PRACTITIONER SPOTLIGHT:
Dr. Berger discusses his practice's transition
to private equity
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Dr. Aaron Berger |
In this video interview, Dr. Aaron Berger discusses his positive experience with private equity. He goes into detail about the research that affected the decision process, the early discussions, and the emotions felt throughout the transition to PE. He also talks candidly about how the change has affected day-to-day processes, patient perception of the change and misconceptions about PE.
Aaron D. Berger, M.D. earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin with a major in biochemistry and molecular biology. He attended medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles to earn his M.D. He completed his residency in Urology at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. Dr. Berger completed a fellowship at the University of California San Francisco in Laparoscopy, Endourology and Robotic Surgery. He is a member of the American Urological Association and LUGPA.
Watch the full interview with Dr. Aaron Berger here or read the transcript.
LUGPA Annual Meeting in Orlando highest-attended meeting to date!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Orlando November 2-4 for the LUGPA 2023 Annual Meeting to learn, exchange ideas and to celebrate 15 years of LUGPA accomplishments in support of independent urology practices. It was our highest-attended meeting to date with more than 1100 in attendance. A big thank you to our 59+ amazing exhibitors as well!
At the meeting, LUGPA’s membership reelected its Board of Directors and welcomed two new members to the Board of Directors: David Morris, MD, and Kirsten Anderson, CMPE, CPC, CASC.
During his Presidential Update at the 2023 LUGPA Annual Meeting, Dr. Goldfischer presented awards to several outstanding LUGPA members. Some recipients opted to record thank you remarks. Those recordings can be found here.
For a limited time, ALL THE PHOTOS from the Annual Meeting can be found here.
Follow #LUGPA2023 on social media to access more news and photos from the event.
Save the Date:
2024 Resident Urology Summit & Job Fair
March 1-2, 2024 at the
Grand Hyatt DFW Hotel
(International Airport) in Dallas, TX.
LUGPA’s Urology Resident Summit and Job Fair is an essential professional education and networking opportunity for physicians in residency and those completing their final year in residency.
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Click above to see photos from LUGPA's
last Resident Summit and Job Fair. |
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Education you can't get anywhere else!
This FREE program is dedicated to supporting PGY2, 3, 4 and 5 urology residents during their transition to full-time practice. The Urology Resident Summit and Job Fair covers the latest insights and crucial topics on various practice settings, vetting employment contracts and important questions to ask when interviewing.
Looking to meet employers?
The program offers residents an opportunity to personally engage with key urology leaders from some of the largest independent urology practices in the country. Representatives from LUGPA urology practices will be available in the exhibit area to discuss current job opportunities at their practice.
Residents will be reimbursed for travel-related expenses and LUGPA will cover a two-nights stay at the venue hotel.
REGISTRATION: Registration will open here in late 2023.
Our Media Monitor newsletter provides a curated view of news headlines relevant to LUGPA members. Here are a few selected articles from recent issues.
Proposed Bill Would Bring More Analysis to Impact of Health Care Consolidation
Ron Southwick, Medical Economics
Congressional lawmakers have introduced a new bill, the Providers and Payers COMPETE Act of 2023, that could bring more scrutiny to hospital and health care mergers. The lawmakers say the bill would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to examine how the regulatory process is affecting health care mergers and produce annual reports to Congress determining whether Medicare payment rules are affecting consolidation. "Our health care system demands a comprehensive examination to eliminate anti-competitive practices," said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), one of the bill’s sponsors. "This legislation will empower HHS with a thorough understanding of the implications of new payment proposals, fostering a climate of competition and shielding American patients from exorbitant health care costs. By doing so, we are safeguarding both patient autonomy and financial well-being."
Independent Hospital Acquisitions Tied to Higher Health Care Prices
Victoria Bailey, RevCycleIntelligence
Independent hospital acquisitions led to higher health care prices for consumers and poorer care quality, a recent report from Elevance Health revealed. Health systems are increasingly acquiring independent hospitals. The study found that payers and consumers experienced higher prices following acquisitions—average inpatient prices for commercially insured patients grew by 5% above market trend, and prices increased by 5-8% across the top seven major diagnostic categories by volume. A reduction in personnel may be a driving factor behind poorer quality, as hospitals with greater staff reductions faced higher readmission rate increases. Additionally, acquisitions negatively impacted patient access to care in some areas. These findings highlight the need to implement quality standards in merger review processes and establish partnerships to help independent hospitals remain independent.
From 2012 to 2022, Physicians Working in Private Practices Fell From 60.1% To 46.7%, AMA Says
Christopher Cheney, HealthLeaders
Physicians are less likely to work in private practices than they were a decade ago, falling from 60.1% in 2012 to 46.7% in 2022, according to a survey from the American Medical Association (AMA). Financial and administrative pressures on physicians are driving the shift away from independent practices. The primary reason cited for hospital and health system acquisition of physician practices was the need to negotiate higher payment rates with payers. Additionally, practice sizes have increased; the proportion of physicians working in practices with 10 or fewer physicians decreased significantly. "The AMA analysis shows that the shift away from independent practices is emblematic of the fiscal uncertainty and economic stress many physicians face due to statutory payment cuts in Medicare, rising practice costs, and intrusive administrative burdens,” said Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, AMA President.
Read more news articles about the importance of independent practice here.
Urology of St. Louis’s Experience with Fellow Mail-In Semen Analysis
Mail-in semen analysis for vasectomy and fertility testing: a win-win for your practice
Are you looking to improve post-vasectomy testing compliance while delivering a better experience for your patients? Watch this video [recorded October 11, 2023] to hear two of your LUGPA peers from Urology of St. Louis discuss their experience integrating Fellow mail-in semen analysis into their practice. This is a sponsored session.
Advocacy Update
As the leading voice of independent urology group practices in the US, LUGPA educates policymakers on the benefits of integrated urologic care. LUGPA's Health Policy and Political Affairs committees drive grassroots efforts by developing thoughtful analysis and engaging public officials through comment letters on major legislative and regulatory proposals.
Here's some of the latest headlines from our advocacy news center:
Click here to learn more about LUGPA's advocacy efforts.
See Who is Hiring in LUGPA's Career Center
LUGPA's Career Center website is a place where urology residents can post their resumes, apply for jobs and get job alerts.
The site also features:
Career Coaching - Coming from a variety of professional backgrounds, LUGPA's Career Center offers certified coaches that have the experience, training, and expertise needed to help you achieve your career goals.
Resume Writing - LUGPA's Career Center offers experts who are ready to critique your existing resume or help you craft a document that gets you noticed.
Reference Checking - Get your references checked, confidentially and professionally so you can be confident your past employers are helping, not hurting, your candidacy.
Visit the Career Center now: careers.lugpa.org.
Looking for Past Issues of this Newsletter?
LUGPA launched this quarterly resident newsletter, Inroads, in 2020.
Now you can go back and look at all the great content in one place – including previous Practitioner Spotlight video interviews with Kari Bailey, MD, Robert Jansen, MD, Benjamin Lowentritt, MD and others.
Visit the newsletter archive here.
Enjoying this newsletter? Forward it to other urology residents to let them know about all LUGPA has to offer.
If you are not the direct recipient of this e-mail, sign up for future issues of LUGPA's Resident Newsletter here.
