We are pleased to announce that Thom Clark has joined the SmartTRAK team as Senior Director, Enterprise Strategy + Solutions. Thom Clark joins us after successful positions in Medtech, Life Science and SaaS enterprise strategy, marketing and customer success.

Thom started his career in the diabetes care industry before being hired by Synthes USA. After a successful stint as both a trauma consultant, then regional manager, Thom moved into solutions and services (consulting) first within the Depuy-Synthes Advantage franchise, then Solutions Innovation,  and finally with JNJ's umbrella Medtech Strategic Customer Group (SCG). Working with the Top 150 health systems, Thom and his team of Directors delivered a broad suite of solutions including operative efficiency, clinical pathway improvement, clinician wellbeing, supply chain management, and patient navigation. After leaving JNJ in 2020, Thom moved to running US Orthopedic Marketing + Solutions at Pacira, then as chief strategy and customer officer for Elation, a human performance and coaching SaaS startup based in Wyoming. Thom and his family reside in the greater Philadelphia area.

Meet Thom Clark:

What is your role with SmartTRAK? As Senior Director, Enterprise Strategy + Solutions, my role as I initially see it is to help both product and commercial strategy in the core ortho solutions portfolio while contributing to SmartTRAK’s overall go-to-market success. As I become more familiar with the people, culture and solutions, I plan to be a catalyst working cross-functionally to help different teams across the organization, including marketing, messaging, contracting, content, research, and consulting – having some experience in each of these functions. Ultimately, it's all about our customers.

What do you like about SmartTRAK? I would have to say the amazing People and the concept of Insights-as-a-Service vs the normal SaaS offering. During the interview process, all my questions were focused on people, culture, innovation, and marketplace. I am also super stoked to begin working with many of my former colleagues in Medtech and Life Science.

What is something special or unique that you bring to SmartTRAK subscribers? I have a unique history, having moved from sales and sales management to health system consulting in the orthopedic market, focused on TJA and Trauma. Starting with clinical pathway improvement and moving to operational efficiency, supply chain improvement, clinician wellbeing and burnout, patient navigation, and digital surgery, our team under the umbrella of JNJ’s Strategic Customer Group had the privilege of working with the top 100 health systems across the US and even OUS. I also worked in Life Sciences at Pacira and then a human and team performance and coaching SaaS startup business called Elation. I believe I bring a very different view on how unique and powerful data and insights can be leveraged for success. It's also fun to understand both industries from a data and insights perspective.

How/why did you get into the life sciences industry? After college, I was blessed to get into the diabetes market and then hired by Synthes as a trauma rep, then regional manager, health system consulting director, and finally running a national consulting team. I learned very early in my career at Synthes the huge impact you can make on patient outcomes and health system efficiency. I was hooked! I have always been fascinated by how things work and being in orthopedics was a dream come true! Now I get to see the entire industry through a different lens.

What are your favorite online websites or resources that you check every day? Well, I know I need to say SmartTRAK first! As I move back into MedTech and Life Science, my focus will be on connecting (and reconnecting) with my network to conduct research on all the market and product channels we now cover. So many blogs, posts, websites, interviews and industry publications fill my day it would be impossible to list them all. 
 
How do you stay current on what’s going on in the industry? There is absolutely nothing that compares to talking to real humans working on real products, marketing plans, and strategy across the industry. As stated, I am really excited to begin my outreach to “interview” as many people as I can virtually or at shows as part of my enterprise role. Combining this with the amazing amount of experience across our team of analysts at SmartTRAK should be more than adequate.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I try to live in “reality” as much as possible, so this one is difficult. I would say the ability to sustain a positive and optimistic mindset, regardless of what life throws at me. I know people who possess this trait and am in awe of their ability to weather hardships and remain cheerful and supportive with a growth mindset.

What was the last show you binge-watched? Wow, probably The Office with my 20 year old during his summer break from the University of Scranton (of all places!).

What is your life like outside of SmartTRAK? Married for 25 years to my best friend, supporter, and confidant. We have two boys, Ben (22) and Harrison (20) and two crazy labradoodles, Bentley and Scarlett, who pretty much run the household. I am a human performance nerd who focuses a lot of time on movement, nutrition, healthspan, and ways to optimize physical and mental well-being. I also love to fly-fish, cycle, and work in the yard.  I am a certified financial and retirement coach and in the process of obtaining personal training and nutritional coach certifications to help others reach their goals and redefine what the term "wealthy" means.

What are you most excited about for your upcoming year at SmartTRAK? The ability to get back to my roots in MedTech and Life Science while quickly learning our product and process to make a noticeable impact on our client's market success in the shortest time possible. Always up for a challenge!

If you'd like to learn more about SmartTRAK and how it can increase proficiency, improve productivity and reduce costs for your company, or if you would like to meet with Thom, just click the button below.

SmartTRAK reviews possible alternatives to LCDs and CMS’ proposed payment model for Cellular, Acellular, and Matrix-like Products (CAMPs) commonly referred to by Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as “skin substitutes” and the potential impact on the market.

