I think that the most valuable lesson that I have learned is that just because I am a surgeon that does not mean that the solution to all problems is surgery. Surgery is a very po­werful and effective tool but it must be applied judiciously to achieve good outcomes.

NASS provided me with a forum to think about surgical treatments in the larger context of all the available treatments for spine disease. Whether a patient has a tumor, is a victim of trauma or simply a herniated disc there are multiple members of the team that all need to provide care focused on recovery and the restoration of function for spine patients. Although, I have truly been honored to guide the Minimally Invasive Procedures section for two terms and to shepherd the development of the Robotics, Enabling Technologies, and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (REMi) section but the ability to discuss, educate and advocate for spine care across multiple disciplines is the true power of NASS.

Leadership and advocacy. There are so many pressures in healthcare organizations, insurance companies and government policy that are shaping health care delivery. If the physicians are not guiding these decisions, then often the patients are the ones that feel the effect of “cost-cutting” measures, reimbursement policies and insurance coverage decisions. This is seen today in undervalued surgical procedures such as endoscopic spine surgery that deliver high quality care with less risk to the patient but do not have a clear CPT coding structure to support routine utilization.