One change can have ripple effects to improve a practice.
These six industry leaders explain a change they've made in the last two years that had great results.
The executives featured in this article are all speaking at Becker's 21st Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference which is set for June 19-22 at the Swissotel in Chicago.
If you would like to join either event as a speaker, contact Randi Haseman at rhaseman@beckershealthcare.com.
As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who will speak at our roundtable. The following are answers from our speakers at the event.
Question: What is one change you made in the last 2 years that had great results?
John Brady. CEO of Fox Valley Orthopedics: Following the merger of two practices three years ago, we've seen a great deal of growth across our practice and its multiple locations. We've invested in infrastructure to sustain this growth into the next several years. Additionally, we've shifted toward more cost-accounting principles in order to better understand our business and where efficiencies might be found to increase access and reduce overall cost. This change is working its way into our operational culture and is engaging all staff to establish best practices that can be shared across our sites, ultimately resulting in better opportunities for patient care.
Michael C. Boblitz. CEO of Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic: Very proud of our new TOC University and the important investment in our director of learning and development. This amazing program reflects a two-day class to fully immerse all new team members in our 'POWER' culture that includes the importance of excellence in patient experience. The course also includes a deep dive into our computer systems and processes to ensure all are well prepared to serve our 270,000 patients as so many organizations fail to effectively train new team members. The ultimate aim is to build a strong sense of community where our team members feel fully supported and desire to stay within the TOC Family for a long, long time.
Michael V. Jablonski, MD. Physician president of Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute: Last year, we opened the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute Downtown Complex. This new facility includes Florida’s only orthopedic specialty hospital and the largest ambulatory surgery center devoted to orthopedics and spine in the state.
We decided to bring all anesthesia services in-house. This was intentional and has proven to be a great success for our physicians, team members and patients by providing a highly qualified and consistent anesthesia team during every surgery. That also speaks to the culture we are fostering within the institute. We empower our team to marry quality care with enthusiasm, intentionality, curiosity and unity; delivering a premier patient experience and getting our patients back to living the life they love.
Matt Kraemer, PT, DPT, FACHE, LSSBB. Administrator of Orthopedic & Spine Institute, Northern Arizona Healthcare: One change we instituted in the past couple of years was a process of predictive analysis for case completion. By reviewing previous claims and payments, vendor contracts, operational overhead and patient outcomes, we were able to place ourselves in a better position to make data-driven decisions on which cases we were willing to perform in our ASC, and which ones would be better served elsewhere. Ultimately, this led to improved financial performance, staff and provider satisfaction, and patient outcomes.
Barbara Smith. Administrator of Coastal Virginia Surgery Center: The best change I made was evaluating the staff that was here and deciding who to keep and who needed to leave. I believe partly due to the pandemic, some staff didn’t handle the stress appropriately, and regardless of counseling, they remained toxic in their outlook. Hard as it was, I had to let four staff members go. The plus was within a month I had filled those positions with excellent staff—I count myself very fortunate.
John DeLucchi, PT, DPT, SCS, MBA. Clinic manager and sport and ortho physical therapist of OrthoCarolina: The most transformative change I made in the last two years was earning my MBA and a business analytics certification. This challenging yet rewarding journey has significantly honed my strategic thinking and execution skills as well as empowered me with data-driven decision-making abilities which I now consider a major strength. Surprisingly, it has also equipped me with the skills to create and analyze machine learning models and neural networks, something I never envisioned. In the healthcare sector, these enhanced skills have enabled me to do things like analyze complex data, predict trends and make informed decisions. By leveraging data, statistics, machine learning and neural network models, you can drive impactful results such as improved patient care, optimized operational efficiency and innovative healthcare solutions. This journey has been transformative and truly expanded my professional capabilities and perspective.