{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T02:30:30Z","timestamp":1786329030560,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016250","name":"New York Medical College","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016250","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Curr Pain Headache Rep"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Propose of Review<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Spine centers are common, but no standardized regulations govern their designation. Existing certifications are issued by multiple independent organizations and are not necessarily equivalent, while many centers remain non-accredited. Consequently, centers may vary in qualifications, quality of care, and services. This study examined and compared the defining characteristics of spine centers in Northeast America.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Recent Findings<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 194 spine centers were identified and compared based on accreditation, services, provider numbers, and proximity to metropolitan areas. Accreditation requirements from The Joint Commission (TJC), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) were analyzed. While substantial overlap existed, Aetna and BCBS largely built upon TJC standards, whereas DNV requirements differed, and exact criteria varied across organizations. Overall, 56% of centers were accredited. Compared with non-accredited centers, accredited centers more frequently employed neurosurgeons, offered multidisciplinary care, and were affiliated with academic medical centers. Logistic regression demonstrated that employment of neurosurgeons and academic affiliation independently predicted accreditation. Accredited centers also tended to be closer to metropolitan areas and employed more providers. However, rates of non-surgical treatment, minimally invasive surgery, and physical therapy services were similar regardless of accreditation status.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Summary<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although accredited centers reported certain characteristics at higher rates, the variability between accreditation requirements and similarity between accredited and non-accredited centers could confuse prospective patients.\u00a0While this study provides a preliminary profile of Northeast spine centers, our findings reinforce the need for standardized guidelines for spine center status.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T02:23:39Z","timestamp":1786328619000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Spine Centers in Northeastern United States: Assessing Similarities and Disparities to Build more Homogeneity Across the Country"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Zachary","family":"Vazquez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sabrina L.","family":"Zeller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ankita","family":"Jain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eris","family":"Spirollari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ariel","family":"Sacknovitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matthew","family":"Merckling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ethan","family":"Parisier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sima","family":"Vazquez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Donald","family":"MacElroy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John K.","family":"Houten","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John V.","family":"Wainwright","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sayed E.","family":"Wahezi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alaa","family":"Abd-Elsayed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ugur","family":"Yener","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hatice Begum","family":"Ciftci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Merritt D.","family":"Kinon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"1538_CR1","unstructured":"National Health Expenditure Accounts. Methodology Paper, 2021. Published online in 2021."},{"issue":"15","key":"1538_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1501","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2019.13978","volume":"322","author":"WH Shrank","year":"2019","unstructured":"Shrank WH, Rogstad TL, Parekh N. Waste in the US Health Care System: Estimated Costs and Potential for Savings. JAMA. 2019;322(15):1501\u20139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jama.2019.13978.","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"1","key":"1538_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.21037\/jss-21-46","volume":"8","author":"RC Martin","year":"2022","unstructured":"Martin RC, Petitt JC, Pan X, et al. Spine centers of excellence: a systematic review and single-institution description of a spine center of excellence. J Spine Surg. 2022;8(1):44\u201353. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.21037\/jss-21-46.","journal-title":"J Spine Surg"},{"issue":"11","key":"1538_CR4","first-page":"36","volume":"25","author":"SJ Wu","year":"2016","unstructured":"Wu SJ, Ma Q, Martin P, Devries A. Finding the Value in \u2018Value\u2019 Designation: Evidence and Opportunity in the United States. Manag Care. 2016;25(11):36\u201342.","journal-title":"Manag Care"},{"issue":"Suppl 1","key":"1538_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-017-2340-y","volume":"17","author":"JK Elrod","year":"2017","unstructured":"Elrod JK, Fortenberry JL Jr. Centers of excellence in healthcare institutions: what they are and how to assemble them. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(Suppl 1):425. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12913-017-2340-y.","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"9","key":"1538_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"994","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2013.277345","volume":"310","author":"DT Sugerman","year":"2013","unstructured":"Sugerman DT. JAMA patient page. Centers of excellence. JAMA. 2013;310(9):994. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jama.2013.277345.","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"Suppl 2","key":"1538_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S133","DOI":"10.21037\/jss.2019.04.10","volume":"5","author":"ED Sheha","year":"2019","unstructured":"Sheha ED, Iyer S. Spine centers of excellence: applications for the ambulatory care setting. J Spine Surg. 2019;5(Suppl 2):S133\u20138. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.21037\/jss.2019.04.10.","journal-title":"J Spine Surg"},{"key":"1538_CR8","unstructured":"The Joint Commission. Advanced certification in spine surgery. Accessed 4. 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N Am Spine Soc J. 2025;21:100584. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.xnsj.2025.100584. Published 2025 Jan 14.","journal-title":"N Am Spine Soc J"},{"issue":"7","key":"1538_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1097\/PSY.0000000000001316","volume":"86","author":"J Wijnen","year":"2024","unstructured":"Wijnen J, Geijselaers MWH, Pont ML, Van\u2019t Hullenaar G, Van Oosterwijck J, de Jong J. An interdisciplinary multimodal integrative healthcare program for chronic spinal pain and comorbid mental disorders. Psychosom Med. 2024;86(7):603\u201314. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/PSY.0000000000001316.","journal-title":"Psychosom Med"}],"container-title":["Current Pain and Headache Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T02:23:41Z","timestamp":1786328621000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"references-count":14,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["1538"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11916-026-01538-9","relation":{},"ISSN":["1531-3433","1534-3081"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1531-3433","type":"print"},{"value":"1534-3081","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"4 June 2026","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"24 July 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"10 August 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"This study did not involve human subjects and was therefore exempt from IRB review and approval.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Ethical Approval","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Alaa Abd-Elsayed serves as a Section Editor for Current Pain and Headache Reports. The remaining authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","label":"Competing Interests","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}],"article-number":"104"}}