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Spine Center opens at Summit

Area residents suffering from back pain and other spinal ailments now have an attractive new treatment option. Niagara Falls Memorial Medical has brought nine specialists together in a single office suite to form The Spine Center of Niagara.

The Spine Center, which will be located at the Summit Healthplex, is an innovative collaboration between private practice physicians who will share clinical space and consultative resources. The approach is designed to save patients time and travel, treat them more efficiently and produce better outcomes.

It is also the only hospital-based center of its kind in Western New York.

"This is a completely new concept for the Greater Niagara region and one that should generate very positive results for people with neck and lower back pain and other spinal disorders," said David Bagnall, M.D., a non-surgical rehabilitation and spine management specialist who will direct the Spine Center. "We're excited about the opportunity to work together for our patients' improved health and peace of mind."

Spine Center neurologist Gunseli Sarpel, M.D., said a convenient location where spine patients can enjoy easy access to a comprehensive range of medical care is long overdue.

"For too long, patients suffering from back pain have been handed off from one doctor to another and often had to travel across Western New York and beyond to get treatment," Dr. Sarpel said.  "Not only is that system fraught with delays, it causes patients unnecessary pain and frustration."

Patients referred to the Spine Center will only need to undergo initial processing one time as part of an innovative triage procedure designed to ensure appropriate medical care at each step of the treatment and rehabilitation process. Based on a patient's symptoms and medical history, the process will enable the Center to schedule an initial appointment with the right type of doctor, whether that be a non-surgical spine management and rehabilitation specialist, neurologist, occupational health specialist, interventional radiologist, neurological surgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon.

If initial treatment indicates the need for a referral to another specialist, the patient can usually be seen by the new doctor in the same office -- where his or records are already current and complete and where physicians can collaborate to chart the best course of treatment.

Patients for whom orthopedic surgery turns out to be the best option will have access to the most current technology and methods. Dr. Franco Vigna, one of the Spine Center's two orthopedic spine surgeons, participated in clinical trials involving artificial disc replacement and is one of the few physicians in the United States qualified as a training surgeon and clinical instructor in that emerging field.

"Artificial disc replacement can be an excellent choice for relieving pain and restoring function and flexibility, but it's not for everybody," Dr. Vigna said. "Having a multidisciplinary team of specialists working together at the Spine Center will help ensure each patient gets the appropriate treatment – whether surgical or non-surgical."

Physical therapy services for Spine Center patients will be available in an adjoining suite at Memorial's recently expanded, state-of-the-art Summit Physical Therapy facility. In addition, the Spine Center will cultivate a robust referral network of other associated professionals such as chiropractors, social workers and licensed massage therapists.

Memorial President and CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo said the Spine Center is a perfect fit with other regional initiatives undertaken by the medical center.

"Whether we're talking about the Heart Center, the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, University Sports Medicine of Niagara or the Spine Center of Niagara the concept is the same," Ruffolo said. "Target the need for care, address the need and make expert care convenient and readily available to the people of Niagara."