Formerly an associate professor of anesthesiology at Emory University in Atlanta, Dr. Hord spent more than 16 years practicing medicine at Emory and was a founding member of The Emory Clinic. While at the university, he helped to establish a pain management fellowship training program and a research program to benefit patient care. Dr. Hord received his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington and is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine.
Dr. Hord discussed strategies for attracting physicians to surgery centers in an interview with Becker’s ASC Review. Surgery center physicians have shied away from hospital relationships because of the level of control the hospital expects over revenue issues, he said. “In two previous experiences in hospital-contracted — although not employed — groups, I found that hospitals rarely acted in the economic best interests of their doctors,” he said. “They want to control the revenue stream and reap all the benefits.”
In order to attract physician-investors to a center, make it clear that they will have substantial input on the strategic direction and operational decisions at the center if they desire, he said. “Make it clear you are open to accepting their cases — as long as they are profitable to the ASC — and you will work to cut costs to ensure their distributions remain high.”
