Dan O'Connor
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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