With over 15 years of experience as a healthcare executive — first as CEO and CFO of a healthcare IT company and later as CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners, David F. "Buddy" Bacon Jr., CPA, understands why healthcare facilities succeed and fail. In a September interview with Becker's ASC Review, he addressed one of the greatest challenges for surgery centers currently: physician recruitment.
I believe the greatest opportunity for ASCs on the physician recruitment side is neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons," he said. "With the advancement of technology and payors recognizing the benefit of migrating spine procedures to an outpatient setting, this is the next opportunity for physician recruitment. Also, moving spine to an outpatient setting is another opportunity for ASCs to increase the efficiency in the delivery of healthcare."
Mr. Bacon also defended the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of surgery centers, saying the current healthcare climate demands a setting where patients can be treated safely for less cost. "It is clearly a more cost-effective means of healthcare delivery," he said. "In a time when our federal government is looking to save money, they need to focus on the benefits of moving surgery to an outpatient setting. I continue to believe that physician investment will continue to grow in the next several years. Obviously the opportunity is not as great as it was 15 years ago, but it is a proven business model for the patient, payor and physician."
As CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners, Mr. Bacon has helped bolster the Nashville ASC industry and has led Meridian Surgical Partners in buying multi-specialty centers in Nebraska, California, Florida and Texas, among others.
From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Bacon served as CEO and CFO of Medifaxi-EDI, a healthcare IT company based in Nashville, Tenn. In 2001, when the company was acquired by Crescent Capital in Atlanta, Ga., Mr. Bacon was promoted to CEO of Medifax-EDI and spent the next two years significantly growing the company. It was eventually sold to WebMD in 2003 for $365 million. Mr. Bacon would found Meridian Surgical Partners with Kenneth Hancock and Catherine W. Kowalski in 2006.
Prior to his work with Medifax-EDI, Mr. Bacon worked in public accounting with Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain, where he focused on corporate audit tax. He graduated from Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tenn.
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I believe the greatest opportunity for ASCs on the physician recruitment side is neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons," he said. "With the advancement of technology and payors recognizing the benefit of migrating spine procedures to an outpatient setting, this is the next opportunity for physician recruitment. Also, moving spine to an outpatient setting is another opportunity for ASCs to increase the efficiency in the delivery of healthcare."
Mr. Bacon also defended the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of surgery centers, saying the current healthcare climate demands a setting where patients can be treated safely for less cost. "It is clearly a more cost-effective means of healthcare delivery," he said. "In a time when our federal government is looking to save money, they need to focus on the benefits of moving surgery to an outpatient setting. I continue to believe that physician investment will continue to grow in the next several years. Obviously the opportunity is not as great as it was 15 years ago, but it is a proven business model for the patient, payor and physician."
As CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners, Mr. Bacon has helped bolster the Nashville ASC industry and has led Meridian Surgical Partners in buying multi-specialty centers in Nebraska, California, Florida and Texas, among others.
From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Bacon served as CEO and CFO of Medifaxi-EDI, a healthcare IT company based in Nashville, Tenn. In 2001, when the company was acquired by Crescent Capital in Atlanta, Ga., Mr. Bacon was promoted to CEO of Medifax-EDI and spent the next two years significantly growing the company. It was eventually sold to WebMD in 2003 for $365 million. Mr. Bacon would found Meridian Surgical Partners with Kenneth Hancock and Catherine W. Kowalski in 2006.
Prior to his work with Medifax-EDI, Mr. Bacon worked in public accounting with Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain, where he focused on corporate audit tax. He graduated from Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tenn.
Related Articles on ASC Leaders:
ASC Industry Leader to Know: Fernando Bermudez, MD
ASC Industry Leader to Know: Brent Ashby of Audubon Surgery Center
ASC Industry Leader to Know: Tom Deas Jr., MD