David J. Abraham, MD, board-certified in orthopedic surgery, is a physician at the Reading Neck and Spine Center in Wyomissing, Pa. Dr. Abraham received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and completed his orthopedic surgery residency and a spinal surgery fellowship in Detroit.

John Bartos, JD, CPA, CEO of Collect Rx, is a veteran in the field of healthcare and information technology. Mr. Bartos was previously an attorney at Kirkpartick & Lockhart and has serviced a wide range of for-profit and not-for-profit health insurers. Mr. Bartos earned his bachelor's degree at Princeton (N.J.) University and completed his Juris Doctorate at the Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.

Scott Becker, JD, CPA, is the publisher of Becker's ASC Review, Becker's Hospital Review and Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review. As a partner at McGuireWoods in Chicago, he provides counsel to hospitals, ASCs, surgical hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, single- and multi-specialty medical practices and a variety of healthcare industry entrepreneurs. Mr. Becker received his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and his BS in finance and accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Johnny C. Benjamin, MD, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon practicing at the Pro Spine Center in Vero Beach, Fla. Dr. Benjamin earned his medical degree at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and completed his residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Jack M. Bert, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, working with the Cartilage Restoration Center of Minnesota and the Minnesota Bone & Joint Specialists. Dr. Bert is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Minneapolis. He received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Chris Bishop, is the senior vice president of acquisitions and development at Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. Mr. Bishop is in charge of all business development activities at Blue Chip, including working with ASCs to create the best performance possible. He earned his bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

Dotty J. Bollinger, RN, JD, CASC, LHRM, currently serves as COO of Laser Spine Institute, a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery. She first joined Laser Spine Institute in 2008 as vice president of quality and compliance. Ms. Bollinger earned her nursing degree at Maria College in Albany, N.Y., and her bachelor's degree in management and marketing at the University of Maryland. She earned a degree in law from the University of South Dakota. She has also completed a Master's level certificate in healthcare compliance at George Washington University.

Nancy Bratanow, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and currently works with Midwest Comprehensive Pain Care. Dr. Bratanow earned her medical degree from the University of Madison, Wis. She completed her residency at LA County Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrence, Calif.

Robert S. Bray, Jr., MD, is the founder and CEO of DISC Sports & Spine Center in Marina del Rey, Calif. He is a neurological spine surgeon with a clinical interest in minimally invasive spinal procedures. Dr. Bray earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency in neurosurgery at Baylor Affiliated Hospitals.

Robert Brownd is director of business development at Surgical Notes, a full-service medical transcription and coding provider to over 500 ASCs. He previously worked in sales for Arthrex. Mr. Brownd joined Surgical Notes in June 2008.

Jason Cagle is the senior vice president of general counsel and acquisitions for United Surgical Partners International, a healthcare facilities management and development company. Before joining USPI, he was in the corporate and securities section at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas.

Holly Carnell is an associate with the McGuireWoods law firm in Chicago, where her practice focuses on corporate healthcare transactional work and regulatory matters. Ms. Carnell earned her law degree from Loyola University in Chicago, where she served as the president of the Loyola University School of Law Health Law Society.

John A. Carrino, MD, MPH, is the chief of musculoskeletal radiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He is also an associate professor of radiology and orthopedic surgery. Dr. Carrino's areas of clinical interest include spine imaging and novel MRI techniques. Dr. Carrino received his medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco and a radiology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

Arthur Casey, BSBA, CASC, is the senior vice president of business development for Outpatient Healthcare Strategies, a healthcare consulting firm based in Houston.
He has held positions as an ASC administrator, regional vice president, vice president and senior vice president for HealthSouth; and development office, interim CFO and acting COO of Ambulatory Healthcare Services. Most recently, Mr. Casey served as a vice president of operations for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He received his certified administrator surgery center board credential in 2002.

Susan E. Charkin, MPH, is he founder and president of Healthcents, a Salinas, Calif.-based medical provider contracting company, where she helps healthcare providers and ambulatory surgery centers negotiate favorable reimbursements and contracts with HMOs, PPOs, worker's compensation organizations and other payors. Ms. Charkin has a master's degree in public health administration from the University of San Francisco and is a trustee at Natividad Medical Center in central California.

Rajiv Chopra is a principal member of The C/N Group in Merrillville, Ind., a family-owned firm that develops, owns and operates ASCs. Mr. Chopra leads the finance and accounting divisions for The C/N Group and its affiliated ASCs. Before joining The C/N Group, he was a principal consultant in the strategic change practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting. Mr. Chopra holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Jeffrey Clark is a partner at the McGuireWoods law firm in Chicago. His practice is focused on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on healthcare litigation. He received his Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and previously worked for McDermott Will & Emery law firm in Chicago.

Brian J. Cole MD, MBA, is a professor in the department of orthopedics at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He is also the head of the Orthopedics Master's Program and section head of the Cartilage Restoration Center at Rush. He is head team physician for the Chicago Bulls. Dr. Cole earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago and completed his residency at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Geoff Colvin, senior editor of Fortune Magazine and author of Talent is Overrated, has years of experience in writing, broadcast and speaking about important trends in business. Mr. Colvin earned his bachelors degree from Harvard University and received his MBA from New York University.

Jimbo Cross is the Vice President of Acquisitions and Development at Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America. Prior to joining ASCOA, Mr. Cross was an executive with Johnson & Johnson. He earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in College Station and he is working towards earning his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Peter S. Cunningham is CEO of CCO Healthcare Partners, a marketing consulting firm that partners with organizations in the healthcare industry to work towards revenue growth. Prior to joining CCO Healthcare Partners, Mr. Cunningham worked with a real estate investment firm. He earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.  

R. Blake Curd, MD, is the chairman of the board of directors of Surgical Management Professionals, which provides consulting and management services to single-specialty and multi-specialty surgery centers and specialty hospitals. Dr. Curd was recently accepted to the 2012-2013 Leadership Fellows Program for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is an active proponent of physician ownership in healthcare and serves as a director for Physician Hospitals of America and manager for Medical Facilities Corp., which promotes physician ownership of healthcare facilities through partnerships. Dr. Curd completed his medical degree at the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine, internship at David Grant United States Air Force Medical Center and a residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center. He also completed fellowship training at the Indiana Hand Center.

Fred N. Davis, MD, is the co-founder of Michigan Pain Consultants in Grand Rapids and the co-founder and president of ProCare Research, a company focused on capturing and analyzing outcomes of medical treatments. He is also a clinical assistant professor at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. Dr. Davis received his medical degree at Rush University's College of Medicine in Chicago and completed his residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Timothy T. Davis, MD, DABNM, DABPMR, DABPM, is the is the Director of Interventional Pain and Electrodiagnostics the Spine Institute Center for Spine Restoration specializing in non-surgical care for back and neck disorders. Dr. Davis focuses on minimally invasive treatment and is considered an authority in the intraoperative neurophysiological  monitoring field. He earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. At Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans, he finished his surgical internship. Dr. Davis completed his residency at Los Angeles Medical Center and at West Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital.

Jean Day, RN, CNOR, is director of clinical education for Pinnacle III. She previously served as administrator of the Boulder (Colo.) Community Musculoskeletal Surgery Center. She has been a clinical educator at several conferences, including the Becker's ASC Review conference in Chicago and the AORN Congress in Anaheim.

Gregory P. DeConciliis, PA-C, CASC, is the administrator of Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites. The multi-specialty center opened in July 2004 and performs more than 500 orthopedic and pain management procedures a month in its three operating rooms and one procedure room. He is a licensed physician assistant and worked at New England Baptist Hospital prior to assuming the role of administrator at the center. He continues to remain on staff at the hospital and assists with surgical procedures at the center.

Ara Deukmedjian, MD, is the CEO and medical director for the Deuk Spine Institute in Melbourne, Fla. He developed the Deuk Laser Disc Repair procedure and instrumentation, which uses an endoscope and laser through a quarter inch incision. Dr. Deukmedjian earned his medical degree at the University of Southern California's School of Medicine and completed his neurosurgical training at the University of Florida at Shands. His additional training includes a fellowship funded as a principal investigator by the National Institutes of Health

John Dietz, MD, is a spine surgeon with OrthoIndy and serves as secretary of the board of directors. Dr. Dietz graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a concentration in civil engineering and received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. He then completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in orthopedic surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Dr. Dietz completed a fellowship in spine surgery at Swedish Hospital Medical Center in Seattle.

