1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,319 Are your patients looking for an easy way 2 00:00:02,319 --> 00:00:04,480 to pay for health care? Want to level 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,639 up the way you do business? Then the 4 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:09,199 CareCredit health and wellness card just might be 5 00:00:09,199 --> 00:00:09,859 the answer. 6 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,460 For over thirty years, CareCredit, a Synchrony solution, 7 00:00:13,759 --> 00:00:16,454 has been providing patients with a modern, flexible 8 00:00:16,454 --> 00:00:18,375 way to pay for their health and wellness 9 00:00:18,375 --> 00:00:18,875 expenses. 10 00:00:19,414 --> 00:00:22,875 CareCredit seamlessly integrates with your business, helping minimize 11 00:00:23,015 --> 00:00:25,975 account receivable, all while your patients enjoy budget 12 00:00:25,975 --> 00:00:27,595 friendly financing options. 13 00:00:28,054 --> 00:00:30,214 To learn more about how CareCredit works for 14 00:00:30,214 --> 00:00:31,274 you and your patients, 15 00:00:31,679 --> 00:00:33,619 visit carecredit.com 16 00:00:33,679 --> 00:00:35,619 forward slash beckers podcast. 17 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,320 This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare 18 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,079 Podcast, and we are live at the business 19 00:00:40,079 --> 00:00:41,619 and operations of ASCs. 20 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,320 I'm joined right now by doctor Chol Kim, 21 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,719 who is a minimally invasive spine surgeon at 22 00:00:46,719 --> 00:00:49,094 Excel Spine Center. So, doctor Kim, thanks for 23 00:00:49,094 --> 00:00:50,615 being here today. We'd love for you to 24 00:00:50,615 --> 00:00:52,375 take a moment to introduce yourself and tell 25 00:00:52,375 --> 00:00:53,815 us a little bit more about your work 26 00:00:53,815 --> 00:00:54,635 in the space. 27 00:00:55,414 --> 00:00:58,075 Let's see. I've been in practice for about 28 00:00:58,215 --> 00:01:00,295 twenty two years. I feel really old now. 29 00:01:00,295 --> 00:01:01,594 It just seems like yesterday. 30 00:01:02,340 --> 00:01:04,759 I'm board certified in orthopedic surgery, 31 00:01:05,619 --> 00:01:07,700 and I did a fellowship in spine surgery 32 00:01:07,700 --> 00:01:08,759 at the Mayo Clinic. 33 00:01:09,379 --> 00:01:11,219 And I pretty much just take care of 34 00:01:11,219 --> 00:01:11,959 spine patients 35 00:01:12,340 --> 00:01:13,959 both in the neck and the back. 36 00:01:14,275 --> 00:01:16,534 And I started out initially at the university, 37 00:01:16,994 --> 00:01:19,094 at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego. 38 00:01:19,954 --> 00:01:21,655 I'm like a San Diego 39 00:01:22,515 --> 00:01:24,754 Native wannabe because I went to undergrad there, 40 00:01:24,754 --> 00:01:25,814 then I went to 41 00:01:26,369 --> 00:01:28,450 residency there, and then I came back there. 42 00:01:28,450 --> 00:01:29,969 My brother went there. I met my wife 43 00:01:29,969 --> 00:01:30,709 there. So, 44 00:01:31,409 --> 00:01:32,950 spent a lot of time in San Diego. 45 00:01:33,090 --> 00:01:35,009 But for the last sixteen years, I've been 46 00:01:35,009 --> 00:01:35,989 in private practice. 