In terms of thinking about the future, are practicing physicians really different from residents? I recently gave the opening lecture in my series for residents. The first topic: The trends affecting the future of their practice. Some in the audience paid close attention. Others didn’t. An even smaller number came up afterwards to ask in…
Contrary to the misfortune that befell the first little pig — you know, the one who built his house out of straw — I’ve recently learned that it’s actually quite possible to build a solid home from bales of straw. That is, as long as it’s resting on a solid foundation. Many medical groups, especially…
How unlikely is it that in twenty years, the only physician actually in the O.R. will be the anesthesiologist?
As hard as it is for me to say, it’s been 40 years since I had my summer job at McDonald’s. Yet after all this time, I remember some of the standards-enforcing mechanisms the franchise used, from written instructions on how each of the food items was to be prepared, to cards bearing sayings such…
As you may know, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, imposes a requirement – a mandatory requirement — that physician groups adopt compliance programs. These programs are not simply plans that you document, toss into a notebook and keep on a shelf – they must be living breathing programs revisited on an ongoing…
Are you actually preventing your medical group’s success?
Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, wrote that, “He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.” Although running a medical group just sometimes seems like war, the essence of that advice is completely applicable. Too often treating all group physicians as colleagues entitled to a high degree…
How unlikely is it that in twenty years, the only physician actually in the O.R. will be the anesthesiologist? As surgery becomes more robotic, what difference will it make if the surgeon is actually present? In fact, as surgery becomes more robotic, will surgeons continue to be physicians or will they be specially trained technicians?…
Top level hospital-based groups cannot merely be concerned about maintaining a relationship; they must be concerned about delivering a transformational experience to their relationship partner.
It goes without saying as to any hospital-based medical group that top notch clinical skills are required. But, they merely are the “price of admission;” they get you into the position of holding a hospital contract, not actually holding it, or, in far too many cases, keeping it. Obviously, I can’t comment on the actual…