Maintaining physician autonomy is not only important for physician job satisfaction and patient welfare; it's a core factor to the Growth Ortho business model. Here are some of the ways we protect our doctors' autonomy:
Why Partner With
Growth Ortho?
Growth Orthopedics is not a typical managed service organization. If you've been approached by other healthcare investors but have declined because they didn't fit your healthcare philosophy or your sense of independence, we encourage you to consider setting up an initial conversation with Growth Ortho.
Quick
Links
Physician Testimonial Video
"[Our] relationship has exceeded all of the physicians' expectations. Our day-to-day practices have really not changed much. The doctors seem to be in full control and have the same level of autonomy as ever. Behind the scenes, Growth Ortho is helping us to steer our practice in a direction of growth and continued excellence."
-Christian Christensen MD, Bluegrass Orthopaedics
Physician Testimonial Video
"The number one thing I was most protective of was our autonomy to be able to continue to practice medicine the way we want to practice medicine. We are about a year into our partnership, and in that year we've seen tremendous growth. Growth Ortho has made good on all their promises, if anything they've overdelivered... The only thing I wish I would have done different is bring [Growth Ortho] in sooner."
-Edwards Seade MD, Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin
Our
Guiding Principles
We are taking a new approach to orthopedic MSOs — one that places the physician and their ability to care for patients first. Ultimately, we believe that our model will usher in a new age of orthopedic healthcare in every market in which we operate.
Ensure Physician Autonomy
Clinical & practice autonomy
Provide a Transaction that Appeals to All Physicians
Regardless of stage of career
Support Growth Initiatives
Invest in and grow practice
Recruit Key Talent
Deliver superior recruiting resources
Provide Best in Class Economics to New Physicians
New MD salary guarantees
Physicians Maintain Voice in Key Decisions
Traditional
MSO
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Most current PE groups in healthcare are "aggregators"
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After initial acquisition, all additional groups become add-ons
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Traditional PE physician group will develop into a mini-health system
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Establish single EMR and Practice Management System
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Physicians are often forced to utilize singular medical devices and services
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Often, there is a consolidation of name and brand to a singular company
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MSO structure is often confusing to all those involved with the organization
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Most MSOs take a hands-on approach to ensure that their investment is profitable
VS
Growth Ortho
MSO
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Our goal is to establish regional centers of excellence
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We invest and grow each regional platform while allowing autonomy
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We respect physician and clinic individuality and autonomy
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There is no need to change /update an EMR unless it’s the individual practice's desire
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Physicians make clinical decisions that are in the patients’ best interest
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Your clinic will have the same name that your community has come to know and trust
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We believe in partnership and transparency with our affiliate medical practices
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Growth Ortho achieves profitability by improving efficiency, which allows the practice to grow
Advantages of Joining
A Management Services Organization
There are many advantages to becoming part of a larger group like Growth Ortho. If you have concerns or are unsure, we encourage you to schedule an initial meeting. Here are some of the key advantages to orthopedists and key equity holders in individual practices.
1
Time to Focus on Medicine
2
Improved Leverage
3
Practice Growth
4
Physician Selection
5
Improved Income & Wealth
6
Physician Autonomy
Time to
Focus on Medicine
Improved
Leverage
Practice
Growth
Physician
Selection
Improved
Income & Wealth
Physician
Autonomy
General Questions
Q How do you select the practices you partner with?
A
Growth Ortho seeks top-tier orthopedic practices with growth potential. For us, the physicians are the most valuable asset because they will continue to provide the service that we sell. With this in mind, the practices we acquire place the well-being of the patient before profits.
Q How is Growth Ortho able to increase profitability?
A
Because we are able to incorporate your practices into our network, we can remove costly redundancies. In addition, all individual practices can benefit from shared marketing. As a larger organization, we have increased bargaining power and can take advantage of volume buying discounts. We can also assist in accelerating surgeon recruiting to accommodate the influx of new patients.
Q What differentiates your platform over your competitors?
A
Growth Ortho starts with patient care and physician autonomy; we provide growth opportunities for quality practices. We have designed the Growth Ortho model to be unique among competitors, including other providers backed by private equity firms. One key dynamic to the organization's differentiation is the growth strategy focused on the development of regional platforms. This approach is unique compared to many firms that invest in the healthcare industry with a dominant priority of driving scale by aggregating groups, as expeditiously as possible - Growth Ortho is not a consolidator. Multiple practices in the same region can create conflicts in physician recruitment and resources, while a focus on aggregation can negatively impact the commitment to clinical excellence and physician autonomy that Growth Ortho maintains.