SmartTRAK attended the Wound Care Influencers Resolution Consultation (WCIRC) Meeting held August 1st , 2025 in Washington, DC, where clinical stakeholders, manufacturers, reimbursement experts, legal counsel and distributors discussed possible alternatives to local coverage determinations (LCDs) and the recently released payment models for the Physician Fee Schedule and Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).  In this article we will look at the potential market impact of some of the alternatives proposed at WCIRC.

Download the full articlefor an in-depth look at WCIRC’s proposed alternatives, their market impact, and other related topics, such as:

• A Summit Overview
  • Kerser Med Comms and the Serena Group brought together 49 thought leaders from clinical practice and industry to attend WCIRC, a one-day summit on evidence and reimbursement ... (read more)
• The Alternative Payment Rates for Skin Substitutes
  • CMS’ recently proposed rule sets the payment rate for skin substitutes for both the non-facility (i.e. office, home) and the hospital outpatient (HOPD) settings ... (read more)
• Future Rate Setting
  • One provision of Senator Cassidy’s bill on skin substitutes is to tag the reimbursed price of skin substitutes to the increase in the consumer price index (CPI) for all urban consumers instead of being based on the actual ASPs ... (read more)
• NCD vs LCD
  • During the summit, another discussion focused on whether or not to push for an NCD vs the future effective LCDs ... (read more)
• Our Conclusions
  • SmartTRAK believes that Medicare spending in this category has become untenable for CMS, making change inevitable ... (read more)

Click the button below to download and learn about possible alternatives to LCDs and CMS’ proposed payment model in the complete "The Future of Skin Substitutes - What’s the Alternative?" article by Jay Merkel, SmartTRAK Sr Analyst, Wound.

Patient demand, enabling technologies and the ASC shift create a perfect storm for the direct anterior approach (DAA).

The adoption of the direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) has accelerated dramatically in the US, cementing its position as a leading technique. Data from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) reveals a surge in utilization among its members, from 40% in 2018 to 56% in 2022. Based on the trajectory of this growth, SmartTRAK estimates that by 2030, 77% of US orthopedic surgeons will be using the DAA technique for appropriate primary THAs. Pinpointing the number of hip replacements performed using the direct anterior approach is difficult, as no procedure codes specify the technique. However, based on surgeon utilization rates, considering not all patients are candidates for this technique, SmartTRAK estimates that 30% of all hip replacements are currently performed via DAA. This rapid market shift is more than a clinical preference; it reflects a convergence of powerful market forces, including intense patient demand for faster recovery, the economic imperatives of outpatient surgery and a burgeoning ecosystem of enabling technologies designed to shorten the procedure's formidable learning curve.

The topics covered in the complete downloadable article are:

• What’s Driving the Shift?
  • The DAA's growth trajectory is uniquely fueled by forces outside of traditional clinical evidence channels. A primary driver is ... (read more)
• Is the Clinical Evidence Settled? 
  
  • The clinical debate over DAA is maturing, moving from simple claims of superiority to a more nuanced understanding of its risk-benefit profile. The evidence to date clearly shows ... (read more)
• How is Technology Fueling the Growth?
  • The expansion of DAA is now inextricably linked to enabling technologies designed to improve reproducibility and mitigate its challenges. The competitive landscape has shifted, with companies focusing on ...(read more)
• Strategic Implications and Future Outlook
  • Despite its rapid and widespread adoption, key questions remain, particularly regarding ... (read more)

Curious about the reasons behind this rapid market shift to the direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty?  Click below to read the comprehensive market outlook article "DAA's Ascent: Reshaping the US Hip Market" by Lisa Mahan, SmartTRAK's VP of Product Development & IT, Sr. Analyst Total Joints.

Cerapedics’ CEO Valeska Schroeder discusses the company’s newly PMA-approved PearlMatrix P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft and its unique advantages over existing bone graft options in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Valeska Schroeder, CEO of Cerapedics, discusses the launch of PearlMatrix, a next-generation bone growth accelerator approved for transforminal lateral interbody fusion (TLIF) procedures, and how its strong clinical data, especially its speed to fusion in high-risk patients, sets it apart in a crowded bone graft market. Click on the following video (16:18 min) to learn more. A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

SmartTRAK: This is Erin Dorgan, senior analyst at SmartTRAK. I'm here today with Valeska Schroeder, CEO of Cerapedics. Valeska, thanks for joining me today.

Valeska Schroeder: Hi. Thanks so much for having me today. I'm excited to be here and to be able to talk more about Cerapedics.

Awesome. Before we kind of get started, can you share a little bit about your background and how you came into your current role today as CEO and chairman of the board?

VS: Sure, I'd be happy to. I started my career as an engineer, so my background is in material science and I have been in the medtech industry for most of my career, starting out more on the R&D side. I was part of a venture group for the six years prior to joining Cerapedics, and that's where I first got to know Cerapedics; that group, KCK, invested in Cerapedics back in 2018. And I joined the board at that point and got more involved with the company in 2021 and joined as CEO in 2022. So I've been super excited about the Cerapedics story for many years and happy to be CEO and be able to share more about the company today.

