Spine

Physicians of group-based practices can expect to see a 3.7 percent salary increase in 2014, while hospital-based physicians will likely see a 2.2 percent increase, according to the Hay Group's 2013 physician compensation survey.

Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis plans on investing $5 million to expand its spine program to include treatments for degenerative disc disease, according to a St. Louis Business Journal report.

Eastern Oklahoma Orthopedic Center in Tulsa announced that it has added Kasra Ahmadinia, MD, to its medical staff.

Scott Spann, MD, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon and the founder of Austin-based device company Pantheon Spinal, discusses the emergence of the lateral approach as a trend in the field and why he thinks the trend will continue to grow.

At least 8.5 million uninsured Americans will purchase coverage through the insurance exchanges created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a USA TODAY report.

Here are five ways spine surgeons can save precious minutes in their clinic and operating room that could ultimately be used to spend extra time with patients or on other professional activities.

1. Holland (Mich.) Hospital completed construction on a $10 million spine and orthopedics unit.

John A. Wilson, MD, director of the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., has opened a satellite practice in Lexington, N.C., according to a report by The Dispatch.

TopOrthoApps has created a review for the best mobile apps for spine surgeons, trainees and students.

As the trend of hospital employment of physicians continues, federal and state governments have increased their focus on physician compensation and compliance with healthcare laws. In the past several years, investigations focusing on compensation paid by a hospital to its…