Thomas Dixon is the Associate Director of Health System Strategy at Navigant, a global consulting firm working with many industries including the healthcare industry. Mr. Dixon advises healthcare systems on issues such as mergers, strategy and capital prioritization. Prior to joining Navigant, Mr. Dixon worked with the consulting firm Kurt Salmon. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Mr. Dixon completed his MBA at the University of Minnesota-Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis.   

Christopher Duntsch, MD, PhD, is the clinical director of Texas Neurological Institute in Plano. He is a member of the American Association of Neurosurgeons and Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. In the last eight years, he founded and launched two stem cell-based biotechnology companies — Novostem Therapeutics and Discgenics. Dr. Duntsch earned his medical degree at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine in Memphis. He completed his residency at University of Tennessee in the department of neurosurgery. He has also completed a fellowship in minimally invasive spine surgery at Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute in Memphis.

Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, is the owner and president of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Ellis Medical Consulting and has provided healthcare consulting services to ASCs in that capacity since 1992. Prior to founding Ellis Medical Consulting, Ms. Ellis worked as an operations manager at a national case management services placement firm; case manager and utilization review nurse; director of quality assurance; manager of reimbursement and Medicaid specialist in Tennessee. She also served on the CIGNA Medicare statewide PCOM Advisory Committee from 2001 to 2003 and on the board of the Freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center Association of Tennessee.

Christian Ellison is the senior vice president of corporate development at Health Inventures, which brokers and manages physician and hospital joint ventures in ASCs and surgical hospitals. His previous leadership roles at Health Inventures include a stint as managing director of Health Inventures' European-based subsidiary. Before joining Health Inventures, Mr. Ellison was a senior healthcare consultant with Arthur Andersen, where he focused mainly on physician practice formation and acquisition, business planning and operations improvement for hospital-owned physician organizations. Mr. Ellison earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State University in University Park and received his MBA from George Mason University School of Management in Fairfax, Va.

Kenneth Faw, MD, is the executive medical director of Evergreen Surgical Center in Kirkland, Wash. Dr. Faw is board certified in otolaryngology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. He completed his residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Kara Fleming is the director of healthcare at Navigant, a global consulting firm. Ms. Fleming brings over 17 years of experience in the industry to her role at Navigant. She focused on creating industry strategies and maintaining cost effective operations. Ms. Fleming earned her bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington. She completed her MBA at Harvard Business School.

Robin Fowler, MD, is the chairman and medical director of Interventional Management Services, an Atlanta-based company specializing in the development and management of single-specialty, multi-specialty and hospital joint venture facilities. He received his medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine in the Caribbean. He completed a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in interventional pain management at Emory University in Atlanta.

Marcia A. Friesen, RN, BS, HIA, MHP, FAIHQ, FACHE, is the president and CEO of Orthopedic Advantage Healthcare Consulting in Omaha. Ms. Friesen has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Before she founded Orthopedic Advantage, Ms. Friesen was the vice president of several service lines for Alegent Health. She is board certified in quality and performance improvement, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and part of the American Society of Quality.

Amy Gagliardi, vice president of supply chain for Regent Surgical Health, oversees all purchasing and supply chain management for each of Regent's ASCs and hospitals. Ms. Gagliardi has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She received her bachelor's degree from Syracuse University in N.Y.  

Ann Geier, RN, MS, CNOR, CASC, is a senior vice president of operations for ASCOA, with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of ASC operations, including perioperative services, clinical coordinator, administrator and chief operating officer of a multispecialty ASC.

C. David Geier, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and the director of MUSC Sports Medicine in Charleston, S.C. He is head team physician for the Charleston Battery soccer team and chief tournament physician for the Family Circle Cup women's professional tennis tournament.

Brad Gilbert is a former professional tennis player and currently a renowned tennis coach, as well as an analyst for ESPN. Mr. Gilbert won a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics, has authored two books and has coached tennis players such as Andre Agassi and Andy Roddrick.

Scott Glaser, is co-founder and president of the Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago, based in Burr Ridge, Ill. For more than 10 years, Dr. Glaser and co-founder Ira J. Goodman, MD, have provided comprehensive and minimally invasive treatment of pain, including radiofrequency treatments, selective nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation and nucleoplasty. Dr. Glaser completed his medical education at Indiana University School of Medicine and his anesthesia residency and fellowship at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.

Daniel Goldberg is the CEO and creative director of Gold Medical Marketing in Cedar Grove, N.J., which focuses on increasing patient volume for physicians and organizations with the healthcare industry. Prior to founding Gold Medical Marketing, he worked as the business director for The Spine Africa Project. Mr. Goldberg attended the County College of Morris in Randolph, N.J.  

Doug Golwas is senior vice president of ASCs for Medline Industries and is responsible for the strategic direction, growth and sales leadership of the business unit. This division of Medline is solely dedicated to ASCs and surgical hospitals and focuses on the creation and promotion of supply chain, cost management and profit improvement solutions for its partners.  

Charles R. "Charley" Gordon, MD, is a neurosurgeon and co-founder of Texas Spine and Joint Hospital. He has a professional interest in the treatment of spine injury, deformity and degeneration. Dr. Gordon has received patents for more than four spinal devices and served as principal investigator for numerous research trials. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Gordon founded the device company Flexuspine along with Gordon Spine Associates, based in Tyler, Texas. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency and fellowship at The Medical College of Virginia.

Richard T. Greenberg is a lawyer with McGuireWoods in Chicago, Ill. Mr. Greenberg's work focuses on professional liability and healthcare regulations and disputes. He also works with the business liability of professionals in the medical field. He has served on the McGuireWoods board of partners and the diversity committee. Mr. Greenberg has also taught a class on the legal elements of commercial fraud at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Mr. Greenberg earned his law degree from New York University School of Law.  

Nicole Gritton, MSN, MBA, is the vice president of nursing and ASC operations at Laser Spine Institute, based in Tampa, Fla. She manages the nursing program and ASC operations across the organizations four facilities nationwide in Scottsdale, Ariz., Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. Ms. Gritton earned her nursing degree from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind., and received her MSN and MBA in nursing and business at the University of Phoenix.

Steven A. Gunderson, DO, is the CEO and medical director of Rockford (Ill.) Ambulatory Surgery Center. He has been affiliated with Rockford Anesthesiologists Associated since 1984, and has served as a member of its board of directors and executive committee. Dr. Gunderson earned his degree in osteopathic medicine at the Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center in Iowa. He completed is anesthesiology residency at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City.

Nameer R. Haider, MD, is a co-founder of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute and has a professional interest in minimally invasive therapies for the treatment of spine pain. He is the vice president of the New York State Society for Interventional Pain Physicians and a diplomat of the American Board of Pain Medicine. Dr. Haider earned his medical degree at King Edward Medical University and completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Northshore University/Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. His additional training includes a fellowship in interventional pain management at the Spinal & Skeletal Pain Institute in New York.

Kenny Hancock is the president and chief development officer at Meridian Surgical Partners, a development and management company that centers on multi-specialty and spine-driven ambulatory surgical centers. Mr. Hancock was previously the chief development officer for OrthoLinks Physicians. He also worked in various positions for DePuy. Mr. Hancock received his bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.  

Raqueeb M. Haque, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he is completing a fellowship in minimally invasive spine and spinal deformity with Richard Fessler, MD. Dr. Haque received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Columbia University Medical Center, where he served as a chief resident.

Robert Haze is an administrator at the Institute of Orthopedic Surgery in Las Vegas. Mr. Haze has over 16 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining the Institute of Orthopaedic Surgery, he was the director of operations at the Desert Orthopedic Center in Bend, Ore. Mr. Haze earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Carol Hiatt, BSN, RN, LHRM, CASC, CNOR, is the owner of Surgery Center Consulting Services in Ocala, Fla. Ms. Hiatt has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Ms. Hiatt has also worked as a consultant and accreditation surveyor for Healthcare Consultants International. She earned her nursing degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

Graf Hilgenhurst, MD, is the chief physician and founder of Precision Pain Care. Most recently, he has served as the president of the Tennessee Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Hilgenhurst completed his medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed his internship at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's in Chicago. Dr. Hilgenhurst completed his residency in anesthesiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and a fellowship in pain management at the University of Cincinnati.

Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD, is the co-founder of Texas Back Institute in Plano and is a past president of Spine Arthroplasty Society, now known as the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. He is the managing director of the International Spine & Orthopedic Institute in Overland Park, Kan. Dr. Hochschuler earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School in Boston and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Sev Hrywnak, MD, a board certified physician, is currently the CEO of VIP Surgery Chicago, the SEV Group in Chicago and Park Immediate Health Care Centers. VIP Surgery Chicago is a surgical service provider and the Sev Group is a business investment company. Park Immediate Health Care Centers are based in Elmwood Park, Ill. He also currently serves as the chairman of the board for the Premier Basketball League.

Thomas H. Jacbos is the CEO and co-founder of MedHQ, a company that provides expert knowledge in accounting, revenue cycle, human resources and credentialing for the healthcare industry. Mr. Jacobs has previously served as a healthcare administrator for the Center for Digestive Health, a freestanding ASC. He earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in Ames. Mr. Jacobs completed his MBA at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.  

Neil Johnson is the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Evergreen Healthcare in Kirkland, Wash. Mr. Johnson heads all clinical operations at Evergreen Healthcare. Prior to joining Evergreen Healthcare, he worked as the vice president of patient care services at Bronson Healthcare Group in Kalamazoo, Mich. Mr. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree from Hanover (Ind.) College, his nursing degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, and his Masters from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant.

I. Naya Kehayes, MPH, is the founder, managing member and chief executive officer of Eveia Health Consulting & Management, formerly known as Millennium Health Consulting. The group specializes in ASC and surgical contract negotiations and serves as a managed care contracting manager to its clients. She served as the president of the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and serves as an active board member of the association to this day. Ms. Kehayes earned her Masters of Public Health with thesis distinction from Yale University School of Medicine.

Susan Kizirian is chief operating officer of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America, a physician-owned ASC development and management company that has successfully helped physicians build and operate their own surgical facilities since 1984. Ms. Kizirian is also a strong advocate for ASCs and is one of the founders and lifetime president emeritus of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers and past president of the Ambulatory Surgery Management Society of the Medical Group Management Association. She is also a past treasurer of the ASCA.

Greg Koonsman is a senior partner and founder of VMG Health, a valuation and financial advisory firm. Mr. Koonsman focuses on transaction advisory and valuation. He was the founder of Practice Performances, a physician management organization, prior to joining VMG. He belongs to the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association. Mr. Koonsman earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in College Station. He earned his MBA at the University of Dallas.

Stephen M. Kovach is the director of education at Healthmark Industries. Mr. Kovach has over 37 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He has worked as the education chair for AORN Specialty Assembly and has published several articles. Mr. Kovach earned his bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant.

Michael Krzyzewski "Coach K" is a former basketball player and the current head basketball coach of Duke University in Durham, N.C. Mr. Krzyzewski graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.  

Richard A. Kube, MD, is the CEO, founder and owner of Prairie Spine & Pain Institute and Prairie SurgiCare in Peoria, Ill., which focuses on the treatment of spinal disorders, research and education. He is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon who performs minimally invasive, motion-preserving surgical techniques, including sacroiliac joint surgery. Dr. Kube earned his medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and currently serves as a faculty member at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Peoria.

Vishal Lal is CEO of Advanced Pain Management. Prior to joining Advanced Pain Management, Mr. Lal served as the business manager of Pain Diagnostics Associates. Mr. Lal earned his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Brent W. Lambert, MD, is a principal and founder of Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America, an ASC development and management company in Hanover, Mass. A board-certified ophthalmologist, Dr. Lambert received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and completed his residency at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary in Boston. Prior to founding ASCOA, Dr. Lambert was the developer and owner of three ambulatory surgical centers, including the first eye ASC in New England. He is currently responsible for business development at ASCOA.

Luke Lambert became CFO of Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America in 1997 and was promoted to CEO of the company five years later. Mr. Lambert was one of the founding members of ASCOA, an ASC management and development company that has started or turned around more than 60 projects in the United States. Mr. Lambert earned his MBA from the Columbia Graduate School of Business and was among the first to earn a CASC designation in 2002.

Linda Lansing is the senior vice president of clinical services at Surgical Care Affiliates in Fla., a healthcare services company that operates 150 surgical facilities. Ms. Lansing is also a member of the ASC Quality Collaboration Effort and Leadership Groups. She earned her bachelor's degree from Villanova (Pa.) University.

Matt Lau, corporate controller for Regent Surgical Health, uses his 16 years of finance and accounting experience to oversee the corporate accounting and cash management duties, develop budgets and provide forecasts and financial analysis for the company.

Jeff Leland is the CEO of Cincinnati-based Blue Chip Surgical Partners, an ASC management and development company that focuses on spine, multi-specialty and physician/hospital joint venture ASCs. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School in Boston.

Katherine Lin is an associate at McGuireWoods law firm in Chicago. Her legal practice focuses on healthcare transactional issues and regulatory matters for ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare providers. Ms. Lin was a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  She received her bachelor's degree from MIT and JD from Yale Law School.  

Michael J. Lipomi, Surgical Management Professionals president and CEO, started his career in the ASC industry as a surgery center administrator in San Diego, where he became interested in the process of growing and increasing the value of ASCs. Mr. Lipomi helped form the Northern California Ambulatory Surgery Association and was elected the association's first president, a position he held for the next four years. He also helped form Physicians Hospitals of America. After he left his hospital, Mr. Lipomi was quickly picked up by RMC MedStone, a surgery center management and development company. After a few years with RMC, he joined Surgical Management Professionals as president and CEO.

Todd Logan is the regional vice president of sales at SourceMedical, a company providing software solutions for ASCs and specialty hospitals. Prior to joining SourceMedical, Mr. Logan was the regional sales manager at GE Healthcare. He earned his bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University in Minn. Mr. Logan completed his MBA at Regis University in Denver.

James J. Lynch, MD, FRCSI, FAANS, is a board-certified spinal neurosurgeon and the founder of SpineNevada in Reno. With 20 years of experience, he specializes in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection and minimally invasive spine surgery. He earned his medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Lynch went on to complete a spine fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, followed by a spine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and an additional spine fellowship under Volker Sonntag, MD, at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Tom Mallon is the CEO of Regent Surgical Health, which he co-founded in 2001. The company works with physicians and hospitals in the development, management and turnaround of ambulatory surgery centers and currently owns 24 ASCs, 17 of which are joint ventures with hospital providers. Mr. Mallon earned a BA from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston.

Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, is the chairman of the board and CEO of the American Society for Interventional Pain Physicians and Society for Interventional Pain Management Surgery Centers. He is also the medical director of the Pain Management Centers of Paducah (Ky.), where he practices interventional pain management. Dr. Manchikanti earned his medical degree at Gandhi Medical College at Osmania University in India and completed his residency in anesthesiology at Gandhi Hospital. His additional training includes a fellowship in anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Chuck Marlin is a senior sales representative with NeuroMed, a San Clemente, Calif.-based company that provides the healthcare industry with pain management technology. Mr. Marlins is also currently a partner in Healthcare Technology Solutions. Prior to his current roles, he served as the CEO of Interstate Healthcare and as the executive director of Associate Risk Manager of Michigan

Patrick McCarthy, Esq., is chief network development officer for Access MediQuip. He has spent more than 25 years in domestic and global healthcare, including an executive position with Validiti, The Broadline Group, GHX and WaveMark.

Amber McGraw Walsh is a partner with Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Ms. McGraw Walsh's work centers on regulatory matters and corporate healthcare transactions. She belongs to the American Health Lawyers Association and the St. Louis Health Lawyers Association. Ms. McGraw Walsh earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. She completed her Juris Doctorate with Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Todd J. Mello, ASA, AVA, MBA, is partner and co-founder of HealthCare Appraisers, a provider of healthcare valuation and consulting services in Castle Rock. Prior to founding HealthCare Appraisers, Mr. Mello worked as the vice president of business development at OMNA Medical Partners in Boca Raton, Fla., which was formerly a national neuro-musculoskeletal physician management company. He also served as a senior healthcare consultant with Ernst & Young in Los Angeles and director of analysis and development with FHP. Mr. Mello received his BA in economics from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and earned his MBA from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Timothy Merchant is the vice president of sales for MEDISISS, a medical device reprocessing company. Prior to joining with MEDISISS, Mr. Merchant worked as the director of national accounts for Covidien, a healthcare products company. He earned his bachelor's degree from Illinois State University in Normal. Mr. Merchant earned his masters degree from the DeVry University, Keller School of Management in Chicago.

