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What role should surgeons play in orthopedic companies’ business strategies and product development processes? A significant one if the companies want to experience success, according to the surgeon executives who spoke during the OMTEC keynote panel.
ORTHOWORLD’s Senior Market Analyst Mike Evers moderated a discussion between two surgeon executives:
- Ira Kirschenbaum, M.D., Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, BronxCare Health System, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation
- Sharat Kusuma, M.D., President of JointMedica and an executive at Exactech
The panelists advised orthopedic professionals to deepen their understanding of surgeon and health system needs, especially as companies evolve from implant manufacturers to service providers. Decisions, whether for an implant, robot or set of data, should not be made without significant surgeon input.
“I attach service to the word pain,” Dr. Kirschenbaum said. “You cannot be a service provider if you’re not solving pain points.”
He provided two contrasting examples to make his point. Dr. Kirschenbaum mentioned an instance when a company pitched him a new drill that more accurately cuts bone. “That’s not my pain point,” he said. “My pain point is getting the drill through central sterilization.”
Conversely, he noted the work of Ignite Orthopedics, an upper extremities company. While not a shoulder replacement surgeon himself, Dr. Kirschenbaum said he is impressed with the company’s model, which fosters collaboration between engineers and six design surgeons to develop implant systems.
“You know that they answered many pain points,” he said about the collaboration. He added that the results wouldn’t be the same if a few surgeons were flown in for a short design meeting.
Orthopedic companies must cultivate a culture that involves key surgeons and ensures they know and buy into the mission, Dr. Kirschenbaum said.
“Alignment is not a dirty word. I always tell my surgeons to be passionate about the cause of a mission,” he said. “But passion doesn’t come from periodic phone and Zoom calls. Bring in the surgeons and indoctrinate them. In the opposite sense, visit them and try to align with their missions.”
Dr. Kusuma agreed, noting that just selling an implant or a robot doesn’t make you a provider. Companies that seek to be service providers need to send engineers and product managers to spend days with a surgeon in the clinic and O.R. They need to see the processes for surgery booking, preoperative clearance and the waiting room. He also emphasized the need to know the differences between environments, be it an academic center or an ASC. Once the customer’s needs and processes are well understood, then you can develop the solution.
“I don’t see a lot of that behavior from industry,” Dr. Kusuma said. “Being in the business long enough, I have clamored for sending our engineers into those environments to really understand them. If you’re going to be a solutions provider, you have to understand the practice of medicine, not just the 90 minutes of the surgery.”
Dr. Kusuma left his joint replacement practice because he didn’t think there were enough end users running product development and operations decisions at orthopedic companies. He gained experience at McKinsey & Company and Apple, where he worked on Zimmer Biomet’s mymobility technology, before joining Exactech as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Medical Officer.
Orthopedic companies can benefit from hiring a practicing surgeon to play a crucial leadership role within their company, Dr. Kusuma said. He recommended that companies give surgeons responsibility for part of the P&L.
“Give them operational decisions,” Dr. Kusuma said. “Let them be a significant player and not just the one-hour fly-in for a dog-and-pony-show design meeting. Actually, embed them inside your company and listen to them. I believe products will be better because they will be driven by clinicians who know the practice of medicine and interworking of health systems.”
He also noted that residency programs need to do a better job of producing physicians who are interested in taking an alternative career path, including C-suite roles in industry and health systems.
Most orthopedic companies indeed have chief medical officers and surgeon advisory boards. Further, many were founded by orthopedic surgeons seeking to develop solutions to solve their everyday problems. However, Drs. Kirschenbaum and Kusuma stressed that companies must continue to constantly dial in surgeon voices to understand the evolving economics and environments of orthopedic care.
What role should surgeons play in orthopedic companies’ business strategies and product development processes? A significant one if the companies want to experience success, according to the surgeon executives who spoke during the OMTEC keynote panel.
ORTHOWORLD’s Senior Market Analyst Mike Evers moderated a discussion between two surgeon...