47 00:01:36,450 --> 00:01:37,590 And in the last 48 00:01:39,344 --> 00:01:40,084 two years, 49 00:01:40,865 --> 00:01:42,965 essentially since the start of COVID, I've 50 00:01:43,584 --> 00:01:45,125 morphed my practice into 51 00:01:45,905 --> 00:01:47,685 a somewhat unique practice where 52 00:01:48,225 --> 00:01:49,745 for me to practice the medicine that I 53 00:01:49,745 --> 00:01:51,439 do, where I really focus on minimally invasive 54 00:01:51,439 --> 00:01:53,439 surgery and state of the art surgery, especially 55 00:01:53,439 --> 00:01:55,920 endoscopic surgery, which is a total pain, but 56 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,000 more on that later. I couldn't keep up 57 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:58,819 with the insurance. 58 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,359 So, like, my practice now is kind of 59 00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:03,380 an out of network private pay practice 60 00:02:04,135 --> 00:02:05,415 where I don't have to do a lot 61 00:02:05,415 --> 00:02:06,155 of surgeries 62 00:02:06,534 --> 00:02:07,275 per year. 63 00:02:07,814 --> 00:02:09,175 I just do the same number of surgeries 64 00:02:09,175 --> 00:02:11,194 that I've always done. And so 65 00:02:11,895 --> 00:02:13,814 I have kind of a a niche practice 66 00:02:13,814 --> 00:02:15,275 now where I take care of 67 00:02:15,735 --> 00:02:17,729 a few simple problems. Like, I try not 68 00:02:17,729 --> 00:02:19,250 to do everything. I just try to focus 69 00:02:19,250 --> 00:02:20,770 on a few surgeries. I try to do 70 00:02:20,770 --> 00:02:22,930 those surgeries really, really well by being able 71 00:02:22,930 --> 00:02:25,409 to take my time both with the patients 72 00:02:25,409 --> 00:02:26,550 and during surgery 73 00:02:27,009 --> 00:02:29,330 to do the most minimal invasive job possible. 74 00:02:29,330 --> 00:02:29,569 So, 75 00:02:30,724 --> 00:02:32,245 I think I have a bit of a 76 00:02:32,245 --> 00:02:33,944 unique situation in terms 77 00:02:34,405 --> 00:02:35,704 of my my practice 78 00:02:36,164 --> 00:02:38,664 compared to most of my colleagues. Yeah. Absolutely. 79 00:02:38,805 --> 00:02:39,525 Sounds like it. 80 00:02:40,084 --> 00:02:42,644 And let's start our conversation here talking about 81 00:02:42,644 --> 00:02:43,625 ASC volume. 82 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,500 So this is expected to increase by 16% 83 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,060 all across the country by 2032. 84 00:02:50,359 --> 00:02:52,359 With this growth, what is the most pressing 85 00:02:52,359 --> 00:02:54,219 challenge to maintaining a positive 86 00:02:54,759 --> 00:02:56,060 patient care experience? 87 00:02:57,634 --> 00:02:58,694 By the way, that 88 00:02:59,074 --> 00:03:02,034 percent increase, I think, is probably for all 89 00:03:02,034 --> 00:03:02,534 ASC 90 00:03:02,995 --> 00:03:03,495 surgeries. 91 00:03:03,875 --> 00:03:04,375 Yes. 92 00:03:04,675 --> 00:03:06,995 But I think for spine surgeries, you know, 93 00:03:06,995 --> 00:03:08,514 we do a lot of spine surgeries. We 94 00:03:08,514 --> 00:03:09,014 do 95 00:03:09,759 --> 00:03:12,819 300 and something thousand lumbar fusions per year, 96 00:03:13,199 --> 00:03:14,659 and probably a significant 97 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:16,960 majority of those are just simple one and 98 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,020 two level fusions. 99 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:19,939 And then we do probably 100 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,979 well over half a million nonfusion spine procedures. 