While growth at each of Growth Ortho's member practices is important, physicians maintain complete autonomy over clinical decisions, have an important say in the hiring of new physicians, and benefit from production-based compensation. Another important differentiating factor is that Trivest, Growth Ortho's capital partner, is in the early innings of its investment in the platform, having established the organization with the BGO partnership in late 2020. Trivest focuses on founder-owned businesses. In addition to positioning shareholders to uniquely benefit from the future growth of the organization, this ensures that our partners will serve as an integral regional platform of the national organization and receive the focus and resources needed to help drive growth on a local level.
Q How do you maintain a culture of cutting edge, ethical, patient-focused care while growing rapidly? How do you ensure these values aren’t abandoned in the pursuit of growth?
A
Through every step in establishing a potential practice partnership, starting with initial introductions, we emphasize that the first focus and highest priority at Growth Ortho is patient outcome. We only explore partnerships with groups we believe share this focus. While expansion of the platform is important, we believe it must be rooted in sustainable growth at our partner practices and ideally a direct result of improvement in or expansion of patient care. Importantly, we are not an aggregator with a singular focus on building scale. At the core, we ensure these values are preserved by ensuring physicians retain autonomy and the ability to drive growth in their market - the delivery of care is controlled by providers at the local level without exception, and physicians have an important say in providers that join the practice.
Changes to Your Practice
Q What sort of changes does Growth Ortho make?
A
The most significant changes will be outlined before we close on the acquisition. One of the positive improvements that you can look forward to is an upgrade to facilities, equipment, and processes. By improving patient services and expectations, we can expect growth. There are support functions that can be shared across several practices, reducing the need for extra staffing and facilities. Finally, physicians will be added as your practice requires it. Existing practice physicians will have a say in this process.
Q Will I have a say in the surgeons that we hire?
A
Growth Ortho recognizes the importance of physician cohesion within a practice. As part of the control that member doctors maintain over their practices, they are integral when it comes to physician recruitment. We provide the candidates through our superior recruitment system, but you determine who you work with.
Q Will my practice name change?
A
No, our member practices maintain their branding.
Physician Autonomy
Q How does Growth Ortho maintain physician autonomy?
A
To begin with, physicians will always have the final say when it comes to patients receiving necessary treatment. Additionally, physicians do not have to alter their schedules or increase their work capacity. We believe this is particularly appealing to doctors in the later stages of their careers who would like to spend some time enjoying the fruits of their labor. Existing partners can also help vet new physicians to ensure cohesiveness. Finally, equity holders can help determine which new practices can join the Growth Ortho MSO.
Q Is there a physician governance body and how is it composed/operated? What would our physician owners’ roles be with respect to such a governance body? Is there a local and/or regional aspect to this versus nationally?
A
Our mission of keeping healthcare local keeps all clinical and governing decisions and committees at the practice level. Support, guidance, and expertise at the national level is available and provided as needed.
How We
Protect Physician Autonomy
Branding
Practices retain their name and individual branding.
Medical Decisions
Practice physicians make all clinical decisions regarding patient care.
Scheduling
Doctors are not required to work more or improve productivity.
Physician Recruitments
You will interview some of the brightest and most talented orthopedists as part of the physician selection process.
Equity
Managing members have an opportunity to participate in equity sharing.
Autonomy
Member practices and doctors maintain their autonomy. Physicians are not pressured to increase output, cut patient visitation times, or alter their schedules to improve patient flow.
Committing to a
Healthcare MSO
The decision to partner with an orthopedic MSO can be daunting at first. Growth Ortho recognizes that. That's why we offer our healthcare partners every assurance that they can still maintain their autonomy while improving patient service, as well as increasing income and profitability. And while there will be a new stakeholder in your practice, our presence will be beneficial to all.
Maintain Your Voice
When you partner with Growth Ortho, your branding, patient medical practices, and key staff will remain in place. The alterations we make will be seamless and will not adversely affect the care of your patients.
Receive Transparency From the Start
Before Growth Ortho partners with an orthopedic practice, they examine every facet of the organization. This is a transparent process, and the doctors and equity holders in the practice will know what we intend to do well in advance of signing the deal. We emphasize transparency because we want our physicians and other key employees to see that we are not trying to alter their practice in an uninviting manner. Once the business is acquired, we will begin making improvements.
Be Confident in Your Decision
Most orthopedic practice owners can immediately recognize the multiple advantages of joining a management services organization, but they're concerned about their individual and organizational obligations to the MSO. At Growth Ortho, we believe in partnership and transparency with our affiliate medical practices. Any contractual obligations by the doctors or the practices will be listed during the negotiation process. We will even clarify points that our experience has shown us that may be of concern to onboarding orthopedic practices. We want you to be confident about your decision before you commit.
Our
Partners
When you partner with Growth Ortho, your branding, patient medical practices, and key staff will remain in place. The alterations we make will be seamless and will not adversely affect the care of your patients.
