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The Death of Joan Rivers: What Went Wrong? - October 2014 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

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Dan O'Connor EDITOR'S PAGE 1 0 O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 Trade You a Disruptive Doc for a Full Schedule Some deals you're better off not making. T hey asked the general manager of the local sports talk radio sta- tion how he was able to tolerate his petulant host — who just hap- pened to be the ratings leader. "He's a real pain in the (rear)," said the GM, "but I don't have to sleep with him at night." The GM wasn't ashamed to admit that he was willing to tolerate the moody host's tirades, violent outbursts and bullying behavior for good ratings. Would you make such a deal with a disruptive surgeon at your facili- ty? Look the other way at his boorish behavior for the sake of your schedule? Nearly half (44%) of the 538 readers we polled last month say they're very likely (22%) or somewhat likely (22%) to tolerate disruptive behavior from a high-volume surgeon. Those of you willing to subject your staff to a doctor you wouldn't invite to your home for Sunday dinner should rethink your position. Competition for cases is fierce, but if you're willing to sacrifice human decency for a few more knee scopes, what does that say about your values and about the culture at your facility? "How many times does someone say, 'He's a great surgeon, but … '" asks William Cooper, MD, MPH, the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. "Being technically competent is impor- tant, but if he also has all these other challenges, he might not be a great surgeon." This calls to mind Michael C. Clarke, MD, the high-volume, butt- slapping orthopedic surgeon at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Syracuse, N.Y. The hospital suspended Dr. Clarke last February after he was accused of slapping anesthetized patients on the buttocks (to test the epidural, he says). The hospital posted an operating loss of

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