Joshua A. Siegel, MD, is director of sports medicine for Access Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Exeter, N.H. He was recently named as a "top doctor" by New Hampshire Magazine for the sixth time.
Q: This is your sixth year you have been named to New Hampshire Magazine's list. To what do you attribute your ongoing success?
Dr. Joshua Siegel: I have surrounded myself with good people who all have common goals and a shared philosophy. We all believe that the patient visit should be treated as sacred and if the service before and after the visit is stellar, the care will be outstanding. Although I am honored to be selected, the credit must be shared with my staff and organization for shaping the patient experience. I also believe that our ongoing efforts to provide new services and choices is pivotal in our success. Finally, as one of the last independent, non-hospital owned physician groups in the area, we can move quickly to develop services and campaigns that benefit the patient population in our area.
Q: What are your professional goals this year and for the next few years to maintain and build on your achievements?
JS: I would like to expand our offerings in various fields of orthopedics and continue to build on the outcomes we have had. I would like to develop some expertise in the delivery of occupational medicine services and consider opening an urgent care clinic to decrease the loads on the hospital EDs.
Q: Is there a specific innovation that is most exciting to you?
JS: Biologics in orthopedics is exciting to all of us. Cartilage is a very non-forgiving structure that once injured, has poor reparative qualities. Manipulating biology will open up a whole new era in orthopedics including growing new cartilage, assisting in tissue regeneration and augmenting tenuous repairs of ligaments and tendons.
Q: Is there a single initiative your organization has undertaken in the past year that has proven to be beneficial?
JS: Our accreditation of the MRIs through the American College of Radiology and the accreditation of our ASC through AAAHC. I believe the stamp of accreditation standardizes a minimum level of quality that all practices should strive for. The accreditation process itself is a great way to evaluate how each business is functioning. Accreditation forces large collaborative efforts within and between organizations which culminates in the better and safer services for our patients.
Q: What opportunities exist for your organization to grow and improve efficiency this year?
JS: I believe better use of electronic services can assist in our efficiencies. Web-based encounter forms and other types of EMR efficiencies would allow us to focus more time with the patient and less on gathering information.
Q: What are some aspects of your practice that you are particularly proud of?
JS: We invest heavily in our community. We are lead sponsors in many charitable causes and also provide many free services to the community such as pre-participation physical exams for all the area high schools, a concussion screening exam for safe return to play, and many others. We also have supplied athletic trainers to many local high schools to help subsidize these valuable services. Along with the various ancillaries such as our ACR accredited MRIs, our physical and occupational therapy center which have U.S. Olympic Committee designations and our AAAHC-accredited ASC, we can provide the full spectrum of quality care for nearly any orthopedic sports injury.
Q: What is the best professional advice you have received and who was it from?
JS: My father, David Siegel of Buffalo, N.Y., told me never to be so busy that I do not spend time taking care of the business side of my practice. He meant that sometimes the patient load can block out the time that is required to run the administrative and business side of medicine. I have always taken nearly one full day per week to understand the direction our business is going and read trade journals that help point out potential opportunities in the delivery of healthcare.
Q: What advice would you give younger doctors considering a career in sports medicine?
JS: Building a sports medicine practice takes time. I have seen many sports medicine trained docs try to start their career limiting the types of patients they will see, or trying too hard to replicate the practice they experienced in their fellowship. Taking time to develop a name as a caring and competent physician first and a sports medicine physician second allows for success more quickly.
Learn more about Access Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics.
Q: This is your sixth year you have been named to New Hampshire Magazine's list. To what do you attribute your ongoing success?
Dr. Joshua Siegel: I have surrounded myself with good people who all have common goals and a shared philosophy. We all believe that the patient visit should be treated as sacred and if the service before and after the visit is stellar, the care will be outstanding. Although I am honored to be selected, the credit must be shared with my staff and organization for shaping the patient experience. I also believe that our ongoing efforts to provide new services and choices is pivotal in our success. Finally, as one of the last independent, non-hospital owned physician groups in the area, we can move quickly to develop services and campaigns that benefit the patient population in our area.
Q: What are your professional goals this year and for the next few years to maintain and build on your achievements?
JS: I would like to expand our offerings in various fields of orthopedics and continue to build on the outcomes we have had. I would like to develop some expertise in the delivery of occupational medicine services and consider opening an urgent care clinic to decrease the loads on the hospital EDs.
Q: Is there a specific innovation that is most exciting to you?
JS: Biologics in orthopedics is exciting to all of us. Cartilage is a very non-forgiving structure that once injured, has poor reparative qualities. Manipulating biology will open up a whole new era in orthopedics including growing new cartilage, assisting in tissue regeneration and augmenting tenuous repairs of ligaments and tendons.
Q: Is there a single initiative your organization has undertaken in the past year that has proven to be beneficial?
JS: Our accreditation of the MRIs through the American College of Radiology and the accreditation of our ASC through AAAHC. I believe the stamp of accreditation standardizes a minimum level of quality that all practices should strive for. The accreditation process itself is a great way to evaluate how each business is functioning. Accreditation forces large collaborative efforts within and between organizations which culminates in the better and safer services for our patients.
Q: What opportunities exist for your organization to grow and improve efficiency this year?
JS: I believe better use of electronic services can assist in our efficiencies. Web-based encounter forms and other types of EMR efficiencies would allow us to focus more time with the patient and less on gathering information.
Q: What are some aspects of your practice that you are particularly proud of?
JS: We invest heavily in our community. We are lead sponsors in many charitable causes and also provide many free services to the community such as pre-participation physical exams for all the area high schools, a concussion screening exam for safe return to play, and many others. We also have supplied athletic trainers to many local high schools to help subsidize these valuable services. Along with the various ancillaries such as our ACR accredited MRIs, our physical and occupational therapy center which have U.S. Olympic Committee designations and our AAAHC-accredited ASC, we can provide the full spectrum of quality care for nearly any orthopedic sports injury.
Q: What is the best professional advice you have received and who was it from?
JS: My father, David Siegel of Buffalo, N.Y., told me never to be so busy that I do not spend time taking care of the business side of my practice. He meant that sometimes the patient load can block out the time that is required to run the administrative and business side of medicine. I have always taken nearly one full day per week to understand the direction our business is going and read trade journals that help point out potential opportunities in the delivery of healthcare.
Q: What advice would you give younger doctors considering a career in sports medicine?
JS: Building a sports medicine practice takes time. I have seen many sports medicine trained docs try to start their career limiting the types of patients they will see, or trying too hard to replicate the practice they experienced in their fellowship. Taking time to develop a name as a caring and competent physician first and a sports medicine physician second allows for success more quickly.
Learn more about Access Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics.