International Spine Intervention Society (ISIS) Presidential Address

Abstract

It is fitting, at this 20th Annual Scientific Meeting of our society, that we reflect on how far we have come. Our founding fathers, Charles Aprill, Nikolai Bogduk, and Rick Derby, probably never imagined that their small study group formed in San Antonio, Texas, in 1989 out of a handful of self-proclaimed “Needle Jockeys” would become the ISIS of today. And yet, reading from the 1991 ISIS Statement of Purpose, I was struck by how true we have remained to their original mission and purpose. I quote, “ISIS is an association of physicians interested in the development, implementation and standardization of percutaneous techniques for the precision diagnosis of spinal pain. By constituting a forum for the exchange of ideas, by undertaking research, and by holding public lectures, the association seeks to consolidate developments in diagnostic needle procedures, to identify and resolve persisting controversies, to publicize developments, and to recommend guidelines of practice based on scientific data.” That small group of dedicated individuals has since grown to nearly 3,000 members. Our continued success, despite an economic downturn and a proliferation of specialty societies, is a tribute to our founding fathers and to their hard work, alongside that of previous ISIS leaders, the ISIS board of directors, the staff, and, of course, the life-blood of any organization, our member volunteers. You should all congratulate yourselves on the tremendous ongoing success of ISIS. Yet, challenges abound. Health care in the United States is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. We are transitioning from a fee-for-service system toward an outcome, value-based system where doing less is often seen as doing more. Yet, we still live in an eat-what-you-kill, fee-for-service world. Private practice has changed dramatically, as well. In fact, physician employment has risen over 32% since 2000 in the United States. We are facing more challenges …