Gene Brown
Dr. Gene Brown, MD, is an otolaryngologist and CEO of Charleston ENT & Allergy, a 35-physician independent practice in Charleston, SC. As President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS)—the nation's largest otolaryngology organization—he leads advocacy efforts for over 12,000 physicians nationwide.
Dr. Brown's leadership extends beyond clinical excellence to championing the sustainability of independent practice medicine. A decade ago, he co-founded OASIS, a grassroots organization supporting independent ENT practitioners that has grown to 500 members across the country. His vision helped catalyze the creation of the AAO-HNS Otolaryngology Private Practice Section, giving independent physicians a stronger voice within organized medicine.
Throughout his four-year tenure as President of The South Carolina Otolaryngology Society, Dr. Brown strengthened the specialty's influence at the state level, while his national leadership roles have positioned him as a prominent advocate for physician autonomy and practice independence. His presidency of the AAO-HNS provides an unprecedented platform to advance policies that protect the specialty's future and ensure otolaryngologists maintain control over patient care decisions.
Dr. Brown's career reflects an unwavering commitment to both exceptional patient care and empowering physicians to lead their profession in an increasingly challenging healthcare landscape.
Session
The Business of American Medicine
IFOS Session ObjectivesDescriptionThis session underscores the importance of business-of-medicine skills within today’s medical climate. These skills are largely absent from rigorous modern medical education curricula, yet they are essential to physicians remaining autonomous and preventing the commoditization of what we offer society within a patient-centered health care ecosystem around the world.
This session examines the structural forces reshaping otolaryngology practice ownership in the United States and what they mean for surgeons worldwide. Drawing on national physician-consolidation data alongside a 30-year case study of Charleston ENT & Allergy — one of the largest independent, physician-owned ENT groups in the U.S. — the talk traces how private equity acquisition, hospital employment, and administrative burden have accelerated market consolidation, and contrasts these forces with a proven alternative: growth through independent physician alliances rather than sale to private equity or a hospital system. A “flywheel” framework illustrates how scale, integrated services (allergy, audiology, surgery centers, pharmacy, radiology, and clinical research), and physician governance reinforce one another to sustain independence. The session closes with practical lessons that international colleagues can apply as they confront increasing economic pressure on health care worldwide.
Outcome ObjectivesBy the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the major national trends driving consolidation in otolaryngology and specialty medicine, using current physician employment and ownership data.
2. Explain the flywheel model of practice growth — how service-line integration, scale, and physician governance compound over time.
3. Compare acquisition-based growth with the independent physician alliance model as a path to preserving practice autonomy.
4. Identify at least two strategies transferable to their own national or regional practice environments to strengthen physician practices amid increasing economic pressure.
BackgroundThe presenter is CEO of Charleston ENT & Allergy, the largest otolaryngology and allergy practice in South Carolina, which he has built over more than 25 years into a multi-site, physician-owned enterprise spanning ENT, allergy, audiology, ambulatory surgery, and urgent care. He also serves as President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and its Foundation. This dual vantage point — hands-on practice builder and specialty-wide advocate — grounds the talk in operational reality rather than theory, offering an evidence-based, practitioner’s perspective on how independent practice can still thrive.