Charles Militana, MD, board certified in anesthesiology, serves as regional director of North American Partners in Anesthesia. He is also the director of anesthesia at the Dorothy & Alvin Schwartz Ambulatory Surgical Center at the North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. Dr. Militana earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine in Brooklyn, N.Y. He served his internship at North Shore University Hospital and completed his residency at Gloucester Royal Hospital in the U.K.

Aaron Murski is a senior manager at VMG Health, a valuation and financial advisory firm. Mr. Murski primarily focuses on building client relationships. Mr. Murski is also the lead research associate in the ASC Benchmarking Study Intellimaker. He received his bachelor's degree from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University in College Station. Mr. Murski also belongs to the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Physicians Hospitals of America.

John D. Newman, senior vice president and general counsel for Constitution Surgery Centers, is responsible for regulatory and legal affairs. Mr. Newman has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining CSC, he focused his law practice particularly on ASCs. He also served as general counsel for St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Newman earned his bachelor's degree and his Juris Doctorate from Duke University in Durham, N.C.

David Paly, MD, board certified in anesthesia and pain medicine, is currently at the South Sound Neurosurgery Brain & Spine Center in Puyallup, Wash. He has previously served as the co-director of the Maryland Pain Therapy Unit at the University of Maryland in College Park. Dr. Paly earned his medical degree, completed his residency and a fellowship in neuroanesthesia and pain at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Dr. Paly also completed a fellowship at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Spokane.

John Peloza, MD, is the director of the Center for Spine Care in Dallas and Frisco, Texas. Dr. Peloza focuses on minimally invasive spine surgery and has helped to launch several treatments in this field. He earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Dr. Peloza went on to complete his internship and residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Jeff Peo is the vice president of acquisitions and business development at the Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Mr. Peo previously worked as the principal consultant for Xerox Connect and as a senior consultant for XL Connect. He earned his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Kenneth A. Pettine, MD, is a spine surgeon and the founder of the Spine Institute and Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center and Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine. He received his fellowship training at the Institute for Low Back Care in Minneapolis, completed his residency and his master's degree in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and was awarded his MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Frank Phillips, MD, is the director of the section of minimally invasive spine surgery at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. He specializes in the spine and has special interests in cervical and lumbar reconstructive surgery, with expertise in motion-preserving and minimally-invasive spinal procedures. He received his medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dr. Phillips completed his orthopedic residency at The University of Chicago Medical Center and completed a fellowship at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

David J. Pivnick is an associate at Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. He centers his practice on commercial healthcare litigation. He has represented ASCs, hospitals, medical device companies and several other clients from the healthcare industry. Mr. Pivnick earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign.

Stefan Prada, MD, is a spine specialist at Laser Spine Institute. Dr. Prada earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, N.Y. He completed his residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Jon Pruitt, MHA, CMRP, is the vice president of procurement solutions for Provista, an Irving, Texas-based company. Mr. Pruitt focuses on helping clients in the healthcare industry improve supply chain operation.

John Prunskis, MD, FIPP, is the owner and co-medical director of the Illinois Pain Institute, which has five locations in the Chicago area. He has a professional expertise in spinal pain diagnosis and interventional treatment. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Prunskis has been appointed to the Illinois State Medical Society Committee on Healthcare Economics. He earned his medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship training at the University of Chicago.

Faisal M. Rahman, PhD, is president and CEO of APAC Surgery/Pain Centers based in Crown Point, Ind. APAC Surgery and Centers for Pain Management provide a wide variety of services, including headache, thoracic, musculoskeletal, neck and lower back pain treatment. The group has 12 locations in Indiana and Illinois.

Michael Redler, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and a founding partner of The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center in Trumbull, Conn. Dr. Redler serves as the orthopedic consultant to Major League Lacrosse; as associate clinical professor for the department of physical therapy and athletic trainers at Sacred Heart University; and as visiting assistant professor of orthopedic surgery for the University of Virginia. He received his MD from the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine and completed his residency training at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the University of Virginia Health System.

Bob Reznik, MBA, is president and founder of Prizm Development, a spine center development company. Mr. Reznik has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with an emphasis on spine development. He travels nationally and internationally to help the healthcare industry to improve the level of care they provide their patients. Mr. Reznik earned his MBA from the University of Dallas.

Blair Rhode, MD, ROG, of Orland Park Orthopedics, is board certified in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. Dr. Rhode earned his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison. He completed his internship and his residency at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee. Dr. Rhode also worked on a fellowship at Long Beach (Calif.) Memorial Medical Center.

Lisa Rock serves as president of National Medical Billing Services in St. Louis, one of the largest ASC billing companies in the country. With more than 25 years experience in the industry, she has a unique and intimate perspective on how ASCs lose money through negligent billing practices. Before joining National Medical Billing Services, Ms. Rock worked as director of training and education for Mid-Atlantic Medical Services for seven years, as well as vice president of business office operations for an ASC development and management company for two years.

Carlos Roman, MD, a board certified anesthesiologist, practices at Little Rock Anesthesia Services. Dr. Roman earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He completed his residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Stephen Rosenbaum is the CEO of Interventional Management Services, a company specializing in the development and management of single-specialty, multi-specialty and hospital joint venture facilities. He brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience to IMS. As CEO of IMS, Mr. Rosenbaum is responsible for the day-to-day operations of 10 healthcare companies and more than $35 million in annual revenues.

David Rothbart, MD, is a board-certified neurosurgeon who specializes in minimally invasive techniques. He is the founder and medical director of the Spine Team of Texas in Southlake. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. Dr. Rothbart completed his neurosurgery residency at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and his fellowship at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Rafe Sales, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and the founder of Summit Spine Institute in Portland, Ore. His practice focuses on both operative and non-operative spinal treatments, including minimally invasive procedures for complex spinal problems and cervical and lumbar disc replacement. Dr. Sales received his medical degree from Albany Medical College in New York. He completed both a surgery internship and an orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation residency at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. He completed a spine fellowship in spinal trauma at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and one in spine surgery at San Francisco Spine Institute.

Nader Samii is the CEO of National Medical Billing Services, a revenue cycle outsourcing company focused strictly on ambulatory surgery centers. Prior to joining NMBS in mid-2010, Mr. Samii was the co-founder and President of Ajuba International, a leading healthcare revenue cycle outsourcing company that was created in 2001 and grew to approximately 2,000 employees by 2009. Mr. Samii is currently on the Advisory Board of ResourcePro, which is one of the fastest growing BPO companies and a leader in insurance process outsourcing services. Mr. Samii has a BBA/BA in finance and economics from The University of Notre Dame and a JD/MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Forrest Sawyer is a television journalist and Innovation Health Care entrepreneur. Mr. Sawyer has done reporting for ABC, CBS and MSNBC. He is an experienced war correspondent, founder of FreeFall productions and a veteran of global reporting. He earned his bachelor's degree and his master's degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

James J. Schanaberger is an attorney at Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Mr. Schanaberger focuses on healthcare litigation. He has represented several groups within the healthcare industry on several issues.  

Anthony Schena, MD, board certified orthopedic surgeon, practices in Brookline, Mass., at Pro Sports Orthopedics. Dr. Schena earned his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He interned and completed his residency at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Dr. Schena worked on his fellowship at New England Baptist Hospital in Roxbury Crossing, Mass.

Paul Schwaegler, MD, is a board-certified spine surgeon at the Seattle Spine Institute. He is also affiliated with the orthopedic institute at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He is a member of the North American Spine Association, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and Society for Lateral Access Surgery. Dr. Schwaegler earned his medical degree at St. Louis University Medical Center. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery and advanced spinal surgery training at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

Matt Searles is a managing partner at Merritt Healthcare, a surgery center management and development company based in Somers, N.Y. Mr. Searles has served as managing partner with Merritt for the past 10 years, during which he developed, managed and advised on dozens of surgical facilities across the U.S. He is a registered investment banking agent with Series 79 and 63 licenses. Mr. Searles received his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and an MBA from Duke University in Durham, N.C.

A.N. Shamie, MD, is a board-certified spine surgeon, associate professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at the UCLA Comprehensive spine center. Among his areas of clinical focus are minimally invasive approaches to the spine, clinical trials and spinal stenosis. Dr. Shamie received his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He completed his internship in general surgery at Los Angeles County — University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles and a residency in orthopedic surgery at St. Mary's Medical Center. He finished his training with fellowships in spinal surgery and bone research at UCLA School of Medicine.

