Robert Welti, MD, is the senior vice president of operations at Regent Surgical Health in Westchester, Ill. He works with Regent centers to resolve daily issues and serves as Regent's medical director.
Previously, Dr. Welti served as the medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Surgery Center, a Regent facility. He was affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for 20 years and practiced with Anesthesia Medical Group of Santa Barbara. His experience includes both hospital-based surgery centers and smaller physician-owned ASCs.
A board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Welti earned his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and residency. He was a fellow in cardiothoracic anesthesia at Emory University Hospital.
Dr. Welti discussed the transition from physician to administrator to executive in an interview with Becker's ASC Review: "What I learned is that when physicians come into a center, do their cases and leave, it's very rare for a physician to have any idea of how much it really takes to run an ASC," he said. "They come in, do a case and get that snapshot view, but they have no idea how much it takes to run the center in terms of regulatory issues, clinical issues, supply issues, labor issues. Having held both the role of physician and administrator, I thought I was in a pretty good position to understand these organizations from the ground up, but what I needed was then financial education that a company like Regent could give me."
Previously, Dr. Welti served as the medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Surgery Center, a Regent facility. He was affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for 20 years and practiced with Anesthesia Medical Group of Santa Barbara. His experience includes both hospital-based surgery centers and smaller physician-owned ASCs. A board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Welti earned his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and residency. He was a fellow in cardiothoracic anesthesia at Emory University Hospital.
Dr. Welti discussed the transition from physician to administrator to executive in an interview with Becker's ASC Review: "What I learned is that when physicians come into a center, do their cases and leave, it's very rare for a physician to have any idea of how much it really takes to run an ASC," he said. "They come in, do a case and get that snapshot view, but they have no idea how much it takes to run the center in terms of regulatory issues, clinical issues, supply issues, labor issues. Having held both the role of physician and administrator, I thought I was in a pretty good position to understand these organizations from the ground up, but what I needed was then financial education that a company like Regent could give me."