101 00:03:23,865 --> 00:03:24,365 And 102 00:03:24,985 --> 00:03:26,585 right now, most of those are still done 103 00:03:26,585 --> 00:03:28,664 in the hospital even though they really don't 104 00:03:28,664 --> 00:03:29,485 need to be. 105 00:03:29,944 --> 00:03:30,844 So the likelihood 106 00:03:31,625 --> 00:03:32,125 of 107 00:03:32,585 --> 00:03:34,585 a big change within the spine field, I 108 00:03:34,585 --> 00:03:36,264 think, is gonna be much more dramatic than 109 00:03:36,264 --> 00:03:36,925 the overall 110 00:03:37,629 --> 00:03:38,990 group. I think the same thing will be 111 00:03:38,990 --> 00:03:41,229 for, like, total joints, but I think the 112 00:03:41,229 --> 00:03:42,449 anticipated growth 113 00:03:42,990 --> 00:03:44,750 has to take that into account where it's 114 00:03:44,750 --> 00:03:46,909 not just the general growth, but there's gonna 115 00:03:46,909 --> 00:03:49,150 be some pockets in some areas where they're 116 00:03:49,150 --> 00:03:50,530 gonna grow a lot faster. 117 00:03:51,344 --> 00:03:53,205 And for me, I guess the question is, 118 00:03:53,905 --> 00:03:56,064 are we just trying to recreate a hospital 119 00:03:56,064 --> 00:03:56,805 that does, 120 00:03:57,104 --> 00:03:59,504 you know, a lot of different specialties, but 121 00:03:59,504 --> 00:04:01,584 as an outpatient setting, or should we be 122 00:04:01,584 --> 00:04:02,324 more like 123 00:04:02,944 --> 00:04:04,465 I don't know. In San Diego, we have 124 00:04:04,465 --> 00:04:04,965 this 125 00:04:05,759 --> 00:04:08,099 fast food Mexican restaurant called Roberto's. 126 00:04:08,879 --> 00:04:10,560 And and this is not a place like 127 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,719 that anywhere, not even in LA. But they 128 00:04:12,719 --> 00:04:13,539 just specialize 129 00:04:14,319 --> 00:04:16,160 in kind of what we call street Mexican 130 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,560 food. Same thing with Starbucks. I mean, a 131 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:19,540 highly specialized, 132 00:04:20,514 --> 00:04:21,014 consistent, 133 00:04:21,314 --> 00:04:21,814 efficient 134 00:04:22,194 --> 00:04:22,694 system. 135 00:04:23,314 --> 00:04:23,814 So 136 00:04:24,995 --> 00:04:26,535 I would like to see personally 137 00:04:27,794 --> 00:04:30,035 surgery centers that may just specialize in spine 138 00:04:30,035 --> 00:04:32,454 surgery or just two or three subspecialties 139 00:04:32,754 --> 00:04:35,509 instead of I see a lot of orthopedic 140 00:04:35,569 --> 00:04:36,629 surgery, gastrointestinal, 141 00:04:37,329 --> 00:04:37,829 ENT, 142 00:04:38,449 --> 00:04:38,949 gastric, 143 00:04:39,569 --> 00:04:41,430 gastric bypass that's called bariatric, 144 00:04:42,209 --> 00:04:43,269 and even GI. 145 00:04:44,370 --> 00:04:46,370 And I can't remember if I've mentioned ENT, 146 00:04:46,370 --> 00:04:47,914 but, I mean, having, 147 00:04:48,214 --> 00:04:50,875 you know, five, six, seven different specialties makes 148 00:04:51,495 --> 00:04:53,254 the growth of ASCs kind of, 149 00:04:53,974 --> 00:04:57,095 in my mind, not as meaningful as if 150 00:04:57,095 --> 00:04:59,754 we use this opportunity to really subspecialize 151 00:05:00,055 --> 00:05:02,154 because I just really can't imagine 152 00:05:02,899 --> 00:05:05,080 how anybody can do better. For example, 153 00:05:05,860 --> 00:05:07,560 in the outpatient spine setting, 154 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:09,800 if you're trying to compete with a 155 00:05:11,220 --> 00:05:14,120 a center that just does spine compared to 156 00:05:15,144 --> 00:05:17,305 another center that does, like, two or three 157 00:05:17,305 --> 00:05:19,144 or four different specialties, it