title: Establishment of a university academic spine center: from concept to reality.
abstract: In fewer than five years, the University of Kansas Hospital Spine Center became the largest and most comprehensive spine care facility in the greater metropolitan Kansas City area. The 22,000-square-foot facility has 27 exam rooms, four specialized diagnostic rooms, 11 pre-/post-interventional procedure rooms, and a 4000-square-foot outpatient rehabilitation gym. Patients can meet with their physicians, undergo diagnostic tests and treatment, and attend therapy sessions in one location. The multidisciplinary Spine Center brings together orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, pain-management anesthesiologists, radiologists, and physical and occupational therapists. The Spine Center became successful because a group of physicians bought into the philosophy of a comprehensive interdisciplinary program, were willing to sacrifice some territorial claims, and were willing to put patient care and the good of the institution above individual egos.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Mail Stop 3021, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. parnold@kumc.edu
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Talal W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Asher
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varghese
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration*; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007615:Kansas; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*