SAN FRANCISCO (June 18, 2020) – The UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is pleased to announce that Patricia Zheng, MD, a non-operative spine specialist, will take on the leadership role as Director of the Integrated Spine Service (ISS) at UCSF.
Originally developed as a pilot program two years ago, the ISS is part of a multidisciplinary, cross-department effort funded by the Caring Wisely program launched by the UCSF Center for Healthcare Value.
Since ISS’s launch, the service has shown promising results to improve health care delivery, improve outcomes and reduce costs by creating a patient-centered medical home for patients to manage back and neck pain. (Learn more).
“This service was originally developed to help overburdened primary care providers in our system care for high-risk neck and back pain patients, many of whom have known conditions that complicate their recovery– such as high levels of pain or disability, opioid use, a history of failed physical therapy, anxiety, depression, fear-avoidance of movement, and catastrophic thinking,” Dr. Zheng said.
In her new role, Dr. Zheng will work closely with a team of physicians and physical therapists from different specialties to provide a continuity of spine care across a variety of platforms.
“I’m greatly looking forward to working closely with Pain Management, Physical Therapy and our Neurosurgery Department to offer more comprehensive and seamless care for our back pain patients,” said Dr. Zheng.
“Dr. Zheng is an exceptional clinician and researcher with a commitment to not only treating the whole person but also to value-based care,” said Conor O’Neill, MD, Director of the Department’s Primary Care Spine Program. “I am confident that under her leadership the Integrated Spine Service is going to flourish.”
To learn more about the ISS, visit https://iss.ucsf.edu/
About Patricia Zheng, MD
Dr. Patricia Zheng is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist who cares for patients with neck and back pain. She specializes in using minimally invasive techniques to improve function and decrease pain in patients with spinal disorders.
Dr. Zheng earned her medical degree from UCSF and completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Stanford University, where she also completed an interventional spine fellowship.
Note: Reprinted with permission from SpineLine, © 2019, North American Spine Society.
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