would be very 158 00:05:19,144 --> 00:05:21,805 difficult to compete within that spine field. So 159 00:05:22,024 --> 00:05:22,685 I hope 160 00:05:23,064 --> 00:05:24,904 it's not just about the growth, but about 161 00:05:24,904 --> 00:05:26,664 a fundamental change in just the way we 162 00:05:26,664 --> 00:05:27,884 deliver health care. 163 00:05:28,939 --> 00:05:31,580 Absolutely. And going off of those points that 164 00:05:31,580 --> 00:05:33,360 you made, I'd love to know what strategies 165 00:05:33,420 --> 00:05:35,420 have worked for your organization as you tackle 166 00:05:35,420 --> 00:05:36,480 some of those challenges 167 00:05:36,860 --> 00:05:38,860 and what recommendations you may have for health 168 00:05:38,860 --> 00:05:40,560 care leaders looking to stay ahead. 169 00:05:41,665 --> 00:05:43,125 A lot of 170 00:05:44,145 --> 00:05:44,645 success 171 00:05:45,025 --> 00:05:47,185 in the outpatient setting has to do with 172 00:05:47,185 --> 00:05:48,004 what patients 173 00:05:49,185 --> 00:05:50,884 are expecting to occur. 174 00:05:51,745 --> 00:05:53,824 So if if you just let a patient 175 00:05:53,824 --> 00:05:55,345 decide how long they wanna stay in the 176 00:05:55,345 --> 00:05:57,509 hospital after any spine procedure, they'll wanna stay 177 00:05:57,509 --> 00:05:59,110 in for, like, a week because they just 178 00:05:59,110 --> 00:06:00,629 think it's better even though it's not. They 179 00:06:00,629 --> 00:06:01,029 just 180 00:06:01,430 --> 00:06:03,349 you know how sometimes people just don't know 181 00:06:03,349 --> 00:06:05,589 what's what's good for them because they just 182 00:06:05,589 --> 00:06:07,669 haven't experienced it yet? Mhmm. And we're the 183 00:06:07,669 --> 00:06:08,169 experts. 184 00:06:08,495 --> 00:06:10,895 And so you have to start from the 185 00:06:10,895 --> 00:06:11,395 beginning 186 00:06:12,335 --> 00:06:15,535 and establish the expectation that, like, we're doing 187 00:06:15,535 --> 00:06:18,495 mental invasive surgery here. Everyone goes home, and 188 00:06:18,495 --> 00:06:19,955 it's better to be home 189 00:06:20,814 --> 00:06:21,555 and have 190 00:06:22,159 --> 00:06:23,839 a compelling message to that. I mean, my 191 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:25,220 compelling message is that 192 00:06:25,759 --> 00:06:27,379 sleep is such an important part 193 00:06:28,159 --> 00:06:30,819 of healing and just feeling comfortable. And 194 00:06:31,599 --> 00:06:33,839 the best example is you may have gone 195 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,000 to the most awesome vacation in the most 196 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,824 beautiful tropical setting, But when you walk in 197 00:06:38,824 --> 00:06:41,384 through your door and put your suitcases down 198 00:06:41,384 --> 00:06:43,305 in your living room, assuming you like your 199 00:06:43,305 --> 00:06:46,105 house, you get that feeling like, oh, it's 200 00:06:46,105 --> 00:06:47,645 still good to be home. 201 00:06:48,025 --> 00:06:49,785 And that is an important part of the 202 00:06:49,785 --> 00:06:52,699 healing process. So that sleep and a bunch 203 00:06:52,699 --> 00:06:53,519 of other things, 204 00:06:53,819 --> 00:06:55,420 staying in the hospital just delays things. So 205 00:06:55,420 --> 00:06:57,100 you you get it from the beginning so 206 00:06:57,100 --> 00:06:59,680 that patients are expecting minimal 207 00:07:00,220 --> 00:07:02,480 invasive surgery expecting to go home, 208 00:07:02,860 --> 00:07:05,360 expecting that to be better of an experience, 209 00:07:05,580 --> 00:07:07,305 