This course will cover the major changes occurring in the US healthcare system, and the resulting effects on neurosurgical practice. Demographic trends will be reviewed, from increasing employment by hospitals to the rise of new entities like Accountable Care Organizations.

A trainee looking for a job, or an established surgeon looking at new opportunities or different relationships to local institutions, will be able to understand the options available and factors relevant to a successful negotiation. How do hospitals and other institutions value neurosurgeons currently, and how might that change? What is the legal basis for such relationships, which define what is and is not possible? What makes an opportunity attractive now, and how can one determine viability in the future?

This course will review macro-level changes coupled with faculty that can provide concrete examples, from real-world experience, of individuals and groups that conducted successful negotiations and established new working relationships.