David Shapiro, MD, CHC, CHCQM, CHPRM, LHRM, CASC, is a partner with Ambulatory Surgery Company, an ASC consulting company. In addition to his time as a practicing anesthesiologist, Dr. Shapiro currently serves as co-chair of the ASC Quality Collaboration, which develops, measures and publicly reports national ASC quality data, and has been president of ASCA and Ambulatory Surgery Foundation. He is also on the board of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. Dr. Shapiro earned his medical degree from Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed his residency at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Shapiro did his fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh.

Khawar Siddique, MD, MBA, is a neurosurgeon with a special interest in treating spine disorders. He is an attending neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and a partner with Beverly Hills Spine Surgery. He has an expertise in many new spinal procedures, including motion preservation, minimally invasive surgery and image-guided procedures. Dr. Siddique earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in neurosurgery. His additional training includes a spine surgery fellowship at the Institute for Spinal Disorders at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.  

Krzysztof (Kris) Siemionow, MD, is an adult and pediatric spine surgeon at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., and the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Siemionow earned his medical degree from Karol Marcinkowski University in Poznan, Poland. He completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Siemionow conducted his fellowship at Rush University in Chicago.

Jeffrey Simmons is the chief development officer for Regent Surgical Health, an ASC management and development company in Westchester, Ill. He is responsible for overseeing all acquisition and development efforts for the company. Mr. Simmons was also the founder and CEO of the Immune Suppressed Institute, a physician management company servicing HIV patients, and the founder and executive vice president of IntensiCare, a venture-financed hospitalist company. Mr. Simmons received his bachelor's degree from La Salle College in Philadelphia and his master's degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Michael Simon, MD, board certified in anesthesiology and president of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists, is currently at the North American Partners in Anesthesia. He also serves as the chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Dr. Simon earned his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He completed his residency and a fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.  

Dan Sougstad is the market and product growth director of the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area for Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia-based company. Mr. Sougstad has worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, OptumHealth and the Pangea Group. He attended the Johnson Graduate School of Management-Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Marshall Steele, MD, a board certified orthopedic surgeon, is the founder and CEO of Marshall | Steele, a company that brings musculoskeletal service and programs to hospitals. He served as the medical director of surgical business development at Ann Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md. from 1996 to 2005. Dr. Steele has published several books including Orthopedics and Spine, Service Line Strategies for Superior Performance. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Dr. Steele completed his residency at Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif.

Jimmy St. Louis, MBA, MS, PMP, is the CEO and founder of Advanced Healthcare Partners and the former COO of Laser Spine Institute. He specializes in healthcare administration, policy and procedure. With an MBA and master's degrees in finance and telecommunications, Mr. St. Louis previously managed the medical operations and corporate administration for Laser Spine Institute.

Helen Suh, an associate at Chicago law firm McGuireWoods, concentrates on corporate healthcare regulatory and transactional issues. Ms. Suh has represented ambulatory surgery centers, medical device manufacturers, health systems and several other groups in the healthcare industry. She earned her bachelor's degree from Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Ms.Suh completed her law degree at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.

Fernando Techy, MD, is a spine surgeon at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute in Morton Grove. He is also an assistant professor of clinical orthopedics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Techy received his medical degree from the School of Medicine of the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Brazil, and he also completed an orthopedic surgery residency in Brazil. He completed a general surgery internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was also an education chief resident for one year. Dr. Techy is fellowship-trained in spine surgery from The Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute's Center for Spine Health.

Larry Teuber, MD, is the founder and physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center in Rapid City, S.D., and the chief medical officer and president of Medical Facilities Corporation. Dr. Teuber earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota and completed both his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Gretchen Heinze Townshend, a partner at McGuireWoods, concentrates on regulatory issues and corporate healthcare transactions. Ms. Heinze Townshend has represented ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals, medical practices and several other groups with the healthcare industry. After earning her law degree, she served as a clerk for Honorable Fredrick Martone of the US District Court for the District of Arizona and the Honorable Henry Lee Adams Jr., of the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

John Venetos, MD, board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine, works out of Arlington Heights, Ill., and is associated with Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago. Dr. Venetos completed his internship and residency at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. He also completed his fellowship at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

Barton C. Walker is a partner at Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Mr. Walker focuses on regulatory and transaction issues within the healthcare industry. He has worked with physician group practices, healthcare providers, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals and several other groups within the healthcare industry on regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Walker received his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Robert Westergard, CPA, is the chief financial officer of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America, an ambulatory surgery center management and development company based in Hanover, Mass. Prior to joining ASCOA, Mr. Westergard worked as the controller for Truman Capital Advisors. He has an additional eight years of finance and accounting experience in the software, chemical and healthcare industries and received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Richard N.W. Wohns, MD, JD, MBA, is the founder, president and neurosurgeon at South Sound Neurosurgery in Puyallup, Wash. He is also the founder of NeoSpine in Nashville, Tenn., a company that develops outpatient spine surgery centers which has been acquired by Symbion. Dr. Wohns is also an associate clinical professor of neurological surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. He earned his medical degree at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. He completed a postgraduate fellowship in neuroradiology at National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England and his residency at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Andrea Woodell is the director of managed care for Regent Surgical Health, an ASC management and development company in Westchester, Ill. Ms. Woodell negotiates payor contracts on behalf of Regent Surgical Health's ambulatory surgery centers, attaining aggressive gains for both existing and new partners. Ms. Woodell received her bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.

Joseph Zasa, JD, co-founder and managing partner of ASD Management, focuses on turning around existing surgery centers and helping physicians and hospitals develop new ASCs. Prior to founding ASD Management, formerly Woodrum ASD, Mr. Zasa served as corporate counsel for Premier Ambulatory Systems, where he was responsible for acquisitions and physician development. He also served as regional director of surgery operations for ProSurg, a division of American Ophthalmic. Mr. Zasa earned his bachelor's degree  from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and completed his Juris Doctorate at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

Robert Zasa, MSHHA, FACMPE, founding and managing partner of ASD Management, is tasked with the financial success of surgery centers. An expert on ambulatory business development, management, expansion and acquisition, Mr. Zasa has been in the ASC industry for 20 years. Mr. Zasa is a nationally recognized lecturer and author who has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. He earned his graduate degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and completed graduate programs in marketing at the University of California Los Angeles and Loyola University.

Greg Zoch is the managing director and partner with Kaye-Bassman, an executive search and recruitment firm. Mr. Zoch has over 20 years of experience in healthcare industry recruitment. He focuses on strategic growth for the companies he works and consults with. Mr. Zoch's work centers on operational and clinical leadership positions. He is a member of ASCA.

1. Documentation of conservative care. Payors are demanding more documentation of conservative care today than in the past, and depending on spine surgeons to produce that documentation. Each insurance company has defined coverage policies for spinal surgery and many will deny care unless protocol is followed.

"We are seeing payors increasingly push for stronger documentation of conservative treatment plans prior to non-emergent surgery," says Danielle Koelbl, president of MedRev Solutions, a healthcare revenue cycle and receivable management company. "I suggest spine practices make sure their teams are reviewing top volume payor qualities to ensure they are following conservative care pathways. We don't want the payors dictating care, but it's important to know what conservative care treatment plans they require, what they deem standard of care and figure out whether that's in line with what your physicians perform and suggest."

Even after following protocol, insurance companies may still deny care. However, insurance companies may respond positively to data collection. Tracking outcomes and providing this information to top volume payors can help providers take control of their payment plans in the future.

2. Patients are paying more with high deductible plans. High deductible insurance policies are becoming more popular and people are unwittingly saddled with huge medical bills after surgery. Payors may approve surgery for these high deductible plans, but a huge portion of the bill falls on patients' shoulders and providers must have a plan to collect from them.

"When the payment comes in, patients might be on the hook for 30-50 percent of the payment," says Ms. Koelbl. "That's a lot of money when you are working on the spine. I have been suggesting that physicians and hospitals flag high-deductible and co-insurance plans that have caps up to $20,000 because they can be hurtful to the bottom line when you are working with spine. Have your access teams verify more than just eligibility; look at effective dates and deductible amounts, and discuss them with the patients."

Gathering this information beforehand will lead to better patient collections upfront and give physicians a better understanding of cost versus reimbursement before surgery.

"It's sad that the risk is being shifted to the patient and they have no idea that they have an enormous bill," says Kendra McKinley, president of Doctor's Billing, Inc., a medical billing and consulting company.