which it should be, but you have to 210 00:07:07,305 --> 00:07:08,285 actually then 211 00:07:08,985 --> 00:07:10,985 get the buy in of all the people 212 00:07:10,985 --> 00:07:13,625 that are participating in the care. Even the 213 00:07:13,625 --> 00:07:15,705 preoperative nurses, as well as the post op 214 00:07:15,705 --> 00:07:18,264 nurses, but especially the post op nurses, they 215 00:07:18,264 --> 00:07:20,105 have to know how to manage all the 216 00:07:20,105 --> 00:07:22,040 little things things that come up because a 217 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:23,319 lot of it has to do with patient 218 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:25,019 anxiety. And I get it. 219 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:27,879 I mean, when you don't know anything about 220 00:07:27,879 --> 00:07:29,959 something and it's happening to you, it's really 221 00:07:29,959 --> 00:07:33,180 scary, especially when you're having spine surgery. So 222 00:07:33,814 --> 00:07:35,735 there has to be a level of education, 223 00:07:35,735 --> 00:07:36,794 not just in terms 224 00:07:37,495 --> 00:07:39,354 of the medicine part of it, but 225 00:07:39,814 --> 00:07:40,314 the 226 00:07:41,415 --> 00:07:44,214 the kind of the art of caring for 227 00:07:44,214 --> 00:07:46,794 patients. I guess the closest thing would be, 228 00:07:47,129 --> 00:07:49,529 like, in the hotel industry, somebody that, like, 229 00:07:49,529 --> 00:07:51,529 is really good with customer service and knows 230 00:07:51,529 --> 00:07:53,470 how to, like, calm people down. 231 00:07:53,770 --> 00:07:54,589 Yeah. Absolutely. 232 00:07:55,050 --> 00:07:56,750 Because sick people are kind 233 00:07:57,050 --> 00:07:57,629 of crazy. 234 00:07:58,730 --> 00:07:59,629 Like you know? 235 00:08:00,089 --> 00:08:01,069 And I get it. 236 00:08:01,544 --> 00:08:03,865 A %. Well, thank you for your insights 237 00:08:03,865 --> 00:08:06,824 on that topic. Shifting gears just slightly toward 238 00:08:06,824 --> 00:08:09,704 the financial side, how can leaders ensure their 239 00:08:09,704 --> 00:08:11,944 staff are well equipped to help patients navigate 240 00:08:11,944 --> 00:08:14,024 the financial aspects of care, and how does 241 00:08:14,024 --> 00:08:16,044 this benefit patient provider relationships? 242 00:08:17,610 --> 00:08:19,610 That is a tough question for me to 243 00:08:19,610 --> 00:08:20,669 answer because 244 00:08:22,009 --> 00:08:25,129 I'm in a a strange situation where, as 245 00:08:25,129 --> 00:08:25,870 the physician, 246 00:08:26,649 --> 00:08:28,729 not only am I trained, but just in 247 00:08:28,729 --> 00:08:29,789 my kind of, 248 00:08:31,274 --> 00:08:33,754 I don't know, my hardwiring, it's really hard 249 00:08:33,754 --> 00:08:35,534 to, like, take care of a patient 250 00:08:35,914 --> 00:08:38,235 and try to worry about how much things 251 00:08:38,235 --> 00:08:40,014 are gonna cost even though 252 00:08:40,394 --> 00:08:42,075 you have to to a certain extent. But 253 00:08:42,075 --> 00:08:42,735 I really 254 00:08:43,195 --> 00:08:45,615 have a hard time dissociating things because 255 00:08:46,389 --> 00:08:48,149 as I mentioned, you know, my practice is 256 00:08:48,149 --> 00:08:49,990 kind of geared toward, like, a really high 257 00:08:49,990 --> 00:08:52,549 level of service where I don't rely on 258 00:08:52,549 --> 00:08:54,149 what I think insurance should pay me. I 259 00:08:54,149 --> 00:08:55,589 rely on what I think I should be 260 00:08:55,589 --> 00:08:57,509 paid for the amount of time and effort 261 00:08:57,509 --> 