Physicians and practice leaders increasingly point to payers as one of the biggest obstacles to running a sustainable practice. From CMS policy changes and declining Medicare reimbursement to private payer prior authorization requirements and coverage denials, administrative and financial strain…
Orthopedic
The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to an antibiotic-delivering knee spacer developed by Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham. The spacer delivers antibiotics directly to an infected artificial knee joint while bearing the patient’s weight. Surgeons place the temporary spacer after…
Las Vegas-based Desert Orthopaedic Center has provided notice of a data privacy incident. The organization learned of the breach on or about Aug. 7. An investigation determined that certain information may have been accessed or copied without authorization, according to…
Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health System named Jeremy Gardner, MD, chief medical officer, effective Oct. 19. Dr. Gardner has spent more than 16 years with Altru, caring for patients as an orthopedic surgeon and serving in clinical and medical leadership…
Spine surgery is reaching a stage where structural redesign is no longer optional. The pressures outlined in part 1 of this series are converging in ways that make the traditional practice model increasingly unsustainable. Yet these pressures also create a…
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CMS is proposing to cut physician reimbursement for total hip and knee replacement by approximately 20% in 2027, on top of an 8% reduction that took effect earlier this year. The proposal would reduce physician payment for both procedures while…
CMS has published the list of hospitals that will take part in its Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Expanded Model, known as CJR-X. As of Sept. 30, 2026, 2,217 acute care hospitals meet the participant definition. CMS said it plans…
Michael Knudsen, MD, spent years learning how to make the right diagnosis, choose the right operation and perform it well. Then, he became an attending and discovered how much of being a surgeon happens outside the operating room. “You suddenly…
Stryker CEO Kevin Lobo will transition to executive chair of the board of directors Jan. 1, 2027, as President and COO Spencer Stiles succeeds him as CEO. Mr. Stiles will also join Stryker’s board as part of the leadership transition,…
Ashley Ross Jr., MD, a Little Rock, Ark.-based orthopedic surgeon whose career spanned private practice, military service and the VA, died Sept. 27. He was 96. Dr. Ross earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas, also in Little…