By now, readers of my blog, employees, and colleagues know how much I value doing the right thing. I received the email below from a prospective patient and cannot recall experiencing a greater sense of pride than I did when I read her comments.

Earning customer trust and confidence is not the easiest task, especially where health care services are concerned. Without the dedication and commitment of LSI's phenomenal staff and your continuous feedback through emails and comments, accomplishing this feat would not be possible. Both components have been essential attaining our goal of providing our patients the highest level of service.
 
Please feel free to comment on this post and share your experience, whether at LSI or other health care facilities.

Dear Bill:

I contacted the Laser Spine Institute a few weeks ago and found out I was a candidate for cervical surgery.  I was so excited and worked with a wonderful patient advocate, Casey Sanders.  I was put in touch with a nurse, Dee, because I am a coumadin and plavix patient because I am positive for Factor II and my body makes blood clots.  I got clearance from my blood specialist and he sent all the information down.

After three of your anesthesiologists looked at
my records they all agreed that the risk was too high that I could have substantial visual loss from possible blood clots. (that is where my blood clots tend to go, the retinal arteries.)  They told me I was not a candidate for ambulatory surgery and should consider a hospital setting where I can be carefully monitored.

I have to tell you that I am in extreme pain, so I was very disappointed with the news. But I have a lot of respect for your facility and the doctors who put my best interest first.  They did not try to do surgery in a situation that could have put me in a lot of
danger.

So I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your facility, the physicians who made the decision, Casey Sanders and Dee, my nurse.  I wish the Laser Spine Institute the best in the opening of their new facilities and would recommend them to anyone.

Sincerely,
Crystal R.

I am pleased to announce that our medical team completed the first surgery in our new Philadelphia facility last Wednesday, November 4th.  Under the guidance of 28-year veteran of orthopedic and minimally invasive spine surgery, Dr. Vernon Morris, I am confident that LSI Philadelphia will embody the same level of professionalism, service excellence, and dedication to patient satisfaction as our other facilities. You can learn more about Dr. Morris from his profile below.

•    Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery
•    Board Certified in Pain Management
•    AMA Award for Physician Recognition
•    Member Florida Medical Association

Dr. Morris came to LSI with an impressive background. Born in suburban Philadelphia, Dr. Morris attended Pennsylvania State University for his pre-medical education, followed by Temple University School of Medicine where he received his Medical Degree in 1974. Dr. Morris completed his internship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania before dedicating 4 years of orthopedic residency to hospitals, such as Temple University Hospital, Abington Memorial Hospital and Shriners Hospital. Dr. Morris was among the first spine surgeons in the 1980s to perform minimally invasive spine surgery.

Licensed in five states, and Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery as well as Pain Management, Dr. Morris left his practice at Highlands Joint and Spine Orthopedics in Sebring, FL in July 2007 to join the highly acclaimed medical staff at Laser Spine Institute. With vast experience in orthopedic surgery, 14 hospital staff appointments, and an extensive record of post-graduate education, Dr. Morris adds his profound knowledge and expertise to the team. In addition, he holds a list of medical publications, honors and awards such as the AMA Award for Physician Recognition in 1984, 1987, 1990 and 1993. Dr. Morris is also involved in several community organizations and holds memberships in medical societies such as the Florida Medical Association. Dr. Morris, an avid Eagles fan, is returning to his home State to lead the Pennsylvania LSI surgical team.

Laser Spine Institute Blog Homepage

One of the most distinctive features of LSI is the fact that we focus solely on treating the spine.  This specialized focus partially accounts for our surgeons' high level of expertise and our impressive success rate.  In addition to the advantages of having a surgical team with proven expertise in performing minimally invasive spine procedures,  patients also benefit from the convenience of our signature five day process and unparalleled patient service. Dr. James St. Louis, Founder and Chief Spine Surgeon of Laser Spine Institute Tampa recently discussed how these and other factors attribute to our patients' surgical outcomes. Click here to watch the video.

LSI offers over several educational resources on general spine health, back and neck pain prevention, and treatment options. Each month, I will write about one of these resources and provide you with information on how they can be obtained. This month's feature is our educational seminars, which are held across North America and conducted by board certified physicians Michael Perry, M.D., John Spallino, M.D., Craig Burns, D.O. and Richard Richley, M.D.


Who Should Attend?

Our seminars provide useful information for anyone who is experiencing back or neck pain. Whether, you are exploring available treatment options, want a second opinion on your diagnosis, or specifically want to learn more about minimally invasive spine procedures, you will find our seminars beneficial.

What Can Attendees Expect?

1)    General Presentation - Our physician provides a comprehensive overview of spine anatomy and back pain, discuss a variety of spine conditions, and available treatment options. After the physician's presentation, attendees have the opportunity to ask questions in an open forum.

2)    MRI/CTScan Review - Before and after the general presentation, attendees have the opportunity to individually meet with our physician for a review of their radiographic images, i.e., MRI or CTScans, in addition to symptoms and condition discussion.

3)    Scheduling and Insurance Information - Patient Coordinators are available after the medical discussion to provide scheduling and insurance information to attendees who wish to inquire further about LSI's surgical costs, relative to individual insurance plan, and appointment availability.

How to Register

You can view our seminar calendar or register for seminars by visiting spineseminar.com or calling 1-866-454-2911. Upcoming seminar locations include: Winnipeg, Boston, MA, Austin, TX Birmingham, AL, Long Island, NY and West Palm Beach, FL.