3. "Medical necessity" is being questioned. Spine surgeons are finding more denials based on medical necessity than in the past; insurance companies claim a procedure isn't a medical necessity because the patient doesn't fit into their criteria for coverage.

"Getting insurance companies to understand medical necessity as an individual assessment is a challenge," says Ms. McKinley. "Spine surgeons need case studies and outcomes data to explain why the surgery is still critical."

Figure out what the guidelines are for insurance companies and develop a relationship with the medical director, as well as other executives, at those companies to broaden coverage in unique cases.

"What we are seeing now more and more is payors starting to reevaluate their policies on what they will and will not cover in spine," says Marcy Rogers, president and CEO of SpineMark, a developer of spine centers of excellence and spine research organizations. "Five to 10 years ago, there wasn't a single payor that had coverage rules about spinal fusions. Now, they all have strict guidelines."

Each payor has its own guidelines and spine surgeons must be familiar with the guidelines for each patient they cover; otherwise, surgery may be denied and they will have to go through the appeals process.

"It's really important to get the patients involved in the appeals process because at the end of the day, insurance companies respond more rapidly to patients being upset about their care than the physicians," says Ms. McKinley. "Be available to do the peer-to-peer reviews and don't take 'no' for an answer."

Form a relationship with insurance companies in your marketplace to position yourself for partnerships in the future. "Facilities and physicians have to maintain a regular scheduled payor education program and meet with payors voluntarily on a monthly basis to educate them on credentialing," says Ms. Rogers. "Show payors what is new about your practice and what separates you from other organizations. The key going forward will be to overcome the hammer spine surgery is facing with the perception of over-utilization."

4. RAC audits are recouping reimbursement on some cases. Medicare officials are now reevaluating old cases and retrospectively recouping reimbursement for surgery without the proper documentation of conservative care. Even though these procedures were performed and reimbursed in the past, CMS is looking for the documentation based on current standards.

"This is a really scary area because RAC auditors have gone through one or two years of cases and asked for recoupment on spine surgeries where documentation doesn't support their definition of medical necessity," says Ms. Koelbl. "You can try to combat them with physician queries. Make sure your teams have a comprehensive list of non-leading physician queries and use those during charge capture and billing as well as during retroactive denials or recoupment."

RAC auditors may or may not accept these queries, but at least you have the documentation available. This comes in handy because sometimes the patient documentation on conservative care wasn't sent to the surgeons in the first place.

"The worst part of the whole thing is they are sending the patient a note that their surgery wasn't medically necessary," says Ms. McKinley. "This is scary for the patient. I find the increased oversight frightening."

5. Secondary procedures get a zero. Commercial insurance companies often contract to reimburse spine surgeries with primary codes paid at 100 percent and secondary and tertiary procedures at 50 percent of the fee schedule rates. However, with new edits, some insurance companies bundle services and take a zero on the secondary procedure. This can be devastating for spine surgeons and practices.

"They set billing edits to bundle secondary procedures, so these managed care and commercial payors are using edits that contradict their contracts," says Ms. Koelbl. "Those secondary procedures are getting a zero because of the edits. It's something that's happening a lot. Providers have been told to appeal these cases and provide the contract language, but you have to develop a relationship with payors to really solve the problem."

Leverage this relationship with payors to get the edits removed because if you don't, you stand to lose a sizable amount of revenue.

"Insurance companies sometimes change their edits and it doesn't come up with the providers until they get a denial," says Ms. McKinley. "They reduce procedure codes with mass payment. They are reducing procedure codes that are exempt from the reductions. Having the specific contract language in the contract is so important. Spine surgery can be scheduled so far in advance that something could go out of coverage and providers aren't even aware."

Stay updated on payor contracts and coverage guidelines; otherwise you may find a previously covered service no longer covered when the denial comes.

"It's imperative that physicians and practices understand what their existing contracts say, their clauses and nuances," says Ms. Rogers. "They need to be on top of this and manage their contracts to understand what the implications are for their reimbursement. Look at each contract carefully and monitor every time a check or EOB comes in to make sure they match the negotiations."

6. Missing authorization code. One of the most common errors on spine claims is the lack of appropriate authorization code. The claims must include the physician and hospital authorization code.

"If the payors don't see that code on the bill, they will deny it," says Ms. Koelbl. "In one situation, we found over 100 authorized surgeries that didn't have a code on the UBO4 form, and the payor denied it for no authorization even though they had it. Providers have to keep the QA measures in line because they cannot lose $500,000 on an administrative error."

The insurance companies have a different authorization number for the hospital and the physician, and both must be on the claim. For outpatient surgery, the ASC's business office must be especially diligent about including this code.

"When the business office calls the insurance company for an outpatient spine surgery authorization code, the insurance company might say outpatient procedures don't need authorization, but spine surgery always needs an authorization," says Ms. McKinley.

7. Lower reimbursement rates. Insurance companies are offering lower rates than in the past for spinal procedures, which means surgeons must come to payor negotiations armed with more than just clinical documentation; they must also bring redacted payor data to show a rate increase is reasonable in their market.

"Present redacted payor data from other payors to compare their rates with other payors for high volume procedures," says Ms. Koelbl. "If you are having coverage problems with a major player, show outcomes data along with other payor rates to help bring them on board."

Figure out where you can use positive reimbursement trends to correct negative ones. Physicians have assumed the responsibility for proving their case, and payors respond best to data.

8. ACOs and bundled payments. New payment models are appearing in several marketplaces, and spine surgeons must be prepared to take more risk in their clinical decision making.

"Physicians need to keep cost and revenue information so they can negotiate the appropriate rates," says Ms. Koelbl. "They don't want to negotiate rates that are too low. Accountable care organizations and bundled payments are coming, and surgeons need to make sure they are administratively sound."

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Mr. Wallace sustained a Jones fracture in his left foot and surgeons recently performed the correctional procedure. Mr. Wallace is expected to spend around eight weeks out of play.

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1. Continuously renegotiate device contracts. Dedicate one person at the surgery center or management company to track the most commonly used items at the center and review those contracts annually. Renegotiating high volume contracts stands to save surgery centers the most money in the future.

"We use a lot of sutures in our surgery centers, and they cost a lot of money," says Charles Dailey, vice president of development at ASD Management. "We renegotiate those contracts all the time for better pricing. A lot of centers also have a high volume of eye implants. I make a special contract for those and look very closely at negotiating the best rate for our volume."

These renegotiations take a lot of focus, so zero in on a few items and develop a relationship with those manufacturers and distributors. Also work with physicians to streamline implant choices.

"Some vendors will provide you the device and assist you in informing and training your physician as to the benefits of the lower cost device," says H. Thomas Scott, director of operations for Surgical Management Professionals. "You can also put the surgeon in touch with other physicians and specialists in the area that are using a particular implant so they can talk amongst themselves about the benefits of a particular device.  Keeping the physicians informed and getting their buy-in is what counts."

2. Consolidate supplies and streamline where possible for purchasing power. One of the quickest ways to decrease supply costs at the surgery center is by streamlining the implants. Work with the surgeons to consolidate supplies and choose one company to purchase from.

"If the surgeons are in line with the ASC and can work together to select specific implant companies or suppliers and decide what disposable supplies to utilize, I think the surgery center can negotiate better with vendors," says Douglas Won, MD, director and founder of Minimally Invasive SpineCARE. "They have more purchasing power with implant companies, and where available they can purchase implants at a wholesale price."

ASC administrators can also renegotiate shipping and handling prices for supplies and drugs. Finally, bring anesthesiologists into the discussion as well to lower costs on the drugs they use. "Utilize generic products to help reduce the cost for the ASC," says Dr. Won.

3. Cut down on disposables. There are some devices and systems that use a high volume of disposables, which significantly increases the cost per case. Pay attention to the supplies such as bipolars and dural grafting material that are disposable but extremely expensive.

"There are certain retractor systems with disposable pieces that drive up costs," says Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, of The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles. "Push more toward using a reusable package that is just as effective. That should be one of the top priorities to cut costs."

When surgeons are actively working with hospitals to cut their costs, especially if their work includes materials changes and vendor negotiations, they can add a consulting agreement to their relationship. "Nobody in this country works for free," says Dr. Gantwerker. "We are entitled to charge for our time if we are doing that service to the hospital, and we can be compensated for it at a reasonable rate."

