Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1425344
39 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Cleveland Clinic sparks recruitment war for orthopedic, neurology specialists in the UK By Alan Condon C leveland Clinic has ignited a recruit- ment battle by offering high fixed salaries for top physicians in London, where it plans to open a private hospital next year, according to the Financial Times. e health system is attracting specialists in orthopedics, neurology and cardiology with salaries of about $413,000 to $481,000 a year for working two days a week, staff from rival hospital chains told the publication. Typi- cally, private hospitals in the U.K. use physi- cians employed by the state-funded National Health Service who work in their spare time on a fee-for-service basis. Cleveland Clinic is operating on a different level by employing 270 physicians on fixed salaries. Cleveland Clinic London's compensation packages are driving up specialist pay, but the health system said its physicians are "paid the market rate, factoring in their skills, clinical outcomes and breadth of their role," accord- ing to the report. Most specialist roles with Cleveland Clinic would be part-time, which allows physicians to continue to work for the NHS. In London, consultants usually have privi- leges at about five private hospitals and work wherever they find patients, which benefitted hospitals because if there weren't any patients in a given week or month, they would not have to pay the consultants. "However, by employing them directly for all their non-NHS work, whether or not there are patients, Cleveland Clinic is taking the financial risk of finding enough patients to keep the consultant busy," Ted Townsend, an analyst at healthcare intelligence company LaingBuisson, told the Financial Times. n CEO to steer 'new course' at Hoag Orthopedic Institute By Alan Condon Kim Mikes, BSN, RN, has been appointed CEO of Hoag Orthope- dic Institute in Irvine, Calif. After a nationwide search that reviewed more than 100 applica- tions for the position, Hoag selected Ms. Mikes — who has been serving as acting CEO since May when former CEO Jennifer Mitzner departed — to fill the role on a permanent basis. Ms. Mikes joined Hoag Orthopedic Institute in 2016 after eight years with Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., where she had served as executive nursing and operations director of the Women's Health Institute and director of same-day surgery at the gastrointestinal lab and Hoag Endoscopy Center. Over the last five years, Ms. Mikes has operated as chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, and she is the institute's third consecutive female CEO. "The unique experience Kim brings to the position will afford [Hoag] the opportunity to further expand and improve," Hoag Orthopedic Institute CMO Steven Barnett, MD, said in an Oct. 4 news release. "As the highest volume orthopedic hospital in the state for more than seven years running, we're excited to see the new course she helps us chart." Ms. Mikes is a registered nurse with a certification in perioper- ative care. She holds a certificate in Leadership for Healthcare Transformation from the University of California Irvine, where she also earned a master's degree in business administration. n Anthem BCBS, Beacon Orthopaedics bundle saves employers more than $1M in first year By Carly Behm S haronville, Ohio-based Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio are piloting a bun- dled payment agreement that has saved employ- ers more than $1 million in its first year, Cincinnati Business Courier reported Sept. 15. The agreement allows more opportunities to per- form orthopedic surgeries at Beacon's ASC in- stead of hospitals. The program, launched in July 2020, centers on total joint replacements and spine surgeries. "This is an innovative collaboration between a health plan and a physician group that is driv- ing cost savings and quality," Beacon CEO Andy Blankemeyer told the publication. "By shifting more services to an outpatient setting, the savings can be significant." Beacon was the first orthopedic practice in the area to work with Anthem. Since then, more spe- cialists, groups and hospital systems entered into similar partnerships. n