FAQs
Spine Center FAQs
| The Sanford Spine Center is a program developed to improve access to state-of-the-art spine care. Our patients and their referring physicians are led through a process of assessment and treatment ranging from physical therapy to aggressive non-surgical management, and if necessary delicate neurosurgery, tailored to the patient’s unique condition. Our multidisciplinary approach means patients receive the most appropriate treatment from the right specialty physician based on scientific research and proven treatment methods.
Many physicians struggle with how to help patients with back or neck pain, specifically those who have sought treatment from various sources. Many of these cases become chronic pain problems where real progress toward decreasing pain and improving function is slow and unsatisfactory. The Sanford Spine Center has been developed implementing the latest in spine care technology, research, and outcome measurement. This care is available in one location where the physicians can work together to identify the best course for a patient to follow. Each patient is assigned to a nurse case manager whose primary role is to help the patient navigate through the care process, provide education, and promote communication between the spine center’s physicians and surgeons and the patient’s personal physician. There quite simply is nothing else like it in the region.
The Sanford Spine Center offers programs with the latest technology and services, including but not limited to:
Our current affiliated physicians include: Spine Center Medical Director
Thomas Boetel, DO Sanford Clinic Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Susan Assam, MD Peter Johnson, MD Sanford Clinic Neurosurgery and Spine:
Wilson Asfora, MD Charles Miller, MD Bryan Wellman, MD Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Geoffrey Haft, MD Sanford Pain Center
John Hansen, MD Sanford Clinic Neurology Kathryn Florio, DO Jerome Freeman, MD Eugenio Matos, MD Each patient is assigned to a personal Nurse Case Manager. This person works to keep the lines of communication open between Spine Center staff, the patient, and his or her referring physician. The Nurse Case Manager guides the patient through their prescribed treatment plan, providing education and support to the patient and family at every stage of the process. It’s the nurse’s responsibility to ensure the patient understands the diagnosis, treatment options, and potential outcomes. When it is determined that surgery is the patient’s best option, the surgeon will recommend the most “minimally invasive” procedure. This means the patient will receive only the level of surgery required to meet the treatment goals while minimizing the risks and complications that are present in every operation. Recent advances in spinal surgery now allow surgeons to use special instruments for visualization and access to the spine through a very small incision. These minimally invasive surgical techniques produce the least amount of muscle, ligament, and bone damage. Patients experience less pain and scarring, as well as reduced health care costs. Recovery times are dramatically shortened; in some cases patients may even go home the same day or after a short overnight stay. Even in cases where minimally invasive procedures are not indicated, the surgeons at the Sanford Spine Center are experienced in the most complex spine procedures. Patients benefit by receiving the most appropriate care based on their individual needs and conditions. Complex cases are discussed by all the different specialists involved in spine care. Outcomes are measured to ensure that quality continues to be a hallmark of everything we do at Sanford. Back Pain Information from SpineUniverse |
