Spine

Telehealth exploded in 2020, and it’s become more common in the broader healthcare landscape. But there’s still work to be done for patient access, Brandon Hirsch, MD, said. Dr. Hirsch, a spine surgeon with Newport Beach, Calif.-based DISC Surgery Center,…

From clinical outcomes to costs, here are the key discoveries in spine surgery this year: 1. A study from Plano-based Texas Back Institute found positive clinical results for patients having hybrid spine surgery. Researchers looked at a series of 305 patients having…

Two legal cases involving spine patients and physicians came to a close in the past week: 1. Three physicians were cleared in a spine patient’s $3 million lawsuit that alleged his diagnosis was delayed. A jury ruled that emergency medicine…

Ramin Rak, MD, a spinal neurosurgeon was elected chief of neurosurgery at Smithtown, N.Y.-based St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, effective Jan. 1. The hospital is an affiliate of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Dr. Rak is a neurosurgeon…

Here are 10 top-read news stories about spine surgeons and spine practices since Jan. 1: 1. Some fee-for-service spine procedures in traditional Medicare will have prior authorizations added, according to CMS’ new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction model. 2. Forbes’…

When CMS quietly updated the Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE) for CPT 64772 from two to six units for 2026, it didn’t make headlines, but it should have. This change isn’t simply a coding adjustment. It is a national-level acknowledgment that…

Spine robotics has advanced in 2025. Here are 13 places adding spine robots in 2025: Note: This is not an exhaustive list. To add your facility to this list, please email Carly Behm (cbehm@beckershealthcare.com). 1. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center…

A jury awarded $27 million to a couple who alleged a spinal cord stimulator led to a man’s permanent spine injuries, Florida Today reported Dec. 18. The man was admitted to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Fla., for a…

Here are 10 health systems and practice hiring spine surgeons and neurosurgeons, using LinkedIn’s job search tool. 1. Tufts Medicine in Melrose, Mass., seeks a spinal neurosurgeon. 2. MaineHealth in Scarborough seeks a spinal neurosurgeon. 3. MD West One in…

Phoenix Children’s Research Institute earned three R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health, including one focused on spine care, according to a Dec. 18 news release. Matthew Halanski, MD, division chief of orthopedics and sports medicine, earned a grant…