LSI's goal to be the world leader in spine care is not just wishful thinking.  It's our compelling vision for revolutionizing the spine care industry that has energized our company at every level and motivated us to pursue lofty standards of service and quality.

To this end, I am pleased to announce the acquisition of Aspen Back and Body, a widely recognized spine care brand.  Aspen Back and Body has assembled a loyal following of thousands of clients looking for solutions to back and neck pain.  ABB clients travel great distances - typically more than 500 miles - to take advantage of their unique "spine fitness" program offering, designed to  assess and improve spine-related muscle strength, alignment, flexibility, as well as enhance general wellness.  

This new non-surgical capability extends the portfolio of services we provide and broadens the range of patients we can serve. In addition to the strong services opportunity ABB represents, the acquisition also brings a spine care product portfolio.  This is an exciting development, one that will allow us to help many more folks!

To our patients - thank you for choosing LSI and continuously recommending our services. Click here to learn more about Aspen Back and body.

Laser Spine Institute's Blog Homepage

October is National Health Literacy Month and tomorrow is Spine Health Day, making this an opportune time to discuss health information resources. With the advent of the internet, it is relatively easy to get information on just about any topic, but the freedom to post content renders an interesting mix of information, including everything from tall tales to facts. So, how do you know what is credible? The list below provides a few facts to consider. Please feel free to share any additional tips that you may have.

•    Trusted Source -ensure that that the information on the website is written or contributed by health professionals, who have knowledge or experience related to the specific topic.  In addition, the article should be written in a way that clearly distinguishes fact from opinion or allows the reader to make that distinction.
 
•    Demonstrated Expertise - Claims of expertise and authority should be accompanied by supporting evidence. If the author or contributor is a current practitioner, what is their scope of experience, i.e., how many procedures has he/she successful performed?
 
•    Verifiability - Practitioners and scientists who have been actively engaged in their field usually have verifiable credentials. As such, you are able to obtain information regarding education, training, experience, and practice record from local .gov websites or professional organizations.
 
•    Relevance - Medical and scientific advancements, though occurring at a moderate pace, are ongoing. As such, always check to ensure that content on the website is being updated regularly.  Sites that are organized archived by date or those with date stamps allow you to determine how up to date the information is.

I am sure that Aunt Molly or Uncle Tom mean well and they may even have some good information, but it is always a good idea to verify information with a practitioner. Fortunately, many health organizations are increasingly utilizing the internet to provide patients with free information. Individuals have also become proactive, sharing information gathered from trusted sources with similar conditions.

Spinehealth.com, spineuniverse.com, webmd.com, spine.org, and aaos.org are all good sources for health information. Our monthly newsletter, The Spinal Column, and our blog also provide valuable health information, contributed by current practitioners. This information can be found in the Ask the Doctor & Prevention sections of our newsletter and the Healthy Spine Tips & Emerging vs. Existing Science sections of our blog. To access any of LSI's courtesy services or resources, click on the links below.

•   MRI review from a board certified physician
•   Nationwide educational seminars
•   Spinal Column
•   LSI Blog Tips

                                                                                                                                                       
A few weeks ago, I announced the opening of LSI consult facilities in Fort Lauderdale and The Villages, FL, and Beverly Hills, CA. Today, I am pleased to tell you that a third surgical center will be opening in Philadelphia next month. On several occasions, patients suffering from chronic back and neck pain have expressed concern regarding traveling long distances, which often involves being  in confined positions for an extended period of time and sometimes exacerbates existing pain. In response to this consideration, coupled with the general growing demand for our minimally invasive procedures, we are making our services more geographically accessible. In the weeks ahead, I will be posting updates and additional photos. Click here to learn more about our new facility.

 

On Tuesday, September 1st, Dr. Michael Weiss, Chief Spine Surgeon at LSI Scottsdale, completed the 1,000th surgery. No other spine surgery center in world has completed 1,000 minimally invasive endoscopic  spine surgeries in less than 8 months, and more importantly, with an 88% success rate and a 91% patient satisfaction rate. In addition, 99% of the patients surveyed reported that they would recommend LSI to a family or friend.


To say that I am proud of the LSI Scottsdale staff would be an understatement. Drs. Weiss, Flood  Luke, and staff have exceeded my expectations regarding surgical outcomes, service, and compassion. If you are among the 1,000 patients who have had surgery at LSI Scottsdale, welcome to our family! I hope we have helped you to get your life back and that you have rediscovered the things you missed and loved. Please feel free to share your experience by commenting on this post.

As promised, I am sharing photos of our new consult facility in The Villages, FL. Also, I am delighted to announce that within a few weeks, Laser Spine Institute consult facilities will be opened in Beverly Hills, CA and Fort Lauderdale, FL. Click here to schedule a consultation and find out if you are a candidate for our procedures.

Last Monday, August 31st, Laser Spine Institute opened a new consult facility in the Villages, just north of Leesburg, FL.  The Villages is an active adult community, filled with people rediscovering life. And, LSI wants to help each person suffering from back or neck pain to get their life back.

Over 130 former LSI patients currently live in The Villages, so in our effort to meet the growing demand for minimally invasive spine surgery and provide greater convenience, we decided to take the consult facility closer.  Instead of driving to Tampa, patients can literally drive to the consult facility in their golf carts and find out if they are candidates for our procedures. LSI has always focused on service and this is one more step in taking our service to the next level.

In the next few weeks, I will be uploading photos of the new facility. Click here to read our newsletter article on Laser Spine Institute, The Villages.