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18 Thought Leadership What Dr. Kiley Trott anticipates for ENT long-term By Carly Behm K iley Trott, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology surgery at New Haven, Conn.-based Yale School of Medicine, shared his thoughts on the ENT field long-term, answering the question, "How do you think the specialty will look in 10 years?" Note: Response has been lightly edited for style. Dr. Kiley Trott: Given the events of the past year, it would probably be wise to avoid predictions altogether, so here's to being lucky or wrong. Overall, I would like to think the future is bright for this spe- cialty. Currently, we're in the midst of new resident recruit- ment, and it has been especially heartening to speak with some of the brightest and most talented medical students about the future of ENT as well as their personal goals. Many medical students nowadays bring diverse experi- ences, perspectives and skill sets, which, combined with the numerous incredible members of our specialty, should al- low us to make gains on several fronts. Among those, I also foresee an increased focus on patient quality and safety and eliminating healthcare disparities. Improvements in technology will be a major factor. Tele- medicine will allow us to provide specialized care to more remote patients, potentially with another provider utilizing video otoscopes or endoscopes, providing real-time physi- cal exam information to distant otolaryngologists. Electronic medical records will continue to improve iteration on iteration, allowing for increased data tracking and medi- cal outcome analysis, potentially across institutions. Surgical robotics will become even more refined, greatly improving surgical precision and expanding our ability to operate in the often small, complex, and difficult to reach regions of the head and neck. Lastly, there may be the development of new nerve stimulators similar to those currently in use for cochlear implantation to restore hearing and hypoglossal nerve stimulators to relieve sleep apnea. Research is being performed on vestibular (balance), olfactory (smell), and recurrent laryngeal (voice) nerve stimulators. Those are just a few areas that will improve, but of course, given current events, we must be ready for the unexpected changes, both positive and negative, that the future may bring. n ValueHealth president appointed CEO By Alan Condon Leawood, Kan.-based ValueHealth President Don Bisbee was appointed CEO Jan. 1. Mr. Bisbee succeeds ValueHealth Founder and Vice Chairman Dan Tasset, who assumed the role of executive vice chairman. As CEO, Mr. Bisbee is focusing on expanding the company's footprint by developing "value networks" to "meet the needs of the employers, payers and consumers," he said in a Jan. 20 news release. Mr. Bisbee's achievements in 2020 include five new health system joint ventures and launching two hyperspecialty programs focusing on value-based care in cardiology and bariatrics. In January, ValueHealth acquired Oswego, Ill.- based Kendall Pointe Surgery Center and an- nounced plans for a total joint-focused surgery center in Chadds Ford, Pa. n Tenet's strategic shift to ASCs: 5 details By Laura Dyrda Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare is moving away from high-cost, lower margin hospitals and deepening its portfolio of lower cost, higher margin ASCs. Seeking Alpha published a report outlining Tenet's strategic shi to ASCs through United Surgical Partners International, its ASC division. Five things to know: 1. Tenet's adjusted EBITDA margin for ASCs has grown from 37.3 percent in 2015 to 41.5 percent in 2019. Over the same time period, the company's ad- justed EBITDA margin for hospitals dropped from 9.8 percent to 9.2 percent. 2. e number of hospitals in Tenet's portfolio shrunk from 86 in 2015 to 65 in 2019. Over the same four-year period, the number of ASCs grew 24 percent from 192 to 238 centers. 3. Tenet added to its ASC portfolio last year and purchased 45 ASCs from SurgCenter Development for $1.1 billion. e company will own controlling interest in the centers when the transaction is complete. 4. Tenet sold 87 urgent care facilities to FastMed last year for $80 million. 5. Revenue for Tenet's ASCs grew 125 percent from $959 million in 2015 to $2.1 billion in 2019. Hospital revenue dropped from $16.9 million to $15.5 million over the same time period. n