The Business Of American Medicine: How To Thrive In Practice
09-11, 08:30–09:00 (Europe/Istanbul), Otology 1 (ICC - B2 Floor - Harbiye Auditorium)

The Business of American Medicine

IFOS Session ObjectivesDescription

This 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 Objectives

By 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.

Background

The 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.

Purpose

This session explains why business-of-medicine skills are essential to preserving physician autonomy, and offers international otolaryngology colleagues practical, transferable strategies for sustaining a successful practice amid rising economic pressure. As a real-world example, the presentation examines how one independent practice has thrived despite operating in a highly competitive business landscape.

 

Session Chair Session Chair
Milan Dusan Stankovic
Speaker Speaker
Gene Brown
Milan Dusan Stankovic

Current positions of Prof Milan Stankovic are: Full time Professor of Otolaryngology, Head of  Otolaryngology at Medical Faculty University of Nis Serbia, Instuctor of European Academy of Otology and Otoneurology, Ambassador to American Academy of  Otolaryngology, Visiting Professor at Ahepa University Hospital Thessaloniki, Greece, International Elector at University in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larisa, Iraklion (Greece), Honorary Member of Italian Rhinologic Society, Honorary Member of ENT Society of Northern Greece, Contributor to Encyclopedia of ORL ( Springer, New York), Editor in World Articles of Otolaryngology, Member of Editorial Board for International Advanced Otology, Balkan Jounal of Medicine, Journal of Hearing Science, etc.

He was: President of Balkan Society of Otolaryngology, Board Member of Balkan ORL Society, Vice President of Serbian ORL Society, and Regional Secretary  of  European Academy of Otology and Otoneurology.

He published chapters in Books (Encyclopedia of ORL, Atlas of Operative Otolaryngology, Handbook of Pharyngeal Diseases), and papers in: Am J Otolaryngol, Eur Arch ORL, Otol Neurotol, ORL Karger, Acta Byophys Biochem, Pro Otology, International Advanced Otology, etc.

During international Congresses he was frequently  Chairperson  and Round table speaker at many Congresses, also Invited speaker at International Congresses , and as Instructor of European Academy of Otology.

Postgraduate education of Prof Stankovic included: ENT Clinics in Geneva, Zurich, Basel (1989 to 1990), Cornel University Saltzburg ENT Seminar (1997), ENT Clinic University Hospital Vienna (2000), ENT Clinics in Tokio and Osaka, Japan (2004),  ENT Clinic Charite Berlin, Germany (2006).

This speaker also appears in:
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.