A new surgeon-president and strategic expansion in the outpatient space are some of the key developments at Golden Valley, Minn.-based Twin Cities Orthopedics this year.
Five notes:
1. Owen O'Neill, MD, succeeded David Holte, MD, as president of the board of directors in February. Dr. Holte, a spine surgeon, held the role for 19 years, during which he was instrumental in securing Twin Cities' partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, which helped the group grow its presence in the state.
2. Dr. O'Neill voiced his opposition to CMS' proposed site-of-care changes in a July interview with Becker's. Among the proposed changes are CMS' plans to return 298 musculoskeletal-related procedures to the inpatient-only list, as well as halt the elimination of the list.
"Making blanket statements that this procedure must be done inpatient, or this procedure must be done outpatient, is not the right approach," Dr. O'Neill said. "The right approach is that the physician, who takes care of the patient and has an informed, shared decision-making process with that patient, decides where the best site of service is for many of these procedures."
3. Plymouth (Minn.) Planning Commission in August approved a development that will include a Twin Cities ASC and clinic alongside a 70,000-square foot medical office building. The practice is also developing a clinic in Brooklyn Park, adding to its 36-location portfolio.
4. Twin Cities Orthopedics has grown to include more than 110 physicians, one of the largest orthopedic practices in the country. Here's how it compares to other orthopedic practices, in terms of the number of physicians.
5. Twin Cities performs more than 2,500 spine surgeries and 10,000 total joint surgeries a year.