Mark Maloney, founder and CEO of regulatory compliance and private practice consultancy Venops in Marietta, Ga., has published a colorful article in Orthopedics This Week that frames the future of independent orthopedics practices as a matter of “Cowboys vs. Ranchers.”
Mark Maloney, founder and CEO, Venops
“For much of the past half-century, orthopedic surgery in the United States operated within a largely independent practice model,” he writes. “Surgeons owned their practices, selected implants and technologies based on clinical preference, and worked closely with independent distributor representatives who provided technical support and continuity in the operating room. The model emphasized autonomy, personal reputation, and entrepreneurial decision-making.
“Like the cowboys of old, the surgeons and reps loved their independence and the pride of going it alone,” he continues. “Today, that environment is changing rapidly. The consolidation of healthcare delivery — driven by hospital systems, private equity-backed platforms, insurers, ASC management companies, and group purchasing organizations — has reshaped how orthopedic care is organized and delivered. Increasingly, decisions that were once made at the physician level are influenced by system-wide contracts, supply-chain management strategies, and centralized cost controls. And those are the ranchers. They put up fences, bought the land, water rights, and were organized.”
Mr. Maloney concludes, “The fiercely independent ‘Cowboy’ era of orthopedic practice may be coming to an end. Whether independent surgeons and their long-standing industry partners can adapt to the new landscape will depend less on resisting change than on finding ways to participate in shaping the systems that replace it.”
If you’re curious to dive more deeply into what could be on the minds of some of your facility’s veteran orthopedic surgeons, or if you’re a physician-owner of an orthopedic ASC, Mr. Maloney’s folksy yet informative and reflective piece is a good read. Access his full article here.
