Name of practice: Neurosurgical Consultants of Washington, Inc. P. S.
Location: Puget Sound Region of Washington
Number of neurosurgeons: Eight in four care centers
Total number of employees: 15
Number of medical centers served: Nine (soon to be 10)
Approximate number of patients cared for in your practice per week: 400
Practice philosophy
In our offices, hospitals and outpatient surgery centers, we are dedicated to providing timely, compassionate and technologically advanced neurosurgical care to our patients. We enjoy a reputation for being among the best in our area, and constantly strive for the highest levels of patient satisfaction.
Most innovative back office management solution
Our office is very high-tech and prides itself on the efficiencies gained through the use of electronic medical records (“paperless office”), teleradiology and online communications with our insurance providers and local hospitals.
Most innovative approach to managing external relationships
Our offices have the ability to perform outpatient spine surgery in several locations, with outcomes tracked using an Internet-based database that allows national benchmarking. We pride ourselves on our quality outcomes, short length of stays, and overall lower costs. The local insurance companies and referral physicians also profile these parameters, and are aware of the high standard of services provided by our neurosurgeons.
Biggest investment you have made in your practice in recent years
As Vice President of Neurosurgical Consultants of Washington, Inc. P.S., I have invested a great amount of time and energy into my education. Two years ago, I earned a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the University of Washington. Since then, I have become involved in the business of our neurosurgical practice on both a micro and macro level.
Advice you would give to neurosurgeons starting their own practice
Don’t try to be a “jack of all trades”, instead specialize in three or four areas of neurosurgery, at most, and annually upgrade your skills and techniques. Also, gain economies of scale and marketability by joining forces with neurosurgeons of a high quality, forward thinking philosophy.
Future of neurosurgical private practice
The future of our specialty is in the hands of those neurosurgeons who are learning machines. The neurosurgeon who expects to practice what he or she was taught as a resident will be left in the dust. Given this, we must stay abreast of the rapidly changing medical technology, and continually advance our technological expertise in spinal, vascular and intracranial neurosurgical procedures. Further, neuronavigational tools must be utilized and mastered to refine our approaches and enhance our surgical results.
Neurosurgery and the next millennium
As we approach the year 2000, we will see a shift in the way we practice medicine. I envision that there will be a stronger emphasis on minimally invasive surgery, stereotactic surgery, and computer-guided or enhanced surgery. Also, I think our future neurosurgeons to come will find a cure for glioblastoma.
Closing thoughts
Neurosurgery is and should remain at the pinnacle of medicine intellectually, technologically and in providing gratification to its practitioners and patients alike. However, neurosurgeons can no longer practice in a void. In order to keep adverse forces from undermining the fundamentals of quality, independent neurosurgical practices, we need to be proactive in the political and socioeconomic arenas, as well as in the growing field of information technology.