Medical conditions affecting the spine can manifest in different ways among patients. That’s why the spine care specialists at WellSpan Health work collectively to uncover the root cause of each patient’s pain or dysfunction — a collaboration that allows them to develop highly personalized treatment plans and set the stage for success.
“Back pain presents throughout the continuum of an adult’s life and presents at various stages of degeneration,” says Pawel Ochalski, MD, board-certified neurosurgeon and Regional Medical Director of the Spine Program at WellSpan Health. “Having a team assembled that can tackle the problem at these various time points is critical to delivering the best care.”
Pawel Ochalski, MD
Team Approach Starts at Triage
While some view WellSpan Health’s spinal care as offering two paths — medical and surgical — Dr. Ochalski likens their approach to a wheel. At the hub is a seasoned team of nurse navigators who triage patients and pair them with the clinician they feel is best suited to their needs. The approach saves patients and their providers time, while improving efficiency of care delivery.
Beyond the hub, multiple disciplines form the spokes of WellSpan Health’s team approach. Depending on the specific case, a patient may see one or more of the following specialists:
- Anesthesiologist
- Neurosurgical spine surgeon
- Orthopedic spine surgeon
- Pain management physician
- Physiatrist
- Physical therapist
Should a patient require an additional specialist, the process is typically seamless. They’re usually able to see additional spine experts the same day. This process allows patients at WellSpan Health to go home with an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment plan they can feel confident about.
A Thorough Approach to Care
Unlike older models of spinal care that often began with diagnostic imaging, the team at WellSpan Health spends extensive time with their patients before ordering imaging exams. First, they delve into each patient’s history to learn about their symptoms, lifestyle, and level of disability or impairment. This initial investment of time gives clinicians important information they might otherwise not have, and it also helps prevent excessive radiologic testing.
Once the root cause of a spinal issue is detected, WellSpan Health offers a full suite of treatment options, including:
Interventional pain management. When appropriate, steroid injections, radiofrequency ablation and neuromodulation provide long-term symptomatic relief.
Medical spine care. Patients may receive counseling to avoid opioid abuse, education on the mind-body connection to find pain relief, or a prescription for medical marijuana.
Surgical intervention. WellSpan Health spine surgeons offer traditional open approaches and minimally invasive techniques that benefit from a state- of-the-art image-guided platform that integrates 3D fluoroscopy and intraoperative CT.
If your patients could benefit from WellSpan Health’s multidisciplinary spine care, visit wellspan.org/spine.