How does the Spine & Pain Centers of New Jersey and New York stay current?
We stay current by attending meetings and conferences throughout the year, including international meetings. Through this we get to meet other physicians in the field who are outside the U.S. and doing innovative work. We exchange thoughts and ideas keeping us current. I personally go to at least four to five meetings a year.
What stands out about your facility?
We are all board certified physicians from top schools and have had training including the best programs in the country. My staff takes care of everything including appointments, insurance verification, and other paperwork (which is done in a timely matter). Appointments are usually scheduled within a week.
What sets the practice apart from comparable practices?
Spine & Pain Centers of New Jersey and New York is an elite group of physicians who are in the full time practice of pain management. I, along with my staff, have over 15 years of experience in this field. I have personally performed over 25,000 procedures. I am very much involved in academic teaching, sit on key committees in the North American Spine Society and involved in developing clinical guidelines. I’m also an editor for a Spine Journal.
Why would a customer refer your practice?
We have an excellent track record of diagnosing difficult and complex cases. Most of my referrals are the family members and colleagues of existing patients. Referring physicians are very satisfied with the care their patients receive from Spine & Pain.
Is there an industry leader or someone of inspiration you would like to meet and why?
I believe I’ve already met him! I have worked under Dr. Stanton Hicks at Cleveland Clinic foundation; he was my teacher. He was also one of the most pioneering physicians in the field of pain management in this country and has written several textbooks on the practice.
What was the motivating factor for the launch of your practice?
Fifteen years ago, when I finished my fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, pain management was a new and innovative field. I was lucky to start one of the very first practices in the northeast focused on using minimal invasive treatments. I received a lot of support from local hospitals and physicians as there was no one else doing this type of work at the time.
What aspect of your profession most inspired you to take this direction?
During my anesthesiology residency, I saw patients suffering with back pain in spite of undergoing multiple operations. That led me to believe that major surgery was not the right answer for treating back and neck pain.
How has your specialty changed over the last decade?
Pain management is one of the new subspecialties of medicine. There is still a lot of development and research going on. But pain has been added as one of the vital scores for each hospital to monitor, just as you have to monitor blood pressure or heart rates. You now have to complete approved training and become board certified. Also, training fellowship programs have started in the last decade offering specialized training for pain management. Truly, I believe this is the most innovative field in medicine this decade. The Spine & Pain Centers of New Jersey and New York is at the forefront of this exciting new frontier.
Spine & Pain Centers of New Jersey and New York
www.spineandpain.com
(877) 724-6215
Shrewsbury, NJ
Toms River, NJ
Cedar Knolls, NJ
East Brunswick, NJ
Freehold, NJ
Springfield, NJ
South Amboy, NJ
New York, NY |
Anil K. Sharma MD, DABPM
Founding Partner,
Spine and Pain Centers of NJ and NY
Director of Pain Management,
Monmouth Medical Center |
