Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/849019
10 SPINE LEADERS tracting, the physicians remain accessible. "We don't soak the rich or poor. By and large, we accept all insurances," he says. "We really are the orthopedist for the every man, and we want everyone to come to us for care." 3. Be convenient. As the practice grew, instead of bringing all the physicians under one roof Dr. Rothman expanded the practice to in- clude satellite locations. "We go out to communities rather than ex- pect them to come to a Mecca," says Dr. Rothman. "e old academic model is if you are really good, people will come to you. We always felt it was better for doctors to build their clinics where the people are." 4. Exude compassion. "e doctors, nurses and receptionists are always told to be compassionate in their dealings with people," says Dr. Rothman. "Patients can sense that. ey can't sense the quality of care they are getting, but they can sense whether you care about them." 5. Choose partners well. "People always ask me about how I en- sure quality growing from two physicians to 170. I think the key is selecting the very best surgeons and physicians," says Dr. Rothman. "I have a really good eye for people driven for quality intrinsically; it's in their DNA." Around two-thirds of the Rothman Institute faculty were trained at the practice, including current president Alexander Vaccaro, MD, PhD, MBA. "You don't pick people who are dysfunctional. We know our partners, associates and faculty extremely well before we recruit them," says Dr. Rothman. "We know they'll get along in our group matrix and practice quality medicine." 6. Build teams. "Team building is essential. I'm not the smartest guy in the world or the hardest worker, but I'm a very good judge of people," says Dr. Rothman. "My role and the role of leadership is to identify the best surgeons and administrators, recruit them and retain them. I always joke that coming to work for us is a life sentence be- cause nobody leaves." 7. Treat partners equally. "We are very egalitarian and trans- parent. All partners get the same contract. at doesn't mean every- one earns the same, but they have the same opportunities and our business functions are transparent," says Dr. Rothman. "Everyone knows what is going on every month and there isn't any in-fighting about income." 8. Subspecialize. "We focused on subspecialization early on," says Dr. Rothman. "What this does is allow surgeons to develop their skills to the maximum, and that's also satisfying for employees. ey get very good at their jobs. We also provide good facilities and compen- sate people well." 9. Treat the business team as partners. "We have a very so- phisticated business team and we treat our business support as part- ners," says Dr. Rothman. "eir success is related to the success of our business. ey are motivated by the same factors that motivate our surgical partners." 10. Create a vision for the future. In addition to developing a na- tional brand, Rothman Institute is also working toward more risk-based contracts and providing episodes of care. Gradually, Dr. Rothman hopes the practice will function as an insurance company to provide popula- tion health in the musculoskeletal space. "Accepting risk contracts with major insurance companies is a contest to see who has better control of the data, us or them," says Dr. Rothman. "Hopefully it's us." 11. Provide the best value. Providing value in healthcare is all about delivering great results in the most cost-efficient way possible. Rothman found physical therapy was an expensive aspect of the ep- isode of care so the group helped develop a company that delivers physical therapy online for 5 percent of the cost of traditional PT. "We try to be disruptive with our care and provide the best value: quality divided by cost. Everything we do is to elevate quality and manage costs," says Dr. Rothman. "We are really innovative in terms of how we deliver care." Dr. Rothman built his practice with an incredible amount of foresight into where medicine was heading and what makes providers success- ful. He encountered his share of challenges along the way, but adhered to his principles and, as is typical of second-generation immigrants, was able to get back up aer being knocked down. "I learn from adversity and come out a better person," he says. "I was born with a resilient personality. Being born in this country in this time in history contributed to my success, and I had a good deal of luck. But as omas Jefferson said, the harder you work the luckier you get." n Dr. John Peloza Performs 1st Cervical Decompressions with Carevature Medical Technology: 5 Things to Know By Megan Wood J ohn Peloza, MD, of Dal- las-based Center for Spine Care, performed the nation's first cervical decompression pro- cedures with Carevature Medi- cal's Dreal system. Here are five things to know: 1. Dr. Peloza began using the Dreal system in late 2016. 2. He performed a bilateral C4-5 foraminotomy via a small laminotomy opening. 3. Dr. Peloza also performed anterior cervical discectomy and fusion as well as corpectomy procedures, removing osteophytes from the vertebral bodies' posterior section. 4. The Dreal technology allowed Dr. Peloza to decom- press spinal nerves without harming surrounding tissue. 5. Dr. Peloza specializes in minimally invasive spine tech- niques. n Dr. John Peloza "We really are the orthopedist for the every man, and we want everyone to come to us for care." - Dr. Richard Rothman