Drs. Steven Spitz and Tariq Javed

Two of Southeastern Neurosurgical Specialists’ board-certified neurosurgeons share an inside look at the inner operations of their well-order practice—and the secret ingredients that make it all possible.

If you’re wondering what makes Southeastern Neurosurgical Specialists such a well-oiled machine, it’s probably not what you’re thinking. The magic ingredients? Collaboration, mentorship and, most importantly, an amazing staff —the three things Dr. Steven Spitz noticed right off the bat when he joined the practice almost three years ago. “I was actually kind of recruited up there by a patient, and Dr. Javed was gracious enough to let me join his practice. I mean, he’s had this practice for over 20 years. They all welcomed me with open arms, which is pretty unheard of with most practices to just let another person come on board. It almost feels like I’ve been there forever,” shares the neurosurgeon, who specializes in advanced, minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of most spinal conditions. “And his staff is amazing. I’ve never worked with such a great group of people—it’s almost like working at Chick-fil-A,” he says with a laugh. “They’re super efficient and just all so kind.”

Taking emerging doctors under his wing is no foreign concept to board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Tariq Javed. “Mentorship is a very important part of our practice. I’ve seen it time and time again that mentorship becomes very crucial to the younger neurosurgeons coming into the practice,” says Javed. “We want them to gain independence and feel comfortable making decisions on their own and also feel comfortable to operate and handle more complex cases on their own. It’s a big transition to go from having your hand held every step of the way to being the decision-maker and having to deal with issues that occur in surgery,” adds the veteran surgeon, who celebrated 30 years of practicing medicine this past year.

As for the third ingredient, it’s most definitely the secret weapon that puts Southeastern Neurosurgical Specialists on a pedestal above the rest. “Our group is unique in that we all really get along and we bounce ideas off of each other. We’re not afraid to ask each other for help if we need it,” says Spitz. “There are multiple ways of doing things, and, like so, multiple ways of performing surgery. If one of us needs help doing a case, we have a backup to help and get second and third opinions. You’re not acting all independently—you’ve got backup support,” adds Javed, who also notes the variety of backgrounds and training among Southeastern Neurosurgical Specialists’ five doctors as another main advantage. “I think if you train at the same institution, you keep doing the same things, but if you train at different institutions, your thinking techniques and processes vary from one another, which is an important quality for a group to have,” says Javed. “Having more than one person in a practice helps apply better quality care because you can bounce cases off of each other and discuss them together,” adds the surgeon.

And at the end of the day, what makes a medical practice—or any business for that matter—a well-oiled machine are the people who work hard to make it that way. “I would put this practice up against anybody. It’s the best place that you can think of. I mean, our office staff is, I would say, the best… and that’s not a hyperbole,” adds Spitz. “They’re incredible people, and I have yet to meet a patient who was upset with our staff, which is very rare.”