Four orthopedic surgeons left Northern Arizona Orthopaedics when it joined Northern Arizona Healthcare, which also manages Flagstaff Medical Center, earlier this summer, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.
The surgeons who left joined larger organizations and cited the ability to serve more patients, as well as focus less on the business and administrative side of running a private practice, as the reasons for their exit, according to the report. The surgeons include Brandon Clark, MD, Chris Diefenbach, MD, Peter Gibson, MD, and Scott Gibson, DO.
Northern Arizona Orthopaedics President Tim Bonatus, DO, told the paper that the exit of four surgeons was a challenge, especially for the practice's outreach efforts. The group plans to launch physician recruitment efforts in the future. The practice joined the Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company in June 2018 to manage administrative responsibilities.
In the past year, Northern Arizona Orthopaedics had seen a 12 percent boost in new patients and the group aims to potentially develop a new ASC in the future.