There is someone new watching the numbers at SI-BONE…Michael Mydra is now Vice President, Health Outcomes & Reimbursement at the California-based company, an entity focusing on minimally invasive surgical (MIS) devices to treat the sacroiliac (SI) joint.
Michael Mydra: New VP at SI-BONE
1 min read Premium comments
Mydra brings significant reimbursement, payer, and coding expertise to SI-BONE. He has worked in reimbursement for over a decade and was vice president of reimbursement at Sanarus Medical, Inc. where he obtained an AMA Category I CPT code and significant relative value unit (RVU) pricing for a cryoablation device. Prior to SI-BONE, he was at Vertos Medical, Inc. in the spine business. He also worked at Urologix, Inc. and at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. He brings solid field experience and a very field-oriented perspective to SI-BONE.
“Mike has exceptional career experience which will help build SI-BONE into a formidable medical device technology company, ” said Jeffrey Dunn, CEO and president of SI-BONE, in the April 16, 2012 news release. “Mike will be responsible for coding strategy, case management, field reimbursement, and payer strategy and interaction. He will also work with our Executive Team to develop a more integrated company, focused on strengthening our clinical and economic-cost effectiveness position.”
Mydra holds both a B.A. in Biology and an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, and a graduate certificate from the University of Minnesota – Carlson Management School/Mayo Clinic Advanced Management Program for Healthcare Executives.
Mydra told OTW,
I’m looking forward to working at SI-BONE because the iFuse technology addresses a significant unmet clinical need for patients suffering from sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. According to published peer-reviewed literature, the SI joint is thought to be responsible for 22% of all low back pain. My primary goal will be to work with payers to educate them about SI joint disease, options for treatment and to obtain coverage and reimbursement for the iFuse
React:
Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.