & more
SCIO Health Analytics reported five predictions on trends that will likely impact payers, providers and consumers in the New Year:
• Behavioral analytics for a rounded-out picture of patients
• Insights-as-a-service
• Fraud, waste and abuse of opioids
• Big data to develop patient personas
• Payer and provider collaboration
SI-Bone's new warranty covers iFuse implant for 1 year after surgery
SI-Bone launched a warranty program for its iFuse implant system, used in minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusions. The warranty offers a free iFuse implant if a primary procedure using iFuse fails within one year of the initial procedure.
Overwhelming bureaucratic tasks rank as No. 1 burnout cause
Medscape's "Lifestyle Report 2017: Race and Ethnicity, Bias and Burnout," addresses how burnout affects physicians' behavior, patient care and happiness levels. "Too many bureaucratic tasks" ranked as the number one contributor of burnout. Fifty-five percent of female physicians reported burnout in 2017, compared to 45 percent of male physicians.