This week, as many of you are well aware, was the annual OrthoForum conference in Austin, Texas. This collection of forward-thinking, independent orthopedic providers gathers each year to share learnings, data, insights, and maybe a cocktail or two. The Hatch team is lucky (and grateful) to be included.
As this was my first opportunity to attend, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Most conferences lack energy and are a good excuse to explore a new city while cutting out of work for a few days. OrthoForum was far from that. The content was valuable, the agenda was action-oriented, and there was clear excitement from the attendees to be there.
The two key themes I saw were the importance of creating easier access for consumers, specifically 24/7/365, and developing a comprehensive employer offering. Where Hatch works to support both of these strategies, I am admittedly biased but excited to see the focus both of these topics garner.
Below is a brief overview of the takeaways:
Practices need the ability to service their patient population anytime, anywhere. In the digital era, consumers demand convenient and virtual options, but healthcare is lagging behind.
The 24/7 concept has expanded from the ability to schedule an appointment online in the coming days to needing answers to clinical questions in a matter of minutes from the couch.
The value of anytime access goes beyond consumerism or new patient acquisition. Troy Simonson, CEO of Proliance, brought up a great point in his presentation that is often overlooked; offering digital access for your local consumers also allows you to cover urgent care clinics when there may be a staffing shortage. He even questioned if a 24/7/365 offering could one day reduce the need for so many labor intensive, fixed cost facilities.
I asked Alicia Daniel, CFO of OrthoLoneStar, what the biggest threat is for independent practices in 2024. She said the pressures and influences impacting access for patients and providers. Whether that be payor specific, geographic distance, or technological advancement, consumers need access to your practices, and that isn’t just in person or during the hours of 8am - 5pm.
The need for access is not going away. Practices adopting a 24/7/365 approach will be the leaders in their markets and stand out to their consumers.
(Sidenote: be on the lookout next week for a new Hatch product to support our 24/7/365 access mission!)
I’ve long discussed the wide spectrum of what a “direct-to-employer” relationship is. The conference did a great job laying out many options to advance your employer model. Strategies like:
Overwhelmingly, the feedback I heard on the floor was the difficulty building these relationships. Starting small and working up seems to be the consensus, but breaking through the broker, consultant, and TPA veil can be time-consuming and difficult.
The key to getting through is a compelling offer (i.e., quality, cost, and access), a strategy for engaging employees, and a lot of patience.
I spoke with Kevin Joyce, CEO of Orlando Orthopaedic, and he shared his focus on working closely with employers to steer their employees to lower-cost, higher-quality settings. Network design is a great start, but real engagement comes from working alongside the employer to create strategies and programs to drive utilization toward you.
During a week when a subsidiary of the largest payor in the world was rendered useless because of a cyber attack, it’s one more reason orthopedic groups must dislodge themselves from carriers' overreach. If payors are the toxin, employer relationships are the antidote.
Leaving Austin, I am more excited than ever about the future of care delivery in orthopedics and how we can support our partners on their journey. Where there are many headwinds facing the industry, this week gave me confidence that we are collectively going the right direction.
Thanks for having us OrthoForum team!
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