Robert Norton, MD, founding partner and spine surgeon at Boca Raton, Fla.-based Florida Spine Associates, said the practice’s growth from a single office to six facilities across Palm Beach and Broward counties came down to one decision: giving up control.
Twelve years after the practice opened, Florida Spine Associates now houses orthopedic spine surgeons, interventional pain management physicians, physical therapists and physician assistants under one roof, offering care ranging from injections to surgery. But scaling that model required Dr. Norton to step back from running daily operations himself and hand that work to dedicated managers — a shift he said was central to the practice’s ability to grow.
“The days of being a solo surgeon or provider in a practice, caring for your patients and simultaneously being the boss of everyone and running the organization are pretty much over,” Dr. Norton said during an interview with the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast at the 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. “It’s very difficult to do that nowadays.”…