Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance (TOA) is already one of Middle Tennessee’s largest orthopaedic providers … and there’s no sign of slowing down. In January 2016, the 53-physician group will relocate its downtown office to oneC1TY, an urban midtown Nashville community catering to technology-enabled commercial, residential, research and retail activity.
More Services, More Space
“We’re trying to ride the wave of innovation, not just within Nashville but in healthcare in general,” said Steve Wade, chief executive officer of TOA. “We want to create an orthopaedic destination for individuals and employers in Nashville.”
TOA will serve as the anchor tenant of oneC1TY’s first building, where they will occupy three floors - approximately 50,000 square feet. Wade said the site will allow more space for MRI- and CT-related services and also will house an orthopaedic walk-in center.
“There are places in town with urgent or walk-in care that offer a gambit of services, but we’ll be ortho only,” Wade explained. “The win is immediate access to all diagnostic treatment services at that location, and since the clinic is embedded in our ortho surgery group, it will have expanded onsite treatment capabilities.” The walk-in clinic is expected to be open six days a week and after hours.
Physician Leaders
TOA currently employs 430 support staff and 53 physicians in 19 locations. Wade said becoming the region’s largest orthopaedic provider doesn’t happen by chance and credits TOA’s solid physician leadership with continued growth. “To have physician practice growth, and in particular large physician practice growth, requires extremely strong physician leadership, which we’ve been blessed with,” he said.
TOA board president W. Blake Garside Jr., MD, has been on staff since 2000 and said TOA physicians are constantly striving toward understanding and innovation. “We’re always learning better ways to do things, like customizable implants, that result in better clinical outcomes,” Garside said. “A lot of physicians are also actively involved in research.”
In May 2015, Alison Cabrera, MD, was published for her research on ACL surgery in Sports Health Journal. The same month, father/son surgeons Allen and Christian Anderson, MDs, were published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine for their research on ACL injuries in young athletes and the risks associated with delaying surgery. And just last month, the elder Anderson was inducted as president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
Bending the Cost Curve
The group also works to stay ahead in the ever-changing world of healthcare regulations and payments, as approximately one-third of TOA’s annual 4,500 joint replacement procedures are Medicare-related. “All groups in general are continuing to experience downward pressure on reimbursement and upward pressure on expenses,” Wade said. “Being able to understand what causes those pressures and to get in front of them is extremely important to survive.”
To that end, TOA is actively involved in Medicare’s Bundled Payment Care Initiative (BPCI), launched in 2013. Wade said they’re working to make significant headway in bending the cost curve associated with total joint replacement. “BPCI puts the doctor more actively involved in care management and cost control,” he noted. “It’s a major initiative, and we expect to save millions because it tightens up the discharge process and helps eliminate waste.”
As for the future, Garside said TOA would continue to seek out innovation while providing services throughout all Middle Tennessee. “We’re a large ortho group that wants to maintain its independent focus and serve the community,” he said. “Fifteen years ago everyone drove downtown for medical care. As we’ve expanded our footprint through Middle Tennessee, we’ve brought in physicians with subspecialization, and we’ve brought care to the periphery, where patients are.”
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