4. Involve the surgeons in your efforts to reduce implant costs. Make them aware of the cost associated with each device and vendor and compare the costs. "Your surgeons work closely with company reps, so it is easier for them to ask for lower prices for implants," says Lynn S. Feldman, RN, MBA, administrative manager of Eastwind Surgical, a spine center in Westerville, Ohio. "They have more leverage with the companies than an administrator could have." Many surgeons simply don't want to talk about prices, but those who do are invaluable in keeping costs down.

5. Consider commoditized implants. Prices of commodity implants are typically less than 50 percent of the average market cost of premium implants. The commodity implant can be used for a variety of cases, such as one-level lumbar fusion, basic rotator cuff repair or a basic suture anchor. For example, the commodity implant for a one-level lumbar fusion costs $2,500-$3,000, compared with $14,000-$15,000 for full invoice price for the premium version for a savings of $12,000 on one case. Even with typical hospital and provider discounts, the surgeon can still save $5,000-$7,000 per case. "A spine surgeon who uses commodity implants for most of his surgeries could realize a half million dollars in savings a year," says Richard A. Kube, MD, CEO of Prairie Spine & Pain Institute in Peoria, Ill. However, make sure the implant is able to provide the same quality of care.



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Salt Lake City-based Amedica received a patent for its artificial disc implant that uses its proprietary Silicon Nitride ceramic material.

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Data analysis from the Emergo Group showed FDA's 510(k) medical device premarket notification review times improved in 2011. The group's data revealed that the rate of 510(k) submissions cleared within three months improved to 42 percent in 2011 from 40 percent in 2010.

St. Louis-based ulrich medical USA released its flamenco Universal Spinal Fixation System for decompression and stabilization of thoracic and lumbosacral spine in U.S. markets.

DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction's GLOBAL UNITE Platform Shoulder Arthroscopy System is now available for physicians' use worldwide.

ApiFix received CE Mark for its adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treatment system, and have seen positive results from the pilot clinical trial.

Fast Company named Mazor Robotics the fourth most innovative company in the robotics industry in its "Most Innovative Companies 2013" issue. Israeli-based Mazor produces the Renaissance spine system.

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a bill to repeal the 2.3 percent medical device excise tax.

Zimmer Holdings was told to pay $70 million to Stryker for patent infringements by a federal jury in Grand Rapids, Mich.

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Lately, however, the focus of ACOs has shifted slightly from primary care to specific chronic diseases, such as cancer, chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease.

After all, there are major cost savings to be had in chronic disease management. For example, just 1.3 percent of Medicare patients have end stage renal disease, but they account for 7.5 percent of annual Medicare spending, according to the United States Renal Data System's 2012 report. Also, in 2010, cancer care cost the nation $124.6 billion, according to the National Cancer Institute, and that number is expected to grow: the National Institutes of Health has projected national cancer costs will reach $158 billion by 2020.

"Because of the scale of the cost, small changes can really move the meter," says Jacob Goldstein, vice president of ambulatory programs for Arcadia Solutions. "Small percentage points of savings in a specialty role can provide significant return."

Therefore, utilizing an ACO-like structure beyond primary care has the potential to save the nation a lot of money while improving the quality of care provided to these chronically ill patient populations.

Current situation

Providing low-cost, high-quality specialty care can be hard on a traditional ACO's budget, since managing the cost of care in those situations is difficult. "One or two high-cost episodes can blow [an ACO's] budget," says Brett Hickman, a partner in PwC's Health Industries Advisory Practice.

That's why ACOs are currently managing high-risk patient populations by contracting treatment out to specialty practices in the area. For example, Phoenix-based Southwest Kidney Institute works that way with Banner Health's ACO. "When Banner became an ACO, they decided to reach out," says Gurdev Singh, MD, vice president of finance and executive board member of SWKI. "Based on our close relationship with them, we both felt we could truly help each other achieve the goals of an ACO given the existing relationship and sharing of the philosophies between us."

Under the agreement with Banner, SWKI, a nephrology group with 35 physicians, is a part of Banner's risk-baring Pioneer ACO agreement. SWKI is also involved with other ACOs and integrated care models in the area.

"That arrangement is becoming more and more common as organizations are getting their beneficiary list and have patients with a high propensity to those diseases," Mr. Goldstein says, because large specialty groups typically do a better job managing the cost of patient care.

A step further: contracting with payors

While many specialty groups are providing care for patients by working with primary care ACOs in their area, some groups are going a step further and signing contracts with payors to form their own, disease-specific ACOs.

For example, insurer Florida Blue formed two oncology ACOs in 2012: one with Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and another with Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health South Florida and an oncology group. "Oncology costs are the biggest cost driver in Florida," says Jon Gavras, MD, CMO of Florida Blue, of why the insurer sought out the new model. "We figured we would address the hard one first."

CMS is also getting into the disease-specific ACO space. In February, CMS announced its Comprehensive ESRD Care initiative, which is essentially a coordinated care program, similar to its ACO program, but specific to end stage renal disease.

How the model works

Current specialty ACOs, like the organizations Florida Blue has put together, are set up in a similar fashion to the nation's primary care ACOs. If providers succeed in improving on several quality metrics, such as reducing readmissions and overall drug costs, they can share in the financial gain.

The ESRD ACO program set up by CMS also has a similar format to primary care ACOs. The provider groups will be evaluated on their performance on quality measures and can then share in Medicare savings with CMS if they meet those metrics.

Of course, there are some differences between the two styles of ACOs. For example, there is a large focus on providing evidence-based care in an oncology ACO. "We designed our own clinical pathways…that reflect how we deliver care. They are specific steps to take with each type of cancer," explains Janene Culumber, CPA, senior vice president of finance and CFO at Moffitt.

Obstacles to success

The specialty ACO model is in its infant stage, and there are many obstacles the model has to overcome in order to be successful for patients, providers and payors.

Size
When it comes to the success of a disease-specific ACO, the size of the practice involved and its patient base matters.

Because many chronic diseases typically have low patient volume, the patient base for some practices may be too small to work in an ACO model. "When you talk about a purely disease-focused ACO, the populations will be a little smaller. The population doesn't have enough members to bare the risk out," Mr. Goldstein says. "Without a larger population, it's going to be hard to make it out ahead [financially]."

Some specialty groups already have large, established patient bases, and those are the organizations currently stepping out into this space. For example, Moffitt serves hundreds of thousands of patients each year and is well established in its market.

But not every practice has a well-established patient base. Therefore, Mr. Goldstein predicts a stage of aggregation and collaboration before the model garners wide-spread popularity. During this stage, specialty providers would come together to form a larger patient base and also gather the data necessary to succeed in an ACO.

Southwest Kidney Institute is interested in the CMS ESRD initiative, because the group is passionate about providing patient-centered, value-based care. So, the nephrology group is working with others in its market and athenahealth to pool data in one warehouse for better future leverage with payors. "There are not too many [groups] that are big in size to be prepared for an ACO," Dr. Singh says. By pooling all of the groups' data into one warehouse and working together, the groups achieve a larger patient base, which is necessary for success, and also become more attractive to payors.

Collaboration
After the specialty ACO format is nailed down, the new organizations will have to somehow work with existing primary care ACOs to provide care to chronically ill patients. "I think there is an ongoing debate right now as to who is accountable for a patient," Mr. Goldstein says. "It is going to need to be made clear who the primary [physician] is and who is secondary. The primary physician [for a patient] could be the specialist."

It has not yet been determined how this collaboration will work between primary care ACOs and disease-specific ACOs, since the latter model is so new, but it is certain that the groups must work together to keep patients healthy, which could prove to be a power struggle.

The future

The disease-specific or specialty ACO model is still in development stages and is slowly gaining in popularity with providers and payors. However, many payors are still primarily developing relationships with providers to form primary care ACOs, even payors that have already entered the specialty ACO field. "We're looking to be focused on total cost of care ACOs," says Dr. Gavras with Florida Blue, but he adds that if a "specific opportunity" arises, the payor is open to more specialty ACOs.

But, ultimately, disease-specific ACOs hold great promise of cost savings and improved care, especially in oncology and ESRD. "Directionally, it looks very promising from a quality and cost standpoint," Dr. Gavras says. With that promise, as well as guidance from the CMS ESRD program, the model is poised to grow in popularity throughout 2013.

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Eighty-six percent of the physicians who were surveyed are full-time employees. They are employed by hospitals or practice in a single-specialty practice, academic medical center or multi-specialty practice.

