OrthoCarolina Surgeons Head to Hill for Joint Replacement Talks

Brian Curtin, M.D., Bo Mason, M.D. and Bryan Springer, M.D., hip and knee surgeons with OrthoCarolina, took part in a recent delegation from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Their goal? Discuss healthcare reform and patient access with legislative leaders.

According to the February 13, 2017 news release, “Dr. Curtin, Dr. Mason, Dr. Springer and the delegation met with legislative leaders, including those from North Carolina, to discuss ways to prevent these patients from being denied care, and to search for alternative models that are inclusive of these challenging patients. They sought to help create programs that assist patients with health optimization prior to surgery and institutionalized support for this complex care.”

Asked if they were able to get their message across to the representatives, Bo Mason M.D., told OTW, “The delegation from AAHKS embraced a message of patient access and concern for development of appropriate advanced alternative payment methods that assure access to care for patients, while protecting physicians and institutions tasked with managing complex patients. We met with senior health policy staffers from both sides of the aisle.”

“They were eager to hear our perspective and seemed receptive to a message which fosters both quality improvement and cost savings. This initiative, spearheaded by AAHKS President William Jiranek, has hopefully opened a continuing dialogue with policymakers in this new era of health reform.”