Center of Excellence

What makes Smith Northview Hospital Spine Care Center a Center of Excellence?

It is a sole resource that provides comprehensive, collaborative, patient centered approach to caring for patients with neck and back pain.

Centers of Excellence make use of clinical protocols and specialists who devote themselves to understanding the most advanced treatment options for a particular issue. Centers of Excellence have physicians who excel in helping back pain sufferers return to activity without surgery.

What is specific treatment?

Research has shown that complex problems like back pain are treated more successfully with a multidisciplinary approach that involves the best tried-and-true approaches of many back specialists. The force of the Smith Northview Hospital Spine Care Center lies in the medical expertise brought in by a variety of specialists who balance each other, including experts in pain management, orthopedic spine surgery and physical therapy.

What is a "Nurse Coordinator"?

A Nurse Coordinator coordinates the efforts of the spine care team. Managing your appointments, treatment plan, and following up with you and your doctor to be sure your treatment is effective. If surgery is an option the Nurse Coordinator will also help review your situation with other team members to determine your needs and provide you with the best options for your post-operative care.

Darin Melvin, BSN
Spine Care Center Coordinator

What Next?

Our simple pathway:

1. You start with an easy 10 min. phone call. We will ask you about your demographic, symptoms and medical history so we can get you started down the right pathway.
2. We will provide you with a convenient date and time to come talk with us about your unique situation and review any test you may have already completed.
3. Our doctors will review your information and we will develop a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
4. You will be entered into our database so that our Nurse Coordinator will follow and check in with you to be sure your treatment is working. We will provide you with multiple follow up appointments.
5. You'll continue treatment or change direction if necessary.
6. If surgery becomes the decision made by you and your physician the spine center will follow you for several months to years to make sure your surgical treatment has been effective.