Dr. Couch: “I think MBAs are becoming more common among physicians, especially those in leadership, and I recommend it. I think doctors being able to understand operational flow issues, read a balance sheet, calculate net present value and ROI [return on investment], and generally think like a businessper son will help us navigate the transformation taking place in medicine—one in which we’ll need to apply a common language and common concepts with administrators.”
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September 2022Issue: Supply Chain Challenges
Dr. Gantwerker: “Supply chain disruptions are a huge issue in terms of biomedical equipment. I deal with kids with tracheostomies. First, the factories were having problems and then the sterilization processors were having problems, which continues to this day. It seems like the infrastructure itself has recovered somewhat, but we haven’t seen supply pick back up. I know that the CPAP industry is being hugely affected as well. People have been talking about bringing more manufacturing stateside but when you get down to raw materials like motherboards and chips, that still comes internationally because we live in a global economy.”
Dr. Simon: “There are two problems that supply chain disruptions can cause: issues with inventory and issues with cost. Costs may temporarily go up and hopefully come back down as supply chain issues are resolved. Smaller practices with less buying power and fewer reserves will probably be impacted the most. The impact may fluctuate over time, with costs rising and falling depending on the supply chain inventory. Regarding in-house inventory, businesses might need to keep more supplies on hand than they have in the past to protect themselves.”
Trend: Subspecialization
Dr. Gantwerker: “Subspecialization is a growing trend, which is why so many residency graduates are doing fellowships. In cosmopolitan areas of the country, you have these super subspecialties in which, even beyond your fellowship, there’s a certain disease entity for which you’re the expert. So, say, if someone has dizziness, they can go see a super subspecialist who has a very programmatic way of addressing the problem that other physicians don’t have the time or interest to do. In my specialty last year, for instance, when the Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology subcertification came out, there was some discontent from general practitioners who also see children, but it was really intended for the very complex cases because these subcertification holders manage these patients more often and have the resources necessary for treatment.