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To learn 13 00:00:30,649 --> 00:00:32,929 more, visit carecredit.com 14 00:00:32,929 --> 00:00:34,789 forward slash beckerspodcast. 15 00:00:35,570 --> 00:00:37,829 Hello, and welcome to the Becker's Healthcare podcast 16 00:00:37,890 --> 00:00:40,149 recorded live at the Becker's twenty second annual 17 00:00:40,369 --> 00:00:43,250 Spine Orthopedic and Pain Management Driven ASC and 18 00:00:43,250 --> 00:00:44,549 Future of Spine Conference. 19 00:00:44,895 --> 00:00:47,135 I'm joined today by doctor Omar Kokar, managing 20 00:00:47,135 --> 00:00:49,854 partner at Illinois Gastro Health. Omar, thank you 21 00:00:49,854 --> 00:00:51,375 for joining us today. Can you start a 22 00:00:51,375 --> 00:00:52,655 bit by telling us a little bit about 23 00:00:52,655 --> 00:00:54,115 yourself and your role with your organization? 24 00:00:54,575 --> 00:00:56,734 Thanks for having me. I'm the managing partner 25 00:00:56,734 --> 00:00:59,140 for Illinois Gastro Health. We are a three 26 00:00:59,140 --> 00:01:02,260 member GI organization. We are affiliated with OSF 27 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:05,879 HealthCare in Bloomington, Illinois, and we serve the 28 00:01:06,099 --> 00:01:08,120 digestive needs of McLean County. 29 00:01:08,739 --> 00:01:11,078 So what trends or shifts are you seeing 30 00:01:11,078 --> 00:01:13,779 right now in the industry that you think 31 00:01:13,779 --> 00:01:16,481 are most important for industry leaders to pay 32 00:01:16,481 --> 00:01:19,182 attention to? I think the biggest crunch that 33 00:01:19,182 --> 00:01:21,884 we're facing in GI is the confluence of 34 00:01:21,884 --> 00:01:24,000 increased demand, and that's a toxic sort of 35 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,540 storm that's come together with 36 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,739 people living longer, requiring more surveillance exams, 37 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,920 and earlier screening age 45 as opposed to 38 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:32,420 50. 39 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,379 So the demand has increased 40 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,219 for endoscopic procedures. 41 00:01:38,265 --> 00:01:40,665 But what's happening is that because of early 42 00:01:40,665 --> 00:01:41,165 retirements, 43 00:01:41,865 --> 00:01:43,885 primarily affected by COVID and otherwise, 44 00:01:44,265 --> 00:01:46,605 along with the difficulty in recruiting and replacing 45 00:01:46,665 --> 00:01:49,344 that workforce, especially outside of urban areas Mhmm. 46 00:01:49,465 --> 00:01:50,844 Has created a very 47 00:01:51,730 --> 00:01:52,230 disproportionate, 48 00:01:52,770 --> 00:01:55,409 supply demand ratio Mhmm. In GI, leading to 49 00:01:55,409 --> 00:01:56,549 prolonged wait times, 50 00:01:57,090 --> 00:01:59,510 which coupled with declining reimbursement 51 00:01:59,890 --> 00:02:03,030 Mhmm. Has made this specialty very challenging. 52 00:02:03,825 --> 00:02:06,645 So as you mentioned, staffing and workforce challenges, 53 00:02:07,105 --> 00:02:09,104 continue to be a concern across health care. 54 00:02:09,104 --> 00:02:11,905 How is your organization navigating these pressures and, 55 00:02:12,224 --> 00:02:14,004 what strategies have you seen work? 56 00:02:14,625 --> 00:02:16,805 I think we have to be flexible. Mhmm. 57 00:02:17,150 --> 00:02:18,689 I think we have to 58 00:02:19,230 --> 00:02:19,730 meet 59 00:02:20,909 --> 00:02:22,450 people where they are. Mhmm. 60 00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:24,770 The days of someone 61 00:02:25,950 --> 00:02:28,349 adapting to our needs Mhmm. 100% 62 00:02:28,349 --> 00:02:31,055 of the time are not here anymore. Mhmm. 63 00:02:31,055 --> 00:02:33,314 I think everyone, whether it's a clinician, 64 00:02:33,694 --> 00:02:34,514 work staff, 65 00:02:35,294 --> 00:02:37,555 anybody from top across the spectrum, 66 00:02:37,854 --> 00:02:39,614 they're looking for work life balance, and they're 67 00:02:39,614 --> 00:02:41,715 looking for flexibility. Mhmm. Mhmm. 68 00:02:42,389 --> 00:02:46,489 So as many organizations are exploring new technologies, 69 00:02:46,789 --> 00:02:49,430 partnerships, or care models to improve efficiency and 70 00:02:49,430 --> 00:02:49,930 outcomes, 71 00:02:50,549 --> 00:02:52,949 are there any innovations or initiatives that you 72 00:02:52,949 --> 00:02:54,409 found particularly promising? 73 00:02:55,125 --> 00:02:57,125 Well, what we've used over the last year 74 00:02:57,125 --> 00:02:59,305 is artificial intelligence during colonoscopy. 75 00:03:00,004 --> 00:03:02,004 And so that's improved the efficiency of our 76 00:03:02,004 --> 00:03:05,365 colonoscopy and our ability to detect precancerous polyps. 