Building The Centers Community in 2015
A year ago, no one had really heard of “The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics.”
After one year and an incredible amount of hard work, that has completely changed. On a corporate level, we now have a unique bargaining power with insurers and major vendors. Other orthopaedic groups are approaching us to learn more about our innovative business model, hoping to join the Centers. Individual divisions are seeing a jump in new patient requests and referrals, thanks to our ability to accept more insurance options. The momentum is building.
Right now, our name is synonymous with strength in numbers. Because we had to first build our corporate image, negotiating new deals to reduce overhead costs, our size and bargaining power have become the key impressions of CAO in our first year. That’s critically important, and will continue to serve us well in the coming years. But if we want to build The Centers into a world-class, patient-focused brand, it’s time to focus on infusing our shared mission and vision at the local level.
As we enter into the New Year, we must further develop our brand internally and build a CAO community that each of you is proud to be a part of. We defined our mission, vision and essential behaviors through a series of strategic planning meetings earlier this year, and now it is imperative to bring every employee on board.
The Centers is not just about physicians and administrators. In a top-tier patient care organization, each employee has a key role to play in making the experience positive, comfortable and smooth.
How will patients view the “CAO experience”? Our goal, as defined in the strategic planning sessions, is to be the "Four Seasons" of orthopaedics, where every patient in any location can expect the same quality, trusted care in a setting that is consistent across the brand.
To do that successfully, we must all focus on our mission, vision and the essential behaviors that embody them:
Our Mission
To be the national leader in delivering the highest quality and most compassionate, orthopaedic care through the private practice model.
Our Vision
The Centers is a community of highly engaged physicians and employees positively influencing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes.
Our Essential Behaviors
- Display positive attitude
- Provide solutions
- Build community
- Demonstrate leadership
- Strive for excellence
- Exercise judgement
- Focus on patient needs first
- Utilize effective and positive communication
Up to this point, we have been working closely with all our physicians and administrators to craft the strategy and lay the groundwork for this organization. And as we build the foundation, we must involve every employee – many of whom may not be familiar with our mission, goals and plans.
Starting in January, just after the holidays, CAO's Executive Director Denny Tritinger and I will visit every division of The Centers. Over the next few months, we look forward to the opportunity to sit down with as many employees, administrators and physicians as possible to give you a richer understanding of who we are, build that sense of belonging and community, and genuinely hear any questions or concerns you may have. Your input will be invaluable in helping us constantly refine and improve our organization, always focusing on what’s best for the patient.
For CAO to be successful, we must all be fully committed. Each one of us must internalize the vision, mission and essential behaviors, translating them into our individual jobs and living by them every day.
This will by no means dilute the individuality of each practice. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, it will simply strengthen the quality of our work and each patient experience, creating internal cohesion.
As I’ve said before, I am amazed by the work each and every employee does every day, and what we have accomplished so far as The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics. I look forward to working together with each one of you in 2015 to continue to build and grow our brand and provide superior patient care.
But first, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season with your family and loved ones.