Thank you. Speaking of that, can you share a little bit more about Cerapedics? Currently, our subscribers come from spine-focused companies, orthopedic companies, so some may not know the name Cerapedics as well as I do, someone who's intimately involved in the bone replacement market. Can you share a little bit more about the history of Cerapedics?

VS: Yes, I'd be happy to. So Cerapedics is a global commercial-stage orthopedic company, and we have drug-device products that are focused on improving bone repair. We're headquartered in Colorado and have been a company for over a decade at this point. Drug device products take a fair amount of time to get onto the market in the US, and our products are used in spinal fusion procedures in the US and broader indications for bone repair in other geographies.

We have a first product, i-FACTOR, that has been available commercially for many years, and that has been used in over 200,000 patients since launch. And in the US, it's indicated for cervical spinal fusion. And just this last month we launched PearlMatrix, which is a bone growth accelerator that is indicated for  ...

 Curious about PearlMatrix, the next-generation bone growth accelerator recently launched in the US? To learn more, click the button below to download the complete transcript of our interview with Cerapedics CEO Valeska Schroeder, conducted by Erin Dorgan, SmartTRAK Sr Analyst, Spine & Bone Replacement.

James Voos, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland Browns team physician, and president of the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS), shares his goals for the society and offers insight into how he is using biotechnology to monitor recovery, prevent further injuries, and safely return athletes to competition.

James Voos, MD, president of the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS), discusses the society's efforts to standardize care for NFL players across the league in an interview with SmartTRAK at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) 2025 Annual Meeting recently held in Nashville, TN.

Dr. Voos also shares an update on ongoing clinical research for osteoarthritis treatment with stem cells. To listen to the interview, please click on the following video (4:18 minutes). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is alsoprovided below. 

SmartTRAK: Hi, this is Dave Shepard. I'm here at the AOSSM 2025. Keep watching for my interview with Dr. James Voos, who is the team physician for the Cleveland Browns, and also the president of the NFL Physicians’ Society. Dr. Voos, thanks for joining us.

James Voos, MD: Thank you very much for the invitation. I appreciate it.

Excellent. Tell me a little bit about the NFL PS and a little bit about what you're doing, what your initiatives are, what your goals are.

JV: As president of the NFL Physician Society, we represent all of the physicians that provide care for our professional athletes in football. That's not only our orthopedic surgeons, but our medical physicians and all of our associated consultants. So we help to provide standards for how to practice across the league, and that way we assure that every athlete and every team has ...

Interested in how biotechnology can be used to monitor recovery, prevent further injuries and safely return athletes to competition? Click
the button below to download the full transcript of SmartTRAK GM/Sr Analyst David Shepard's interview of James Voos, MD, president of the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) from AOSSM 2025.

Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at SNIS 2025 in Nashville, TN.

Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting held in Nashville, TN July 14-18, 2025. 

Strong says with recent challenges behind them, it’s the perfect time for him to join Q’Apel Medical. Given Q’Apel’s leadership position in balloon guide catheters, the full market launch of Zebra and the company’s pipeline leveraging its innovative laser-cut technology, he sees significant opportunity in the years ahead. To find out more, listen to the following video (21:12 min). A transcript of the interview is also provided below. 

SmartTRAK: Hi, everyone. Anne Staylor here with SmartTRAK. Today, I'm at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery meeting in Nashville, and I have the pleasure of talking with Stewart Strong, the new president and CEO of Q'Apel Medical. Stewart, thanks for talking with me today.

Stewart Strong: Thanks, Anne. Great to be here.

So you are really new to the company. They just announced July 1st that you were in this new role. So I think a lot of people, myself included, want to hear a little bit about you. So do you want to start by just talking about yourself?

SS: Sure. And you're right, four weeks into the role, but I've been really excited about not only the opportunity here at Q'Apel, but also with the space that we're in and the growth of the neurovascular space. So to give you a little bit of background on me, I've been in the medical device industry for over 25 years. I've spent time in spaces like interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and have really focused on areas where we can drive growth. That's one of the things I really enjoy is joining a company where we can drive exponential above-market growth and continue to add value to customers and to stakeholders through that growth.

I knew you're really experienced from what I had heard. So as you enter this new company, what are your priorities?

SS: I think what I saw in doing my own due diligence on Q'Apel is a company that has terrific innovation. When you think about innovation, you think about quality, you think about Q'Apel, and that's been validated here. I have had a chance to speak with a number of physicians that use our products. Everybody really looks at us as ...

Curious about where Q’Apel Medical is headed next? We sat down with CEO Stewart Strong for an exclusive interview conducted by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK’s Executive Editor and VP & GM of Neuro Therapies. Click below to download the full transcript and get an inside look at Q’Apel’s future plans, innovations and strategic goals.

In this comprehensive article, SmartTRAK provides an overview of the WISeR Model and its potential market impact on skin substitutes.

Click the button below to download and read the complete article "Skin Substitutes Get WISeR – Will it Impact the Market?" by Jay Merkel, SmartTRAK Sr Analyst, Wound.