77 00:03:05,365 --> 00:03:07,050 I think the next step for us is 78 00:03:07,290 --> 00:03:09,710 how do we use artificial intelligence to preemptively 79 00:03:10,010 --> 00:03:11,389 scour our referral database 80 00:03:11,930 --> 00:03:13,849 so that they can put so that it 81 00:03:13,849 --> 00:03:15,150 can potentially identify 82 00:03:15,770 --> 00:03:17,370 those patients who are at higher risk for 83 00:03:17,370 --> 00:03:19,544 developing colon cancer and make sure they get 84 00:03:19,544 --> 00:03:21,064 to the top of our list so they're 85 00:03:21,064 --> 00:03:22,844 not waiting six months for their colonoscopy. 86 00:03:23,224 --> 00:03:23,724 Mhmm. 87 00:03:24,104 --> 00:03:25,965 And, you know, financial transparency 88 00:03:26,264 --> 00:03:28,104 is something that is being talked about more 89 00:03:28,104 --> 00:03:29,724 and more in the health care space. 90 00:03:30,264 --> 00:03:33,319 In your view, how does strengthening financial communication, 91 00:03:33,860 --> 00:03:36,580 help foster long term trust and loyalty between 92 00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:37,560 patients and providers? 93 00:03:38,259 --> 00:03:40,199 Well, I think take colonoscopy, 94 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:42,759 for example. I mean, the the payments 95 00:03:43,300 --> 00:03:45,300 or the amount due to a patient could 96 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:48,325 be zero Mhmm. Or it could be $8,000. 97 00:03:48,325 --> 00:03:51,224 Right. The procedure itself is the same. Mhmm. 98 00:03:51,685 --> 00:03:53,925 There might be some regional differences. You know? 99 00:03:53,925 --> 00:03:56,665 You expect maybe a 10 or 20% 100 00:03:56,724 --> 00:03:58,665 adjustment depending where you are. 101 00:03:59,045 --> 00:03:59,545 But 102 00:04:00,325 --> 00:04:02,344 in a perfect world, there should be 103 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:04,590 every every place should have a cash pay 104 00:04:04,590 --> 00:04:06,830 option. Mhmm. Mhmm. And let the consumer decide 105 00:04:07,310 --> 00:04:09,069 Right. Whether they wanna go through their insurance 106 00:04:09,069 --> 00:04:11,150 or not, and let them do the research 107 00:04:11,150 --> 00:04:14,030 and enable them to make that decision. But 108 00:04:14,030 --> 00:04:14,909 in order for us 109 00:04:15,469 --> 00:04:17,324 in order for them to do that, we 110 00:04:17,324 --> 00:04:18,605 have to give them that missing piece of 111 00:04:18,605 --> 00:04:21,564 information Mhmm. Mhmm. Which often is very gray 112 00:04:21,564 --> 00:04:24,764 and vague. Sometimes by design, sometimes just because 113 00:04:24,764 --> 00:04:26,685 we're not used to doing it. Right. Right. 114 00:04:26,685 --> 00:04:27,964 And do you think a lot of patients 115 00:04:27,964 --> 00:04:29,645 just don't know that that cash pay is 116 00:04:29,645 --> 00:04:31,165 even an option in a lot of cases? 117 00:04:31,165 --> 00:04:34,779 Or Very much so. Mhmm. Mhmm. Well, Omar, 118 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:36,360 I wanna thank you again for joining us 119 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:37,639 today on the show. But before I let 120 00:04:37,639 --> 00:04:38,919 you go, do you have any final thoughts 121 00:04:38,919 --> 00:04:40,040 or anything you'd like to leave with the 122 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:40,860 audience today? 123 00:04:41,399 --> 00:04:43,560 I think what I come back to all 124 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:44,620 the time is 125 00:04:46,185 --> 00:04:48,504 because the reality of the situation is that 126 00:04:48,504 --> 00:04:49,004 payers 127 00:04:50,024 --> 00:04:51,964 are the ones who are paying and reimbursing 128 00:04:52,104 --> 00:04:52,604 us. 129 00:04:53,464 --> 00:04:55,245 We need to meet with them to demonstrate 130 00:04:55,384 --> 00:04:57,644 the value of what we do. Mhmm. Mhmm. 131 00:04:58,024 --> 00:04:59,784 And if we can do that in a 132 00:04:59,784 --> 00:05:00,844 collegial manner, 133 00:05:01,529 --> 00:05:04,910 looking at their bottom line, our bottom line, 134 00:05:05,370 --> 00:05:06,750 the patient's bottom line, 135 00:05:07,689 --> 00:05:10,170 ideally, we would like to Venn diagram that 136 00:05:10,170 --> 00:05:12,170 to a place that works for everybody Mhmm. 137 00:05:12,250 --> 00:05:12,750 Where 138 00:05:13,290 --> 00:05:14,509 clinicians aren't 139 00:05:15,134 --> 00:05:18,834 strapped resource wise, patients are getting large bills, 140 00:05:19,295 --> 00:05:22,355 and the payers are generating record profits. Mhmm. 141 00:05:22,495 --> 00:05:24,675 There's something skewed about that picture. 142 00:05:25,214 --> 00:05:27,714 Mhmm. And so I think realigning that 143 00:05:28,095 --> 00:05:29,454 to me is what the need of the 144 00:05:29,454 --> 00:05:32,120 hour is. Right. Right. Right. I really like 145 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,199 that. Well, Omar, thank you again for joining 146 00:05:34,199 --> 00:05:35,480 us, and you have a lovely rest of 147 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:37,420 your day. Thank you. Thanks for having me.