Becker's Spine Review

9 SPINE LEADERS Rothman Institute has Grown 15-20% Annually for 45 Years — Dr. Richard Rothman's 11 Key Principles for Success By Laura Dyrda R ichard Rothman, MD, PhD, opened his practice in 1970 as an independent physician with one partner, a secretary and nurse; since then he's grown his business into one of the largest orthopedic physician groups in the country. And he has no intention of slowing down. "Most people are retired in Florida worried about their health when they're 80. I'm still going full tilt, starting new projects with 10 to 15 year horizons," says Dr. Rothman. Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute is legendary; its physicians serve as the orthopedics department for omas Jefferson University Hos- pital and the team physicians for the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, Fly- ers, 76ers and Villanova University. e practice's spine team performs more than 3,000 cases per year while the sports medicine team tackles 10,000 surgeries annually. But the practice's reach extends far beyond their patient base. Rothman Institute physicians are focused on academics as well, and published more than 225 articles in academic journals last year. e practice also focuses on education at the Sidney Kimmel Medical School at omas Jefferson University and sponsors residencies and fellowships in adult reconstruction, spine surgery, sports medicine and pain management. e surgeons are highly regarded, having served as presidents of na- tional organizations including the current president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. e practice now includes 145 physicians, 25 office locations, two sur- gical hospitals and several ASCs. It was one of the original members of the National Orthopaedic & Spine Alliance and holds several business investments in data gathering, reporting and healthcare companies de- signed to help manage risk and provide better quality care. Earlier this year, Rothman Institute announced a strategic affiliation with New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health to expand its reach beyond Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Now, at 80 years old, Dr. Rothman has his sights set on the rest of the country as well. "My vision of the future is to develop a nation- al footprint over the next five years," he says. "A national franchise by merging with other practices and partnering with health systems we respect." Could Dr. Rothman have imagined all this when he first hung his shingle? Perhaps, but as the son of a Polish immigrant with meager savings when he arrived in the U.S., it was far from a sure thing. Dr. Rothman's father trav- eled to the U.S. around 1920 with little edu- cation or resources. He couldn't speak English and didn't have any relatives in the U.S., but he still managed to build a successful clothing company and pass along his resilient spirit and drive for success. Dr. Rothman attended the University of Pennsylvania and studied his- tory as an undergraduate before attending medical school there, and he attributes his liberal arts education in part for his success. "I think it's made me a better citizen and a more interesting person," he says. His hobbies outside of medicine also reflect the liberal arts interest; he collects art — particularly Andrew and Jamie Wyeth paintings — and serves as a senior advisor with a private equity company on their healthcare holdings. He is also embarking on new projects, launching an implant compa- ny in China and expanding the Rothman Institute brand. e practice has grown 15 percent to 20 percent annually over the past 45 years. So what's Dr. Rothman's secret sauce? "e key concepts are pretty simple," he says. He always believed a pri- vate corporate structure was the most productive for physician practic- es. Physician ownership has been a core aspect of the practice's culture. "e No. 1 way to retain employees and make them happy is allowing them to control their destiny; that's the strongest single motivator of any business person or employee. By being physician-owned, physi- cians feel they are in control of their destiny." Here are 11 key principles Dr. Rothman abides by: 1. Focus on quality. "If it were a choice between profit and quality, we always came down on the side of quality care for our patients," he says. Physicians are encouraged to stay on the cutting-edge of quality care by exploring new technology and techniques, as well as developing a relationship with their patients. 2. Keep care affordable. e practice strives to treat all patients regardless of their insurance status. As they move to risk-based con- • Spine IDE demonstrating statistical superiority to autograft in overall success • Premarket Approval (PMA) supported by a safety profi le equivalent to autograft • Published Level I Evidence validating the quality of the data i-FACTOR Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft is a clinically proven drug/ device combination product developed to be an alternative to expensive engineered growth factors (rhBMPs) with documented safety issues and experimental cell-based allografts with no objective data. WE DIDN'T COMPROMISE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SETTLE. LEARN MORE AT: CERAPEDICS.COM Dr. Richard Rothman

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