bottom-line pricing. That's the reputation you want to have, too. Work
to establish an open and honest relationship with the vendors. If you
tell an ortho rep that every anchor, plate and screw that's placed in your
patients will come from his company, he's going to want to play ball by
giving you the best possible deals.
Work with reps you trust, but don't ignore the fact that their ultimate
goal is to get their products into your ORs. My hard-and-fast rule:
Never pay for products that you didn't first approve for use. Five years
ago, one of my podiatrists used an external fixation device a rep had
brought in without my knowledge. You can imagine my surprise (and
anger) when I received a $7,000 bill for the device, which was used in a
case that paid $6,000. So now before doing business in my center, all
vendors must sign an agreement that stipulates there are only 2 people
who can sign a valid purchase order — the materials manager and me
— whether it's for a single suture or an implant that costs thousands of
dollars. If someone else's signature appears on a purchase order, I
thank the rep for donating the product.
OSM
M A Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 1
See Dr. Durick Live
at OR Excellence
Do you like what Dr. Durick has to say about thinking
outside the box to trim expenses?
Come to OR Excellence in Bonita Springs, Fla., from
Oct. 12 to 14, where he'll lead an interactive workshop
dedicated to discussing creative and practical cost-
saving solutions. Register now at orexcellence.com.
Dr. Durick (tdurickmd@gmail.com) is the medical director of Bay Surgery
Center in Oakland, Calif.
