NTX Magazine Volume 9 | Page 68

MAGNET FOR MEDICINE “THE EXPANSION OF NORTH TEXAS AND THE GROWTH POTENTIAL IS BIG.” advanced imaging MRI and CT scans in our offices. We didn’t have to jump through hoops to do so, because we are accredited by national bodies and our images are read by radiologists. In Texas, we were not required to obtain a certificate of need like some states require. Texas is a business-friendly state and that extends to medical care, also.” and Tort Reform Act of 2003, House Bill 4, went into effect Sept. 1 that year. Twelve days later, Texas voters approved Proposition 12, an amendment to the Texas Constitution that validated the legislature's actions. HB 4 caps noneconomic damages in health care liability cases. Texas' $750,000 total cap includes a $250,000 limit on physician exposure for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering. The tort reform act doesn't restrict economic damages. Love, of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, sees the willing organization of healthcare providers – even those who compete against one another daily for market share – as a positive sign. The DFW Hospital Council, with its 90 member hospitals and 85 associate member trade organizations that has been in existence almost 50 years, is the only organization of its kind in the state. Ready availability of other top-notch medical experts also makes it satisfying to work in North Texas, Dr. Gaman says. “Here in the North Texas area, you can get the best medical care anywhere in the world within a matter of minutes. If you’re a physician, you can pick up the phone and have your patient see a cardiologist within minutes. If you send them to an ER, you know they will get care quickly. These specialists will be using an evidence- based treatment that is best in the world.” Dr. Walter Gaman, Healthcare Associates of Texas Dr. Carrie de Moor, an emergency medicine physician and founder and CEO of Code 3 ER & Urgent Care, stresses the importance of medical malpractice tort reform as one of the reasons that physicians consider practicing in the state. “Medical society leadership here is very strong for independent practice, and there is good tort reform. You can practice good medicine without having to worry about excessive regulation and fears of being sued,” she said. “We see people flooding here from places like New York that are much more litigious places to practice. The cost of living and all those things combined make it a great place to come practice and raise a family. It’s sustainable.” In 2003, the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Alliance For Patient Access, the Texas Medical Liability Trust, the Texas Hospital Association, physicians and medical students banded together to pass landmark medical liability reforms. The Medical Malpractice 66 WWW.NTC-DFW.ORG SUMMER 2018 “The fact that we have a hospital council speaks volumes. The hospitals come here, even though they compete with each other, to talk about how we can do even better to influence medical and clinical outcomes,” Love said. “They discuss what they can do to improve patient safety so that we know we’re doing the best we can for the patient, and they share best practices so that we’re doing our best for the community. That in and of itself tells us how committed the hospitals are here.” Dr. Philip L. Wilson, assistant chief of staff and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital’s Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine in Plano, notes the potential he sees in the North Texas medical industry. “We’ve got a pretty active healthcare community and it’s been a growing community, as opposed to some of the older centers that have been more saturated with healthcare over time,” he said. “The expansion of North Texas and the growth potential is big. The institutions involved are stepping up to say that, very quickly, we’re going to be at the top of what we are offering nationally – in patient potential, growth curve, facilities, everything.” With its central location, mild weather and low cost of living, North Texas is just as attractive to physicians as it is to the patients they’ll be treating here. NTX PHYSICIAN STATS In 2016, there were 953,695 actively licensed physicians in the U.S. serving a national population of 323 million people. (Source: the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) from its biennial census, current through end of 2016.) TOTAL (MDS AND DOS) IN 13-COUNTY NORTH TEXAS REGION 17,431 TOTAL (MDS AND DOS) IN TEXAS 77,034 DENTON COUNTY 921 PARKER COUNTY 122 DALLAS COUNTY KAUFMAN COUNTY 81 COLLIN COUNTY HUNT COUNTY 2,230 95 WISE COUNTY 77 ELLIS COUNTY JOHNSON COUNTY HOOD COUNTY 89 SOMERVELL COUNTY ROCKWALL COUNTY TARRANT COUNTY 142 157 8,927 208 11 4,371 MD doesn’t stand for “management detail” A primary care physician is a lot of things in a day: healer, scientist, detective. But it’s difficult to focus on being a doctor when you also have to be an office administrator, marketer and compliance officer. Free yourself from your administrative burden. Our physician-led model provides everything that’s needed for you to practice medicine to your fullest potential, benefiting your clinic and your patients. Be free to be an MD. 469-276-3628 HealthcareAssociates.com 6161 Highway 161, Irving, Texas, 75063 SUMMER 2018 WWW.NTC-DFW.ORG 67