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Sinai Hospital of Baltimore announces the grand opening of The Spine Center at Sinai on January 13, 2003. Dedicated to treating adults with a broad range of spine conditions, the new Spine Center will offer a patient-focused approach and innovative surgical and non-surgical intervention for back and neck pain resulting from injury, illness or arthritis.

"The January 2003 launch of The Spine Center at Sinai is the culmination of over 24 months of effort to create a comprehensive spine program that marries the best of three specialties,” said Neil Meltzer, president of Sinai Hospital.

Co-directed by orthopedic surgeons Alex Curcin, M.D., Alan Levine, M.D., and Mark Rosenthal, M.D., The Spine Center at Sinai is a collaborative project spearheaded by Sinai's Orthopedic department in conjunction with the Neurosurgery division and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

"Throughout our planning process, the focus has been on improved patient satisfaction. With our new clinical pathways and patient services, including preparatory patient education courses and a toll-free hotline, plus a multitude of non-surgical treatment options and cutting-edge surgical procedures, patients have a lot of choices at Sinai to get them back on their feet again,” said Levine.

By calling 1-877-41-SPINE, callers can be connected with a central point of contact for back and neck health inquiries. With one phone call, callers can be triaged, be scheduled for an expert evaluation with a physician or simply get answers to questions about their back or neck pain.

Sinai Hospital was one of the first hospitals in Baltimore to offer the recently FDA-approved InFUSETM Bone Graft/LT-CAGE in lumbar spine fusion, an advanced surgical procedure that relieves patients with debilitating back pain by means of a shorter, less invasive surgical procedure. In March 2003, Sinai will be the only hospital in Maryland to offer the revolutionary CyberKnife® – a new form of stereotactic radiosurgery that incorporates guided cruise missile technology in the treatment of spine tumors.

Sinai's Spine Center inpatient unit is located on the third floor of the main hospital and is staffed by specially trained nurses and orthopedic technicians. It includes eight private inpatient rooms and one semiprivate inpatient room plus a specially equipped physical therapy unit to enhance patient recovery. Three operating rooms on Sinai's fourth floor are dedicated solely to spine patients and procedures and equipped with the latest spine technology available.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, four out of five adults will experience significant low back pain at some time in their life. The Academy also notes that work-related back injuries are the nation's number one occupational hazard.

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