Despite the many challenges faced by medical specialists every day, thousands of practitioners dedicate their lives to the field.
Though they endure struggles like declining reimbursement rates and rising costs, orthopedic surgeons still see many benefits to staying in practice, even during challenging times.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to orthopedic surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: What’s one trend in healthcare that you think needs more attention from orthopedics?
Please send responses to Claire Wallace at cwallace@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CDT Friday, June 20.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What motivates you to stay in the field of orthopedics, even during challenging times?
James Andry, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at DISC Surgery Center (Carlsbad, Calif.): My main motivation to stay in the field of orthopedics lies in my personal desire to further improve my skill set as a surgeon and a business owner with my practice, as well as to continue to develop the field of orthopedics, creating an environment that helps practicing orthopedic surgeons thrive in their personal and professional lives.
My partners and I are now in the minority as private practice physicians, with the majority of physicians being employed. In my opinion, the loss of control of clinical practice has resulted in increased time dedicated to nonclinical responsibilities, as opposed to focusing on patient care, refining your skills as a surgeon or spending time with your family.
By staying in the field of orthopedics and figuring out a formula to maintain control of your professional and personal life, we can maintain a higher standard of care. This autonomy is the foundation of maximizing the clinical effectiveness of a surgeon while maintaining the work-life balance that we all deserve. To do that — particularly during what I perceive as challenging times — is critical to protecting our profession and providing the opportunity to maintain control of our individual practices now and into the future.
Joseph Lamplot, MD. Orthopaedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist at Endeavor Health Orthopaedic & Spine Institute (Des Plaines, Ill.): Every field has its own challenges, and declining reimbursements with increasing costs to provide care remain major challenges within healthcare. What motivates me to stay in the field is my passion for sports medicine. I thoroughly enjoy operating and constantly work to improve surgical techniques and patient outcomes. My job has allowed me to educate the next generation of surgeons, develop new surgical techniques, and perform research to push our field forward. I am also fortunate to care for professional athletes, and beyond the “coolness” factor of being up-close as a former athlete and big sports fan, it holds me accountable to provide the highest level of care possible to ensure the health and safety of the athletes. Simply put, I would not be happy doing anything else.
