Increasing patient access and incorporating value-based care are among the top priorities the Orthopedic Centers of Colorado has for the second half of this year, according to Brian Larkin, MD.
Dr. Larkin is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon serving as chief medical officer of Denver-based Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, which has 22 locations throughout the state.
He recently spoke with Becker's about what OCC is most focused on for the rest of 2022.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is your practice most focused on for the second half of 2022?
Dr. Brian Larkin: At Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, we are committed to furthering our desire to be market leaders in high quality, cost-effective orthopedic care. This pledge drives our priorities for the second half of 2022 and beyond. These priorities include:
1. Patient access: We continue to support our teams in getting patients seen quickly and by the correct orthopedic provider. This has been supported by streamlining some of our referral processes and opening up access along the entire Colorado Front Range to see our providers. Work on this front improves patient experience, which drives our decision making.
2. Site of service: We continue to lead the market in appropriately utilizing ambulatory surgery centers when surgery is indicated. This allows us to provide surgery in the highest quality, cost-effective environment. With continued increase of the integration of our perioperative medicine/anesthesia team, we have added a closer knit cooperation of expertise between the surgeon, anesthesia and surgery team for the safety of the patient.
3. Corporate culture: We continue to invest in our staff and our teams coming out of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery has been difficult throughout the pandemic and recognizing the challenges that our employees have faced and creating constructive ways to support them is critical to continued success.
4. Value-based care: We continue to have discussions with health insurance plans on trying to revamp how healthcare is reimbursed. A transition to value-based care, where patients and providers are informed to make the best-quality and cost-efficient decisions in their healthcare will benefit the entire industry.