Becker's ASC Review

11 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Why private practice is worth it for 2 spine surgeons By Carly Behm Two spine surgeons shared with Becker's the reasons why they prefer private practice over hospital employment. Peter McCunniff, MD. Pain Center of Arizona (Peoria): Over the past year I made a change from a hospital-employed to a private practice model that is closely partnered with interventional pain services. We're now utilizing the model that I believe in and although it's early on, I am very happy with our success and what the future holds. I learned so much from my early experience in the hospital- employed model that has given me the perspective and experience to cut out the inefficiencies and allow the most streamlined care for my patients while also providing me great balance both professionally and personally. Despite significant efforts and extra time devoted to creating a spine program in the hospital employed set up, I found that there were still significant barriers to having a successful spine practice due to the disconnect between administration and those of us tasked with building a new spine program within a large healthcare system and also being productive spine surgeons throughout the process. Spine surgery is different from both general orthopedic surgery as well as general neurosurgery. e large healthcare systems are able to engulf practices with those broader scopes and apply basic templates that are easily adhered to within their established system with relative success, but there's more nuance involved in elective spinal surgery that those general orthopedic and neurosurgical clinic templates will set the spine surgeon up for failure. I think most surgeons would agree that there are so many inefficiencies within a large system that waste time and don't contribute to positive patient care or improve their work- life balance. I believe that, in time, our practice model can represent an option for spine surgeons to maintain their autonomy and be very successful when other surgical subspecialties are being forced into hospital-employed positions to remain viable." Ryan Molli, DO. Whole Health Orthopedic Institute in Meadville, Pa.: I'm disappointed that the pendulum has swung so far toward hospital employment, and one of my main goals is to swing that back toward private practice and hopefully encourage young orthopedic surgeons that it is very possible to start private practices and thrive. It's all about partnerships and making sure that you're creating the ultimate patient experience. I truly believe if you put your patient's experiences and needs and desires first, the rewards will come. In my area, we're the last private practice in Northwest Pennsylvania, and the physicians that sold to the hospitals are now extremely dissatisfied and wishing and regretting those decisions. I would say don't make quick decisions based upon pressures from hospitals and institutions. Try to maintain your independence as much as possible, and reach out to those around you that have been able to successfully navigate the waters of private practice and maybe look to partner with them as well." n How staffing shortages pushed 1 health system — and its ASCs — to innovate By Paige Haeffele H ealthcare has been plagued with staffing shortages, a looming physician exodus, an aging population, an increase in costs and a decline in provider pay — and that is just the tip of the iceberg. ASCs face these same challenges; however, not all of them have the resources available to large hospitals or health systems, making these looming threats even more pressing. Shaibal Mazumdar, MD, a gastroenterologist at Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, recently joined Becker's to share how staffing shortages and layoffs have affected the practice of medicine and Advocate's affiliated ASCs. Editor's note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: How have layoffs/staffing shortages changed the way you practice medicine? Dr. Shaibal Mazumdar: Optimal resources and processes lead to good outcomes. Staffing challenges post-COVID did cause scheduling bottlenecks and challenges with patient access all over the country. We had good leadership and culture — creating a workforce which is highly engaged — they helped us with various ASCs in different geographies. None of our ASC nurses or techs were laid off during COVID; I think this helped us earn their loyalty. With strained resources, it's important to tweak the process. Physicians and nurse practitioners are collective resources, and we strive to work at the top of our license with good communication. EMR helps along with telehealth. It is also important to innovate with newer technologies related to artificial intelligence in order to get rid of excessive added activities — to do more with less. Curbside consults with referring physicians when you are connected through EMR also helps to make sure patients get timely access to good care. Recruitment and retention should be a top strategic priority. It's important to have leadership and a culture where employees are respected, appreciated and valued and that encourages critical thinking. We are constantly working to deploy innovative processes related to technology such as EMR, telehealth and AI. n

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