Guest Column: Taking the Centers to the Next Level

The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics reminds me of the classic proverb, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Another fitting example is “No pain, no gain,” as we move forward—bringing together our diverse groups with different approaches and administrative practices into a single, cohesive, and streamlined organization focused on providing patients the highest level of orthopaedic care. While we may continue to feel a few growing pains, it is how we approach and resolve potential issues that will allow us to grow and mature as an organization. 

The Centers has enabled all of us to enjoy the benefits of a larger organization while also allowing each division to retain substantial independent decision making. In my past experiences with similar mergers, autonomy at the division level is completely removed, sometimes even taking the decision about how to best treat the patient away from the individual doctor. Allowing our doctors the ability to determine, without third-party interference, the best course of medical care for patients is what sets us apart.
 
As we move to the end of 2014 and look to next year, we will establish organizational-wide policies and procedures to ensure that all divisions are working in tandem in order to meet the goals of the entire group. We continue to have strategic planning meetings to review and retool our mission and not just plan for today but also for many years to come.  We can build on past successes and tackle each new phase as we continue to move forward.  I believe we have a great organization, and I am proud to be part of the team that will take The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics to the next level and to improve the quality of patient care and access to top-rated healthcare in the region.