Fantastic afternoon session at the 2025 AANS Annual Meeting highlighting top lessons learned from the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD)! The QOD has generated a tremendous body of research and publications, shaping how we think about spine surgery outcomes and quality improvement.

This evening at the NREF Reception during the 2025 AANS Annual Meeting in Boston, we paused to remember Dr. Michael Groff—a beloved colleague, educator, mentor, and leader in our field. It was moving to hear the heartfelt words shared by Drs. Adam Arthur, Michael Wang, Praveen

Incredible talk today by Dr. Regis Haid at the 2025 AANS Annual Meeting, reflecting on the history of spine surgery — and painting an exciting vision for its future. From robotics and AI applications to regenerative medicine and personalized surgical care, Dr. Haid highlighted

𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬? 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. Fun fact: felons, hedge funds, and that dude from your high school who sells NFTs can own hospitals. Doctors? The ones actually saving your pancreas? Nah, it's too risky.

Preach 🔥 Physician-owned hospitals do a better job. Why? Because physicians know how to do the job. It's our actual job. (Crazy!) Common sense, right? I mean, if Gordon Ramsey is going to cook me dinner, I'd like him to do it in his own kitchen, with his own pots and pans,

This issue with tax exempt hospitals isn’t unique to UVA. It exists in nearly every large metropolitan ate in the country. Functional oligopolies are crushing independent physicians and practices.

The deck is stacked against physician ownership. Physician-owned hospitals are outright banned under Medicare. They’re excluded from 340B. They lack the tax breaks handed to big hospital systems. The playing field isn’t just uneven. It’s rigged. And yet, they thrive. These

It was a blast guys! Time to overrun 6001 and give patients access to these great facilities!

The idea that nonprofit hospitals are somehow morally superior because their profits “stay in the hospital” rather than going to individuals misses the point of how incentives actually work in an economy. First, let’s be clear: nonprofit doesn’t mean non-revenue-maximizing. It

𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖 𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖, 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝟖𝟐.𝟏%. Medicare’s physician payment formula (the Conversion Factor)? Down 9.9%. That’s not

Haha!!

When someone can’t argue the merits, they attack the messenger. Posting my salary isn’t a rebuttal. It’s a tantrum. By that logic, Barack Obama, Ezekiel Emanuel, Atul Gawande, and every think tank exec with a seven-figure W2 should be disqualified from healthcare policy

😂

Read this one. Worth your time:

ICYMI: #fixpriorauth in #MedicareAdvantage is back on the table thanks to Dr. Roger Marshall Mark Warner Suzan DelBene Rep. Mike Kelly Ami Bera, M.D. and John Joyce, M.D.! Congress: No need for complex navigation. This one’s a straight shot! ✅ Bipartisan support ✅ Zero cost ✅ 500+ orgs

Great opportunity for funding spine research and out of this world mentoring!

Don't miss this must-read article in AANS Neurosurgeon from our current Chair Dr. Luis M. Tumialán, laying bare the true roots of Section 6001 of the Affordable Care Act, which banned physicians from owning hospitals in the United States. aansneurosurgeon.org/the-origins-of…

The U.S. GAO is saying it now, too! The death of independent physician practice is driving up healthcare costs! Want to reverse that trend? Want to supercharge the economy? Implement site neutral payments. Reform 340B. Eliminate certificate of need. Revoke tax exempt status

Amazing