Spine

In the last month, Becker’s reported on six developments in CMS and Medicare news affecting spine surgery and physicians. 1. Some fee-for-service spine procedures in traditional Medicare will have prior authorizations added, according to CMS’ new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service…

Stephen Courtney, MD, founder of Eminent Spine, completed the first case using the company’s  3D-printed pedicle screw system, according to a July 16 news release.  The milestone case was performed at Eminent Hospital in Richardson, Texas. Dr. Courtney used the…

Jaime Gomez, MD, has joined Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute in Miami, according to a July 17 news release. Dr. Gomez is a pediatric spine surgeon specializing in scoliosis and complex spinal conditions. He previously served as…

Kansas Joint & Spine Specialists in Wichita has added sports medicine physician Ryan Livermore, MD, to its team. Dr. Livermore joined the practice June 30, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. He is board-certified and fellowship-trained in orthopedics,…

Zacharia Pinter, MD, has joined The Orthopedic Partners in Park City, Utah, according to a July 10 Linkedin post. Dr. Pinter is a graduate from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic’s orthopedic surgery residency and recently completed a fellowship at Philadelphia-based Rothman…

Spine Medicine and Surgery of Long Island (N.Y.) has added Marissa Catalanotto, MD, to its staff.  Dr. Catalanotto is an interventional pain management physician and is currently completing a pain medicine fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a…

Physicians can only improve the things they measure. From costs to outcomes and supply, spine surgeons discuss how they manage and learn from the data. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the…

Madison-based Orthopedic & Spine Centers of Wisconsin added Jake Kraemer, MD, according to a July 14 LinkedIn post. Dr. Kraemer is an anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician specializing in spine, joint and nerve conditions. He will see patients at the…

CMS is floating changes to the physician fee schedule for 2026, including two separate conversion factors and a 3.6% increase in physician pay. The July 14 proposal includes a conversion factor for qualifying alternative payment model participants and another for…

In just under three years, Alok Sharan, MD, has seen his practice, Spine and Performance Institute, grow as awake spine surgery gains traction. Dr. Sharan opened the Edison, N.J.-based practice in November 2022 to care for patients beyond the operating…