Here is a comparison of physicians' perspectives on what the most important cultural factors for physician satisfaction are.  

Physicians
8.6 — Communication is respectful.
8.5 — My organization has a focus on patient-centered care.
8.5 — The management approach is supportive (e.g., non-punitive or non-retaliatory) regarding errors and mistakes.
8.4 — Communication is transparent.
8.3 — My organization has open dialogue across roles.
8.2 — My organization has a team-focused environment.
8.2 — Leadership style is collaborative.
8.1 — My organization has clearly defined accountability across roles.
8.1 — My organization adapts to change readily.
8.0 — Compensation plans are structured to award performance in a way consistent with our stated mission and values.
8.0 — Leadership provides clear performance expectations.
7.9 — My organization has an innovative approach to care.
7.5 — My organization has a clearly stated mission and values.
7.4 — Leadership provides objective performance evaluations.


More from the survey can be found here.

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The White House Office of Management and Budget sent its outline for the cuts to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Friday. Here are the healthcare-related cuts, according to a report by Politico:

•    HHS mental health programs — $168 million
•    National Institutes of Health medical research funding — $1.6 billion
•    World Trade Center Fund — $10 million
•    Health insurance exchange grants — $44 million
•    Prevention and Public Health Fund — $51 million
•    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — $303 million
•    Food and Drug Administration — $209 million
•    IRS enforcement (which some speculate could affect collections related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) — $267 million

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Mr. Luccin injured his knee during a preseason game. Dr. Walter performed an ACL repair on Mr. Luccin's left knee at the Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery in Plano, according to the report.

Mr. Luccin will be out of play for six to eight months.

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Dr. Wahl has a special interest in treating traumatic sports injuries and focuses on cartilage restoration and transplantation, knee and shoulder repair, rotator cuff repair and shoulder stabilization. He previously served as associate professor and team physician for the University of Washington in Seattle.

Dr. Wahl earned his medical degree at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., where he also completed his residency. His additional training includes a sports medicine and shoulder surgery fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and the American Orthopedic Society Traveling Sports Medicine Fellowship.

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1. Write a financial policy upfront for patient collections and let patients know your expectations before the appointment. It's important for practices to have a written financial policy for collecting from their patients. Part of this policy should include securing authorization and payment information before their appointment. Contact eligible patients before the visit to make sure they remember their appointment and understand the payment policy. You should clearly communicate how long the payment process will likely take and set some expectations about what will happen. Based on the payor, give a final estimated amount on what the patient's level of responsibility.

2. Collect payment at the time of the appointment. According to revenue figures from a recent Medical Group Management Association survey, 20 percent of office revenues come from patient co-pays — yet most practices only collect 60 percent of those fees. That means the average practice is leaving 8 percent of its total annual revenue on the table.

To ensure co-payments at the time of service, ask for payment as the patient arrives — not after service. Also, estimate the patient's responsibility beforehand, and get up-front authorization to charge his or her credit card within a range of that estimate. Other steps you can take include sending out statements more frequently than once per month, offering online payment, and making multiple payment options the norm. Many practices write off outstanding patient balances of $25 or less. All this does is encourage non-payment, especially among patients who have $10 co-pays. Thanks to automated collection software, the cost of pursuing past-due collections has dropped to under $5, making it possible to clear up these low balances and increase your monthly income.

3. Check for patient coverage before the visit. One of the ways practices most frequently lose money is by seeing patients who are not eligible to receive coverage on their treatment, Dave Wold, CEO of Healthcare Information Services. Eligibility software allows physicians to check the availability of the patient's coverage before he or she comes into the office. The software will show the patient's coverage status and whether the patient has unmet deductibles. If the patient does not meet coverage requirements, the practice has time to speak with the patient before the appointment and make prior payment arrangements.

4. Have a method for accounts receivable. Not keeping track of the accounts receivable and billing process is one of the biggest mistakes orthopedic practices can make, says Nancy Moore, president of NBP, a practice management support company. "Often, the physician trusts employees to do the best job possible to manage the A/R and billing process, and sometimes it's not being handled well," she says. "Employees should be educated every year about reimbursement changes and carrier level changes. You also have to have good oversight from the management."

The trained employees who handle the revenue cycle responsibilities should be compensated appropriately because these employees are controlling the practice's cash flow. "In oversight, employees really need to be held accountable, incentivized and rewarded for good work," says Ms. Moore. "This doesn't always happen, especially now when it's tough to get reimbursement, but at the same time you can't cut corners." Orthopedic practices should set solid goals for the revenue cycle managers, such as maintaining the A/R greater than 120 days at 15 percent or lower of total A/R, a net collection ratio greater than 95 percent, and incentivize employees with compensation when goals are met.

5. Include a personal note with the bill. When patients receive a bill at home for their medical services, they don't always connect the physician with the bill. People often feel freer to ignore healthcare debt than credit card debt. Including a short cover note from the physician discussing the importance of timely bill pay can help collect quicker. Have a cover note from the physician that follows up with the patient's condition and asking them to pay the enclosed bill on time. Tell the patient that you are able to provide good care because of their payments. Tell them the payments go toward things like the nurses' salaries or continuing education. This can make a difference in payment patterns.

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Mr. McCarrey has more than 15 years of experience in medical device sales. He recently served as the executive vice president of North American cardiovascular sales for Bayer International.

AxoGen, a medical device company with a focus on peripheral nerve repair, is trying to shift its focus from early adoption to broad usage in surgical nerve repair, according to the release. Mr. McCarrey will work to increase sales and implement strategic growth initiatives.

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The ratchet allows for multiple configurations and retraction from any position, according to the release. It is also compatible with the other devices in Symmetry's Bookwalter portfolio.

Symmetry Medical is a creator of global medical devices, including surgical instruments and orthopedic implants.

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The device market is expected to grow 9.5 percent by 2018, with the U.S. maintaining the largest share of the worldwide market. Knee applications are expected to be the largest shareholder because of the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and an aging population, according to the report.

Emerging sports countries — such as China, India and Korea — will contribute to worldwide market growth.

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According to an Associated Press report, the sequester reduces Medicare spending by roughly $100 billion over the next decade, but it could have been worse if President Obama or Republicans in Congress had met a deal. President Obama proposed roughly $400 billion in healthcare savings over the next decade, and hospitals would have taken on roughly half of those cuts. Republicans called for even further reductions to Medicare.

Currently, hospitals will absorb about 40 percent of the Medicare sequestration cuts due to a 2 percent cut to reimbursements. However, hospitals have still decried the budget crisis, which many have said was manufactured by Congress. In September, the American Hospital Association and other groups released a report saying that up to 766,000 healthcare and healthcare-related jobs could be eliminated by 2021 as a result of sequestration. Almost 500,000 healthcare jobs could be cut due to the sequester this year alone, according to the report.

Some state hospital associations have also criticized the sequester. The Indiana Hospital Association said all Indiana hospitals face $844 million in cuts over the next decade under sequestration, and roughly 16,500 jobs will be lost in the process. Critical access hospitals face the brunt of the cuts. According to an Indianapolis Business Journal report, CAHs' operating margins will fall 31 percent due to the sequester — from 1.58 percent to 1.09 percent.

However, many of the largest hospitals and health systems with high margins are still expected to survive the sequester with "healthy" margins because they had planned for the worst-case scenario, according to the IBJ. Many of the largest systems in Indianapolis should still post operating margins no less than 3.8 percent.

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Wanessa Risko, MD, and the Pediatric Physician's Organization, comprised of 72 physician offices associated with the Boston Children's Hospital, reported that beginning in 2009 the group held informal meetings with one another to learn about scoliosis and discuss possible referrals.

The organization estimates that this training stopped as many as 131 avoidable referrals thus far.

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A team of seven neurosurgeons and spine surgeons with specialization in minimally invasive procedures will run the institute.  

The Spine Institute of Connecticut will treat several spine conditions including herniated discs, minor strains and sprains, degenerative discs, spinal stenosis and scoliosis.

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In the last SGR fix, reached in the January deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," lawmakers pushed almost half of the $30 billion bill onto hospitals to supplement Medicare payments to physicians.

GOP representatives urged instead for structural reforms to Medicare to foot the bill, including altering premiums for Medicare Parts A, B and D, according to the report. The politicians implied the time is ripe for such changes as they are likely to be less politically onerous now that the Congressional Budget Office projected the cost of an SGR repeal to be $107 billion cheaper than previously expected.

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