A Novel Approach to Group Leadership

Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA; John R. Gleason, MD

Much has been written about effective governance within organizations, especially concerning the chief executive. A single leader must be empowered to make decisions for the organization on matters for which he or she will be held accountable. Having multiple individuals within a single office holding top leadership positions would not be functional and certainly not sustainable.

2017 Medicare Guidelines for Imaging

Margaret M. Maley, BSN, MS

Effective Jan. 1, 2017, "FX" is a new Medicare modifier used to indicate that X-ray images were taken using film. The FX modifier is appended to the global radiology code or the radiology code with the modifier TC (technical component) when submitting Part B claims to Medicare and using film instead of capturing X-ray images digitally. If your images are in digital format, you do not need to change your reporting at this time.

Cybersecurity and the New “Armed Robbery”

John J. McGraw, MD; Karen R. Clark, MBA

Criminal activity is on the rise. Orthopaedic practices nationwide are coming under increasing attacks from cyber pirates who, after breaching the office’s security system, are demanding ransom. It is much less risky for perpetrators—often from another country—to hack into a secure computer system than to perform an armed robbery at the reception desk. Yet the goals and rewards are the same.

Practice Management Added to 2017 OITE

Jonathan Sprague, MS; John Cherf, MD, MPH, MBA

The Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) is a standardized examination administered annually by the AAOS. The OITE is the first and longest running yearly medical specialty examination in the United States. In 1960, J. Vernon Luck Sr, MD, who was, at that time, the first vice president of the AAOS, proposed a specialty examination to document and guide the process of learning during graduate training.