North American Spine Society Elects President

On Nov. 11, Ray Baker, M.D., began his 2009-2010 term as president of the North American Spine Society (NASS). Baker is the first anesthesiologist to serve as the head of the society. The appointment took place at the society’s 24th annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

An Interventional Pain Medicine physician, Baker practices at Washington Interventional Spine Associates in Bellevue, Wash.

Baker said he believes in a team approach for treating patients, and often works in conjunction with spine surgeons and physiatrists to provide patients with solutions for their spine problems—a theme he intends to be a key part of his tenure as president of NASS.

“NASS’ outgoing president, Charles Branch Jr., M.D., has dedicated his term to building bridges between medical societies worldwide. I am committed to following his lead to continue to foster relationships among the medical community to ensure NASS has a seat at the table for all discussions related to spine health, particularly as it pertains to a multi-society collaboration to develop a spine registry,” Baker said. “I look forward to the challenge of maintaining the high level of leadership that has made NASS what it is today—the preeminent leader in multidisciplinary spine care.”

In addition to his private practice, Baker serves as adjunct clinical professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington. He received his medical degree from the University of California at Irvine and has been voted by his peers among Seattle Magazine’s “Top Seattle Doctors” every year since 2002.

“I am honored to serve as NASS’ president during a milestone year,” he added. “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, I will be overseeing a society that is as strong as it’s ever been. Our membership is on track to reach 6,000 members, annual meeting attendance is at its highest, the Spine and Education Research Center is seeing an influx of educational courses and our advocacy efforts in influencing the health reform debate are more effective than ever. I hope to harness this momentum to continue leveraging NASS’ 25 years of dedication to fostering quality spine care.”

Branch, NASS’ former president, is a neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. The society’s First Vice President Gregory Przybylski, M.D., is professor of Neurosurgery at Seton Hall University and director of Neurosurgery at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

NASS has 5,500 members from several disciplines, including orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, physiatry, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, research, physical therapy and other spine care professionals.