When people are looking for medical care, tests and surgery, it is not unusual for them to assume they must use a hospital. But there are other ways to get the care you need, and some surgeons perform their care in settings other than hospitals to provide patients with more freedom and better control over their health care decisions.
What are the differences between using a private practice vs. a hospital for surgical needs? And how do you choose which is the better route for your personal health care — a hospital or private practice? We can help!
Take a look at how both options compare, and why Dr. William Hanner and the team at Midtown Surgical & Skin Institute have chosen to embrace private practice surgical options to help patients in the Tulsa area.
At first glance, you might expect that there would not be much of a difference between various health care options. But take a closer look, and you will discover why so many patients prefer to use private practice surgeons.
There are many procedures that can be done without ever setting foot in a large, busy, impersonal hospital setting. Turning to a private practice can often be an ideal way to receive a collaborative, individualized approach to your healthcare.
Expect to see differences like these:
In a private practice (like ours), it is the group of individual physicians associated with the practice who own and direct the decisions being made. In other words, private practice surgeons like Dr. Hanner do more than perform procedures; we also decide how the whole practice is run. This gives them much more say into all the elements of care, and encourages us to be more invested in the outcomes of our patient’s wellness. We have more “skin in the game”—and this can often encourage us to pursue higher quality care and better health outcomes for patients.
In traditional health systems and hospitals, there is a governing board, CEO, and corporate-style business structure. Doctors work within the system and serve on committees, but we have minimal input into how the overall organization is managed. It can feel a lot like a corporate job, with doctors serving as middle managers. This means we often have less flexibility to consider the needs of individual patients and find it easier to feel disconnected from the results we achieve.
In private practices, doctors have full input into the procedures and services they perform. It is easier for us to offer new services, institute new techniques and technologies, and use new medicines because the decision-making structure is streamlined. We gain much more control about how we choose to practice medicine, and this means our patients get more control over their health care options. This benefits everyone!
With hospitals, there are many layers of governance, which can slow down the process of implementing new services. This means that older techniques, tools and medicines will be more common in these systems, while newer ones may not be as easily accessible or take longer to become commonly available to patients.
One of the best advantages of choosing a private practice or private healthcare system to assist you in your health care is the ability to consistently work with people who know you and your unique individual needs and preferences. The same medical team will greet you every time you come in for patient care—and they will know your case intimately. As a result, you are more likely to feel and appreciate the personal touches involved in your care.
In a hospital system, because the staff is so much larger and there are so many more patients to juggle, there are no guarantees that you will see the same person twice. This can make it much harder to receive the personalized service that patients prefer.
Among the most important decisions you will ever make as an individual are the ones that determine your health care. In large medical systems and hospitals, cutting-edge procedures often take time to be adopted, so your choices may be limited.
In contrast, private practices like ours often provide more freedom for you to choose the specific patient care you want. There is simply less red tape involved in adopting ways to treat those who need medical care, without compromising your care.
In a hospital system, procedures are typically performed somewhere within the main hospital building. In Tulsa, that means visiting a huge facility with lots of confusing corridors, busy parking lots, and lengthy waits as you compete with numerous other patients for attention.
Our private practice facility is a more manageable size, much easier for patients to navigate. It is simple to park, walk in, and be greeted by staff who are expecting you personally. You receive our full attention in relaxing rooms that make it easier to receive the health care you need.
In hospital settings, the staff is so large—as it needs to be!—that there will be many workers who either do not know each other personally or for one reason or another may not collaborate well. And that can have a negative impact on the quality of patient care.
Private practices like ours can focus on finding the right fits for our team. And we ensure that everyone works well together, that we understand each other’s approaches to care, and are great at communicating. This ensures patients receive consistent, effective health care.
Hospitals and large health care systems are higher in overall costs than private practices—as much as four times higher! Those expenses are passed along to patients, meaning you can expect to pay more in co-pays and co-insurance, facility fees (fees charged at hospital-based practices), as well as items that are not covered by your insurance. All of this equals more out-of-pocket expenses you will incur.
Many patients prefer the more streamlined and more affordable cost structure offered by private practices. This can include offering procedures that can be performed safely in the office under local anesthesia, or are being offered safely at an ambulatory outpatient surgery center under the care of board certified Anesthesiologists.
This is especially beneficial for patients who use Medicare, are on limited budgets, or do not have substantial insurance coverage to address out-of-pocket expenses.
To give Tulsa area patients more freedom to choose the path that is best for them, our team is a private practice. And though Tulsa is a sizable city, right now Dr. Hanner and our staff are one of only two private practice general surgeon offices in our area.
Because we are privately owned and run, we can offer patients a number of benefits over hospital-run surgical practices:
For all these reasons, private practices like Midtown Surgical & Skin Institute should definitely be on your radar! We are here for you anytime you have questions about your health care needs, and we are committed to providing individualized care plans that give you confidence in the approach to health that you are taking.
Contact us today to learn more or set up a consultation to get started on your journey to better wellness.