Development of a Spine Surgery Center of Excellence: Rationale, Design, Implementation, and Assessment of Outcomes

➢ The growing prevalence and complexity of spinal pathologies have prompted hospital systems to establish dedicated spine centers to provide personalized, high-quality patient care.➢ The Joint Commission offers Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery to recognize programs that meet rigorous, evidence-based standards of care to their patient population.➢ Designing and implementing a spine center of excellence require the identification of key stakeholders, the development of a strategic plan, the generation of evidence-based clinical protocols, and routine evaluation of program metrics.➢ Spine centers of excellence offer standardized clinical pathways involving comprehensive preoperative optimization and coordinated postoperative care, thus leading to reduced complications and improved patient satisfaction with outcomes.➢ With recent advancements in minimally invasive techniques, robotic surgery, and value-based care models, a dedicated spine program should routinely evaluate the current best clinical practices to ensure compliance with the latest evidence-based care.