Jason Snibbe, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with Snibbe Orthopedics in Los Angeles. He opened this specialty hospital just this year. Below he shares insight on his thoughts on the current trends of healthcare as well as where it's heading.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are you most proud of from the last year?
Dr. Jason Snibbe: I am most proud of my new project to build an orthopedic specialty hospital. It took several years to get the plans, architectural and city approval. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but we were able to solidify the plans and obtain a loan to build a brand new hospital. It will be orthopedic and spine. It will be a state-of-the-art hospital, focusing on robotic surgery and the very best patient care in the world.
Q: What are the biggest trends you're following in healthcare right now?
JS: The biggest trend in healthcare I am following is the discussion of reimbursement and the insurance companies. The continued cutting of physician reimbursement is a massive problem in this country. This is forcing many doctors to leave insurance plans and create cash practices. As the government continues to ignore the slashing of physician reimbursement, the quality of healthcare that Americans receive will continue to get worse. Physicians are leaving medicine at an extremely high rate. Most practicing physicians are forced to join hospital systems, which create an incentivized process for physicians. Therefore the center of care is not based on the patient. This is a huge problem.
Q: What are you excited about for 2024?
JS: In 2024, I’m excited to start a course at DOCS Spine and Orthopedics centered on outpatient total joint arthroplasty. It will be a course that focuses on the patient experience and how to maximize patient satisfaction when performing total joint surgeries. There will be lectures on anesthesia, physical therapy and enhancing the patient experience. I am very proud that we are hosting this course and hope to continue to expand it over the next several years.
"Orthopedic Surgeons Reveal What's Next in Healthcare: A Look at the Latest Trends"