Medical practice embraces innovation

Paul Duck says his first six months as the new CEO for a Bradenton-based orthopedic and sports medicine practice has been geared toward altering opinions — both inside and outside the business.

“I ask people to get rid of the notions of what they think health care is,” says Duck, who previously ran Florida Radiology Imaging out of Venice and Orlando. “We need to be more innovative.”

Duck took the innovation challenge to several fronts at the practice, Coastal Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, which reported $23.05 million in revenues last year, 17% more than its $19.74 million in 2008 revenues.

For one, Duck recently launched a new branding and marketing campaign that emphasizes health and wellness. He also revamped Coastal's board of directors when he doubled the seats from four to eight, including a pair of outside non-doctors for the first time.

And late last month, the practice meshed together the worlds of social media and medical procedures, when a Coastal doctor performed while answering questions via a live Twitter feed.

The procedure, known as Vertos mild, was conducted July 29 by Dr. Lora Brown at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. It's for patients with chronic lower back pain.

“It's a unique procedure,” Duck tells Coffee Talk. “There are only two people in the region who can do it and they both work here.”

Duck was pleasantly overwhelmed with the response to the Twitter feed. Local and national media outlets, in addition to medical publications, followed the tweets and asked questions. And within days of the procedure, Duck says the practice had received about 30 calls from potential patients.

The new board members also bring a different perspective, says Duck. One is Jeff Jackson, executive vice president and CFO for Venice-based window manufacturer PGT, Inc. Duck says Coastal will lean on Jackson's accounting experience with public companies when it navigates the health care law over the next year.

Duck also recruited nationally known futurist blogger and former TV executive David Houle to its board. Houle, who co-founded stations including MTV, Nickelodeon and CNN Headline News, is a part-time Sarasota resident and a consultant for businesses on trends and forthcoming developments.

Duck met Houle at a local economic development event and was impressed with his predictions about the changing health care landscape. “He's in another galaxy,” says Duck. “Everything he has said regarding health care resonates with me.”