"Focus on high paying surgical procedures to
survive, is now challenging the other most
practical survival mode for Gyn physicians
whose incomes are reaching poverty levels--
that of increasing the surgical cases of
unnecessary vaginal hysterectomies"
This being the title of a CME conference in NYC, would entice a large number of private practicing gynecologists who are feeling the sting of governmental fee restrictions and regulations.
On reading the mail flyer I received about this educational event, I again discovered that their approach to helping physicians increase their incomes is to learn more and higher skills in gynecology that are "solidly reimbursable" elements of medical practice.
The question that immediately comes to my mind, "How is a struggling gynecologist going to have the income to afford to attend this conference, especially when it's being held at a high-priced hotel in Times Square?" I do know that I could never have afforded to attend it even at
the height of my OBG medical practice years in an affluent area of the country.
The second question I have is, "Doesn't the thrust of the conference mean that to survive in the specialty one must work harder instead of smarter; maybe skinny down their practice focus to doing only those new "solidly reimbursable" procedures primarily?"
It brings up another question, "Wouldn't that narrowing down of practice focus automatically reduce the number of patients joining the practice because it would use up the time for the care of routine gyn patients forcing doctors to accept only patients needing those special procedures?" When I focused my practice on infertility patients and tubal microsurgery, patients began asking if I also did routine gynecology work, or even obstetrics.
The overwhelming and still incomprehensible inability of high-powered medical educators to recognize the real core problem of medical practice failure--lack of business knowledge and education--will remain my nightmare until I die. Instead of providing physicians with an offensive weapon (business education) they continue to provide only the defensive weapons (work harder) and they will continue to fail financially.
I knew an OBG physician that performed over 150 vaginal hysterectomies per year, about three per week, for years, without ever being scrutinized for it by his peers or hospital committees.
After he had donated a large sum of money to help build a new hospital in our area, there were no complaints from any hospital ethics or other committee, in spite of a large number of normal path reports on the uteri he removed. and in spite of hospital staff knowledge about his activities that seemed very unusual when compared to other gynecologists on staff. So everyone in the hospital community turned a deaf ear to the problem.
He was very likable, always in a rush, knew medical practice management, did medical practice marketing effectively, quite sociable, and was intellectually adept at medical practice
business planning.
The obstructive nature of medical education politics, tradition, and permanently implanted and untouchable educational infrastructure continues to be the fatal bullets for private medical practice survival. The tragedy of all this is the fact that medical education scholars are too close to the profession to recognize where the real problems are for the survival of the profession.
So, I ask myself every day, "If (maybe the education scholars already know) the medical education academics are at the seat of the cause of the problem and do nothing to resolve the issue of offering or providing a medical practice business education as well to all physicians, then healthcare in our country will certainly continually degenerate in all aspects." It's not a guess, it's a
prophetic reality.
----Professional Probe----
"Michael Gerber, business expert, has
worked with and consulted with many
physicians about their medical practice
businesses issues. Who has more reliable
advice than a consultant gifted with
both attributes and medical business experience?"
Articles©2013-2022/CGG INVESTMENTS LLC. All rights reserved. #122, 3-16-22
