3 minute read
HEALTH
Integrating Health Care
By Katie Lulla From the polished concrete floors to the roll-up garage door, the new DISC Sports & Spine Center (DISC) in Marina del Rey looks nothing like your typical doctor’s office. Dr. Robert S. Bray, Jr., founder of DISC, intended for it to be a multi-disciplinary human performance center that provides both preventative and diagnostic care. In 2006, Bray opened the revolutionary DISC outpatient spine surgery center in Marina del Rey, and later opened an additional office in Newport Beach. A few years after the Marina del Rey location was bought, Bray noticed that many of his referral patients were having a difficult time accessing his Newport location so he decided to reopen in the marina. “[Due to the pandemic], the outpatient world got pushed forward, very quickly,” Bray said. “We’ve had really unprecedented growth down in Newport to the point where we maxed out DISC Sports & Spine Center recently opened a new office in Marina del Rey and specializes in spine, orthopedics and pain management.
PHOTO CREDIT: DISC SPORTS & SPINE CENTER
the facility at 700 or 800 cases a year. And so it was time to re-enter the market in Los Angeles.” Alongside spine, surgery and orthopedic consultants, DISC has combined the expertise of several doctors for a more comprehensive view of patient health. “We’re looking at, ‘How healthy are you? How do you perform? Where’s your advantage?’” Bray said. “It’s going to be a very, very comprehensive office.” Dr. Lester Lee, from Lee Regenerative Medical in Huntington Beach, will be running the nutrition and blood profile screenings. Melissa Nagare, vice president and chief clinical officer of the Southern California University of Health Sciences, will introduce soft tissue, acupuncture and other alternative medicines. DISC will also have a strength and conditioning program that utilizes a 3D body avatar that will show measurements and balance, as well as a body DEXA scanner that will look at body composition. “I think the new thing we’re bringing is really integration,” Bray said. “Alternative health, chiropractic acupuncture and Dr. Lee’s program all really add a tremendous amount to [...] a comprehensive look of the body’s balance. I think what I’ve learned over the years of being a surgeon is that my patients do much better if everything is balanced.” Bray said that in order to get a good lasting outcome, doctors have to look at everything to discover both underlying disorders and current ailments. Only by being thorough can a person be put on the correct path to health. “[Doctors] now really all want to work together for the general health of the patient, and [we’re] opening up the door to have a collaborative center where they could all be together and talk,” Bray said. “Putting together a program for the patients that was dealt with and met with a very warm welcome from everybody.” Despite opening only a few months ago, DISC is seeing 80 to 100 patients a week. Bray hopes the Marina del Rey location will grow and continue to meet the needs of all the referred patients. “I’m really looking at this center as integrating all those things back together the way they should be. Instead of patients just having to hunt all over the place [...] We’re gonna look at everything,’ Bray said. “I think this comprehensive approach is going to really provide a much better outcome for patients.” DISC Sports & Spine Center accepts most insurance plans. For more information, visit discmdgroup.com
