Commons Clinic Launches the Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research to Pioneer Spinal Restoration Care Model

Investing $100M over the next decade, Commons Clinic's groundbreaking spine care innovation hub will prove efficacy of new spinal care interventions, train the next generation of orthopedists, and incentivize adoption of high-value, evidence-based spine care models

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Commons Clinic, a leading value-based physician group reinventing musculoskeletal (MSK) care, today announced the launch of the Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research, accelerating the deployment of innovative care models for the treatment and management of spine conditions. The Center will introduce a center-of-excellence program for spinal restoration focusing on motion preservation, minimally invasive and ultra-minimally invasive procedures, and biologic treatments, while committing to investing $100M over the next decade to transform ambulatory spinal care delivery. Founding physicians Dr. Hyun Bae and Dr. Sanjay Khurana will lead the Center's programming and evangelize its high-value spine model with the next generation of spine specialists and ecosystem partners. 

Spine maladies are one of our healthcare system's largest unsolved burdens. 8.2% of U.S. adults experience chronic, severe back pain, adversely impacting quality of life and livelihood. Approximately 40% of back surgeries are low value, offering only temporary solutions or resulting in serious complications such as "failed back syndrome" that require long-term, costly care. These problems can leave consumers with persistent pain. Although low back pain can often be more effectively treated with conservative interventions like physical and behavioral health therapy, it's all too often addressed with high-cost, low value procedural interventions like a spinal fusion, which can cost more than $100,000, according to hospital price transparency data from Turquoise Health.

Implementing a 'full stack' approach, inclusive of comprehensive physician-driven clinical programs, cutting-edge surgery center capabilities, rigorous application of evidenced-based research, modern care management technology, and transparent payment models, Commons Clinic's Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research is dedicated to igniting the transition of MSK care away from low-value traditional hospital systems to community-based accountable care networks.

"Spine patients are habitually advised to undergo surgery to resolve their pain, after which they discover they'll need more surgery and more injections over time, eroding their quality of life," said Dr. Hyun Bae, Co-Chair, Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research. "The Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research will illuminate the path forward from obsolete hospital-based spine care models, equipping physicians with the latest spine care research, state-of-the art facilities and technology, and evidence-based, high-value care delivery models."

The Center will share resources with the Commons Clinic physician group, which rearchitects the core of an integrated delivery network. With premiere orthopedic physicians, care centers, virtual services, and ambulatory surgical centers, Commons Clinic offers patients all-inclusive care programs for various musculoskeletal episodes, including total joint replacements, artificial disc replacements, non-surgical treatment of low back pain, and more. Its vertically integrated operating model provides unparalleled control over care, experience, and costs, supporting the success of its value-based care model and earning the loyalty of patients, providers, and health plans.

2024 Center for SEOR programming will center on five pillars:

1. Center-of-Excellence for Spinal Restoration that convenes collaborative care teams capable of delivering the best outcomes for spine restoration & motion preservation interventions such as disc replacements, minimally invasive and ultra-minimally invasive procedures, biologic treatment, and non-surgical care, all at state-of-the-art surgery centers and community clinics to reduce overall cost & improve patient-reported outcomes.
2. Technology Lab that builds, adopts, tests, and proves the efficacy of new surgical techniques, devices, implants, biologics, virtual intervention, robotics, and software applications.
3. Payment Innovation Coalition dedicated to developing new payment models & consumer advocacy policies for spinal surgery and low back pain, including prospective, full-risk bundled payments and consumer price transparency standards, to incentivize nationwide adoption within partnered orthopedic physician platforms, value-focused health plans, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
4. Research Institute aimed at publishing real-world evidence and open sourced data demonstrating the efficacy of unique new interventions developed internally and in collaboration with industry partners (e.g. health plans, device manufactures, and technology partners).
5. Post-Fellowship Training Program to equip the next generation of MSK physicians (spine surgeons, pain/PM&R, and more) with the skills to thrive in and advance a modernized, revamped approach to spinal health.

"Affordable spinal care outcomes are possible with the right delivery network and care model, but change will not come from within, as hospital-based systems and the orthodoxy of academic medicine lack incentive to innovate," said Nick Aubin, CEO and Co-Founder, Commons Clinic. "With the Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research, Commons Clinic is committing to a multi-decade investment with the sole mission of reversing the societal burden of low back pain and spine maladies. If we succeed, we will pioneer novel approaches for spinal care, train a new generation of physician-leaders, and catalyze a multi-billion dollar savings opportunity for one of the most egregious failures of the US healthcare system."

Those interested in participating in Commons Clinic's Center for Spine Economics, Outcomes & Research can visit: commonsclinic.com.

About Commons Clinic
Commons Clinic is a Los Angeles-based specialty health system offering Center-of-Excellence programs for spinal restoration, total joint replacements, and sports medicine. The platform converges value-based care, elite physicians, and a portfolio of state-of-the-art ambulatory facilities and surgical centers to offer an end-to-end service that delivers a phenomenal experience to patients. The company has raised more than $33M in venture capital from RA Capital Management, Floating Point, Time BioVentures, and Courtside Ventures, among others. Founded in 2021 by Nick Aubin and Paulo da Costa, Commons Clinic is based in Los Angeles.

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SOURCE Commons Clinic