00:08:58,970 that I put into it. And and 262 00:09:00,355 --> 00:09:01,554 when I see a patient in front of 263 00:09:01,554 --> 00:09:02,514 me, I take care of them like they're 264 00:09:02,514 --> 00:09:04,195 my own family. And and spine patients can 265 00:09:04,195 --> 00:09:05,174 be kinda complicated 266 00:09:05,794 --> 00:09:07,315 because you can't just look at the imaging 267 00:09:07,315 --> 00:09:10,375 studies to decide. So I would say that, 268 00:09:11,875 --> 00:09:13,495 really focusing on 269 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,940 providing the highest quality of service 270 00:09:19,759 --> 00:09:21,779 and try not to think about the costs 271 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:23,920 is the way I go about doing business. 272 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,759 But I just don't think that that's something 273 00:09:25,759 --> 00:09:26,899 that is 274 00:09:27,245 --> 00:09:29,324 for everybody. I I guess I'm just lucky 275 00:09:29,324 --> 00:09:30,625 and that I have this little, 276 00:09:31,164 --> 00:09:32,544 like, false world 277 00:09:33,485 --> 00:09:35,164 that I have to myself right now. But 278 00:09:35,164 --> 00:09:36,845 I guess that's my long winded way of 279 00:09:36,845 --> 00:09:38,524 saying I really don't know how to balance 280 00:09:38,524 --> 00:09:41,245 those two things. And I'm lucky that I 281 00:09:41,245 --> 00:09:42,384 don't have to because 282 00:09:43,669 --> 00:09:45,429 I don't I can't imagine anybody can do 283 00:09:45,429 --> 00:09:47,750 that well. That's gonna require some really smart 284 00:09:47,750 --> 00:09:49,690 people that knows both medicine 285 00:09:50,549 --> 00:09:53,049 and, you know, the business of health care. 286 00:09:53,269 --> 00:09:53,769 Absolutely. 287 00:09:54,629 --> 00:09:56,804 Well, as we wrap our conversation up today, 288 00:09:56,804 --> 00:09:58,485 is there any closing remarks you'd like to 289 00:09:58,485 --> 00:09:59,465 share on the podcast? 290 00:10:00,565 --> 00:10:03,125 I really am excited about the future of 291 00:10:03,125 --> 00:10:05,284 the spine field because, you know, as a 292 00:10:05,284 --> 00:10:07,044 spine surgeon, that's really the only field that 293 00:10:07,044 --> 00:10:09,705 I know. But I suspect that 294 00:10:10,059 --> 00:10:12,300 many people that are listening, I suspect that 295 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:13,120 even you 296 00:10:14,059 --> 00:10:15,200 either know someone, 297 00:10:16,059 --> 00:10:17,440 that has a spine problem. 298 00:10:17,820 --> 00:10:20,779 And the general thinking is that that's a 299 00:10:20,779 --> 00:10:21,759 scary proposition. 300 00:10:22,540 --> 00:10:24,300 The idea that you might might need spine 301 00:10:24,300 --> 00:10:24,800 surgery 302 00:10:26,295 --> 00:10:27,274 for most people 303 00:10:27,654 --> 00:10:28,154 generates 304 00:10:28,774 --> 00:10:31,335 an unusually high level of fear. Mhmm. And 305 00:10:31,335 --> 00:10:31,835 it's 306 00:10:32,215 --> 00:10:34,535 in some ways justified, but in general, most 307 00:10:34,535 --> 00:10:37,095 spine patients do well. And those patients, they 308 00:10:37,095 --> 00:10:38,934 kinda forget they had a spine problem. It's 309 00:10:38,934 --> 00:10:40,840 all the patients that don't have that don't 310 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,080 do well after spine surgery that they know, 311 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:44,919 and most patients are doing horribly. So it 312 00:10:44,919 --> 00:10:47,100 just seems like no one does