1. Earlier in the month, the North American Spine Society released coverage policy recommendations for spine care treatments, procedures and diagnostics. NASS plans to release additional coverage policy recommendations for treatments, imaging and surgical augments in the near future.
NASS also recently launched a new website design. The website’s features include an “In the News” section posting links to the biggest studies and articles analyzing the spine field today as well as the “Research & Clinical Care” section, which has information about spine registries, research priorities, quality improvement, patient safety, evidence-based medicine training and clinical guidelines.
2. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons named Gail L. Rosseau, MD, FAANS, vice president. Dr. Rosseau is a neurosurgeon at NorthShore University HealthSystem, and she sits on the executive board of the AANS/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Women in Neurosurgery. In 2008 Dr. Rosseau was considered for the position of U.S. Surgeon General.
AANS also gave the Humanitarian Award to Anselmo Pineda, MD, who is a professor of neurobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He founded the Neurosurgical Peruvian American Foundation, which organized the first hands-on neurosurgical training program in Peru. Dr. Pineda launched these efforts to advance neurosurgery in his native country.
3. The Cervical Spine Research Society has inducted OrthoCarolina’s Bruce V. Darden II, MD, as the 2014 president. He is a partner at the OrthoCarolina Spine Center in Charlotte, N.C., and serves as director of the spine surgery fellowship at OrthoCarolina. He has completed fellowship training in spine surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
4. The Scoliosis Research Society awarded the Lifetime Achievement Awards to Alvin H. Crawford, MD, and David S. Bradford, MD. Dr. Crawford is professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He is also founding director of the Crawford Spine Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Dr. Bradford is a professor and chair emeritus at the UCSF Medical Center Orthopaedic Institute. He sits on scientific advisory boards for NuVasive and SpineUniverse. He is also a founding member of the Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis.
5. The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery named Gunnar B.J. Andersson, MD, PhD, president for 2014 to 2015. He is a professor and chairman emeritus of the department of orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He served as chairman of the department from 1994 to 2008. Dr. Andersson is also a past president of the Orthopaedic Research Society, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine and American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians.
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