EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/111385
February 2013 other of a dispute, such acquiescence resolves the conflict briskly, cheaply, and simply. 2. Internal, unfacilitated resolution. Let���s imagine that neither side is backing down. Once tempers cool, the partners meet again. The facts are examined about Dr. Smith���s true outcome statistics. Rational discussion between peers could lead to several quite satisfactory endpoints. Dr. Smith might agree to operate only until the end of the year or to limit his practice to uncomplicated cases. Or the facts may bear out that Dr. Smith���s care is completely within contemporary norms. This, along with unilateral acquiescence, is the easiest trajectory of conflict. It���s the least costly and time consuming and the approach most likely to preserve ���even strengthen���group harmony. 3. Facilitated resolution. When two kids on the playground can���t work out their differences, a teacher or parent usually gets involved. The ophthalmic equivalent of this is to call on an agreed internal or external facilitator to untangle the dispute. Such a facilitator is generally an expert on the matter at hand. If partners can���t agree on a staffing issue, they can simply agree to let their administrator, labor lawyer, or department head break the tie. If the partners are stuck on a facility issue, they can turn to a local real estate or architectural expert. In this case regarding Dr. Smith���s surgery, the partners could ask a local, neutral colleague to weigh in, and agree in advance to abide with his or her judgment in the matter. 4. Alternative dispute resolution. If the partners are still at an impasse on Dr. Smith���s surgical skills, dispute resolution can move up the ladder and get more formal��� but still fall short of resorting to bitter and costly legal intervention. Your practice���s general legal counsel (whose client is formally your practice entity, not you or its other individual owners) may step in personally to negotiate a partner settlement, or guide you to the services of a paid ADR expert���an arbitrator or mediator who can help you stop short of resorting to the legal system. 5. Formal legal resolution. ���Lawyering up��� and battling in the courts in the very last means of dispute resolution you and your partners want to employ. This is the costly, emotionally taxing, and timeconsuming end of the line. It���s the business equivalent of radical surgery and chemotherapy, from which the practice-as-���patient��� may not survive, even if the dispute is resolved. Unless you practice alone as a soloist and can control your professional environment by fiat, you and your colleagues will have to resolve numerous disputes each year. Disputes���like unwarranted patient complaints and surgical complications���come with the territory. In the healthiest settings, dispute resolution happens organically and without any holdover rancor. With strong leadership from an administrator and managing partner, each principal���s divergent positions are respected, dignities are preserved, and molehills are not inflated into mountains. When the occasional ���really big deal��� surfaces that can���t be handled with a bit more boardroom discussion time, the group���s leaders push the issue fearlessly through progressively EW Ophthalmology Business 79 greater levels of formality until a fair and satisfactory outcome is achieved. EW Editors��� note: Mr. Pinto is president of J. Pinto & Associates Inc., an ophthalmic practice management consulting firm established in 1979, with offices in San Diego. Contact information Pinto: 619-223-2233, pintoinc@aol.com Alcon in San Francisco Alcon San Francisco April 19-21, 2013 | San Francisco,, Califo nia April Francisco California ifor f a Novartis company Novartis company Save the date for these dynamic EyeWorld events sponsored by Alcon Save date for EyeWorld events sponsored by Alcon BUUIF"4$34t"40"4ZNQPTJVN$POHSFTT BUUIF"4$34t"40"4ZNQPTJVN$POHSFTT Live Surger y Advancements Techniques and Technologies Live Surgery:: Advancements in Techniques a Te echnologies Saturday, April 20 Saturday, April Moscone Center Moscone Center 6:30 am ��� 7:00 am: Registration and Breakfast Registration Breakfast 7:00 am ��� 9:30 am: Live Telecast in High Defnition Live Telecast High Defnition Glaucoma Filtration Surgery : Limiting Filtration Surgery: Variables Improving Outcomes Variables & Improving Outcomes Leading Leading the Way in Femtosecond Way Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery Cataract Surgery Friday, April 19 Friday, April Moscone Center Moscone Center 6:30 am ��� 7:00 am: Registration and Breakfast Registration Breakfast BNoBN4ZNQPTJVN BNoBN4ZNQPTJVN 4BUVSEBZ "QSJM 4BUVSEBZ "QSJM Moscone Center Moscone Center 4:45 pm ��� 5:15 pm: Registration and Refreshments Registration Refreshments QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN Alcon���s Refractive Solution for Today ���s Alcon���s Refractive Solution for Today���s o LASIK Generation Generation Implementing Advanced Te Implementing Advanced Technology Technology Solutions for To y���s Cataract Patient Solutions for Today���s Cataract Patient oda Friday, April 19 Friday, April Moscone Center Moscone Center 4:00 pm ��� 4:30 pm: Registration and Refreshments Registration Refreshments QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN 4VOEBZ "QSJM 4VOEBZ "QSJM Moscone Center Moscone Center BNoQN3FHJTUSBUJPOBOE-VODI BNoQN3FHJTUSBUJPOBOE-VODI QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN QNoQN4ZNQPTJVN Do Do not miss the Alcon Speakers Forum, where you can hear presentations Alcon Sp k For Speakers rum, you can hear presentations t showcasing y showcasing the latest technologies in ophthalmology. latest te technologies ophthalmology. These events are for healthcare professionals attending the 2013 ASCRS These events are for healthcare professionals attending t"40"4ZNQPTJVN$POHSFTT1MFBTFQSFTFOUZPVSDPOHSFTTCBEHFGPS t"40"4ZNQPTJVN$POHSFTT1MFBTFQSFTFOUZPVSDPOHSFTTCBEHFGPS FOUSZJOUPUIFNFFUJOH FOUSZJOUPUIFNFFUJOH 'PSJNQPSUBOUTBGFUZJOGPSNBUJPOBCPVUUIF"MDPOQSPEVDUTEJTDVTTFEJO 'PSJNQPSUBOUTBGFUZJOGPSNBUJPOBCPVUUIF"MDPOQSPEVDUTEJTDVTTFEJO UIFTFQSPHSBNT QMFBTFWJTJUUIF"MDPOCPPUI UIFTFQSPHSBNT QMFBTFWJTJUUIF"MDPOCPPUI $.&DSFEJUJTOPUBWBJMBCMFGPSUIFTFNFFUJOHT $.&DSFEJUJTOPUBWBJMBCMFGPSUIFTFNFFUJOHT 3FHJTUFSOPXBUXXXFZFXPSMEPSHNFFUJOHTBMDPO 3FHJTUFSOPXBUXXXFZFXPSMEPSHNFFUJOHTBMDPO UPSFTFSWFZPVSTFBU UPSFTFSWFZPVSTFBU �� 2013 Novartis Novartis 02/13 MIX13032JAD