What role should surgeons play in orthopedic companies’ business strategies and product development processes? A significant one if the companies want to experience success, according to the surgeon executives who spoke during the OMTEC keynote panel.
ORTHOWORLD’s Senior Market Analyst Mike Evers moderated a discussion between two surgeon executives:
- Ira Kirschenbaum, M.D., Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, BronxCare Health System, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation
- Sharat Kusuma, M.D., President of JointMedica and an executive at Exactech
The panelists advised orthopedic professionals to deepen their understanding of surgeon and health system needs, especially as companies evolve from implant manufacturers to service providers. Decisions, whether for an implant, robot or set of data, should not be made without significant surgeon input.
“I attach service to the word pain,” Dr. Kirschenbaum said. “You cannot be a service provider if you’re not solving pain points.”
He provided two contrasting examples to make his point. Dr. Kirschenbaum mentioned an instance when a company pitched him a new drill that more accurately cuts bone. “That’s not my pain point,” he said. “My pain point is getting the drill through central sterilization.”
Conversely, he noted the work of Ignite Orthopedics, an upper extremities company. While not a shoulder replacement surgeon himself, Dr. Kirschenbaum said he is impressed with the company’s model, which fosters collaboration between engineers and six design surgeons to develop implant systems.
“You know that they answered many pain points,” he said about the collaboration. He added that the results wouldn’t be the same if a few surgeons were flown in for a short design meeting.
Orthopedic companies must cultivate a culture that involves key surgeons and ensures they know and buy into the mission, Dr. Kirschenbaum said.
“Alignment is not a dirty word. I always tell my surgeons to be passionate about the cause of a mission,” he said. “But passion doesn’t come from periodic phone and Zoom calls. Bring in the surgeons and indoctrinate them. In the opposite sense, visit them and try to align with their missions.”
Dr. Kusuma agreed, noting that just selling an implant or a robot doesn’t make you a provider. Companies that seek to be service providers need to send engineers and product managers to spend days with a surgeon in the clinic and O.R. They need to see the processes for surgery booking, preoperative clearance and the waiting room. He also emphasized the need to know the differences between environments, be it an academic center or an ASC. Once the customer’s needs and processes are well understood, then you can develop the solution.
“I don’t see a lot of that behavior from industry,” Dr. Kusuma said. “Being in the business long enough, I have clamored for sending our engineers into those environments to really understand them. If you’re going to be a solutions provider, you have to understand the practice of medicine, not just the 90 minutes of the surgery.”
Dr. Kusuma left his joint replacement practice because he didn’t think there were enough end users running product development and operations decisions at orthopedic companies. He gained experience at McKinsey & Company and Apple, where he worked on Zimmer Biomet’s mymobility technology, before joining Exactech as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Medical Officer.
Orthopedic companies can benefit from hiring a practicing surgeon to play a crucial leadership role within their company, Dr. Kusuma said. He recommended that companies give surgeons responsibility for part of the P&L.
“Give them operational decisions,” Dr. Kusuma said. “Let them be a significant player and not just the one-hour fly-in for a dog-and-pony-show design meeting. Actually, embed them inside your company and listen to them. I believe products will be better because they will be driven by clinicians who know the practice of medicine and interworking of health systems.”
He also noted that residency programs need to do a better job of producing physicians who are interested in taking an alternative career path, including C-suite roles in industry and health systems.
Most orthopedic companies indeed have chief medical officers and surgeon advisory boards. Further, many were founded by orthopedic surgeons seeking to develop solutions to solve their everyday problems. However, Drs. Kirschenbaum and Kusuma stressed that companies must continue to constantly dial in surgeon voices to understand the evolving economics and environments of orthopedic care.
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Carolyn LaWell is ORTHOWORLD's Chief Content Officer. She joined ORTHOWORLD in 2012 to oversee its editorial and industry education. She previously served in editor roles at B2B magazines and newspapers.