well. But 313 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,200 by and large, we're getting better and better 314 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:51,179 and better. And 315 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:52,779 as we 316 00:10:53,834 --> 00:10:55,454 do things more as an outpatient 317 00:10:56,074 --> 00:10:59,034 and we have the ability to track our 318 00:10:59,034 --> 00:11:00,254 patients, it's almost 319 00:11:00,794 --> 00:11:03,514 difficult now to not track our patients because 320 00:11:03,514 --> 00:11:05,914 our patients are tracking themselves through all these 321 00:11:05,914 --> 00:11:06,814 digital means. 322 00:11:07,329 --> 00:11:07,829 So 323 00:11:08,370 --> 00:11:10,370 the future of spine care is just, I 324 00:11:10,370 --> 00:11:11,110 think, gonna 325 00:11:11,730 --> 00:11:14,070 take a a dramatic turn 326 00:11:14,610 --> 00:11:15,589 for the better. 327 00:11:16,209 --> 00:11:18,870 And this may sound very egocentric, but 328 00:11:19,570 --> 00:11:21,110 seems like spine is 329 00:11:22,485 --> 00:11:24,325 really in need of a great amount of 330 00:11:24,325 --> 00:11:26,504 improvement, and we're gonna make a big improvement. 331 00:11:26,725 --> 00:11:28,404 Whereas a lot of the other specialties are 332 00:11:28,404 --> 00:11:30,825 already pretty dang good. Like OrthoSports 333 00:11:31,764 --> 00:11:33,285 and total knees and total hips, those are, 334 00:11:33,285 --> 00:11:34,644 like, some of the best surgeries that we 335 00:11:34,644 --> 00:11:36,745 do. Spinal fusion surgery, 336 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,160 I suspect if we just had, like, a 337 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,440 just a random poll of opinions, they would 338 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:42,960 put that at the bottom even though it's 339 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:44,019 really not. But 340 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,320 we're on the cusp of making that so 341 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,059 much better 342 00:11:47,519 --> 00:11:48,259 just by 343 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:50,899 the new technologies that are coming out, 344 00:11:51,455 --> 00:11:54,174 which not only includes minimal invasive techniques, but 345 00:11:54,174 --> 00:11:56,654 with navigation and robotics, it it's all coming 346 00:11:56,654 --> 00:11:57,154 together, 347 00:11:57,615 --> 00:12:00,654 combined with the ability to track our results 348 00:12:00,654 --> 00:12:02,095 for the first time, whether we like it 349 00:12:02,095 --> 00:12:03,535 or not. And if you don't track your 350 00:12:03,535 --> 00:12:05,054 results, it's really hard to figure out if 351 00:12:05,054 --> 00:12:06,330 you're gonna get better or not. 352 00:12:07,210 --> 00:12:08,970 And when people are tracking you, you tend 353 00:12:08,970 --> 00:12:10,410 to be a lot more careful, and I 354 00:12:10,410 --> 00:12:12,730 think that's gonna be an important part of 355 00:12:12,730 --> 00:12:15,210 the future of the field of spine. And 356 00:12:15,210 --> 00:12:17,370 it's gonna be a a good future if 357 00:12:17,370 --> 00:12:18,914 it goes in the direction that I think. 358 00:12:19,315 --> 00:12:21,554 Absolutely. Well, doctor Kim, thank you for joining 359 00:12:21,554 --> 00:12:23,634 me today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Again, 360 00:12:23,634 --> 00:12:25,495 we are live at the business and operations 361 00:12:25,714 --> 00:12:28,375 of ASCs. Thank you. Thank you.