The DocBuddy Journal

DocBuddy

4.6 (11)
Technology
Updated Weekly

How painful are the outdated, broken workflows you have to deal with everyday as a healthcare provider? Join host Erik Sunset for thought leadership from DocBuddy on ways healthcare providers and workers can streamline their workflows with technology, get the latest practical takeaways from the world of Health IT, and get updates from the leader in mobile workflow solutions for providers and their organizations, DocBuddy.

1d ago

The Integration Mistake That Wrecks MSOs

Alex Fernandez, CEO of Synergy Orthopedic Specialists and a 30-year veteran of physician practice management, joins Erik Sunset and The DocBuddy Journal to talk about what actually makes or breaks a physician group integration — and it's not always the financials. From private equity-backed rollups to independent practice mergers, Alex has seen what happens when acquired groups are left to run as-is under their old name and culture, and why that seemingly respectful choice creates permanent misalignment that never fully resolves. He and host Erik Sunset dig into the importance of early honest conversations, what true integration looks like beyond combining back-office functions, and why the "Burger King problem" — every physician wanting it their own way — is one of the hardest things to manage in a growing platform. The conversation also covers brand equity during transitions, the looming physician shortage, and how AI is helping independent practices do more with less as reimbursements stagnate and costs keep climbing. Links from the show: https://www.linkedin.com/company/docbuddy/?viewAsMember=true https://docbuddy.com/solutions/op-note/ https://synergysmg.com/ https://sportsfellows.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfernandezmba/

44 min
Jun 26

Administrative Burden Is Breaking Medicine

The average American physician is now walking away from medicine at 48 years old. Not retiring. Not transitioning to leadership. Walking away entirely—nine years before the system expected them to. And the number one reason they cite? Not pay. Not hours. Paperwork. This isn't a distant crisis. It's already here, and the healthcare establishment isn't talking about it the way they should. Host, Erik Sunset, digs into an explosive AMA study revealing the true cost of administrative burden in medicine. When researchers surveyed over 500 physicians who had already left clinical practice, nearly 45% cited administrative burden as the primary reason. Another 44.5% said the work had become too stressful—code for the system had ground them down. This is a must-listen for health system executives, practice leaders, and anyone in healthcare who recognizes that measuring satisfaction surveys after physicians leave is too late. The solutions aren't mysterious—they just require institutions to prioritize physician engagement the way they prioritize financial metrics. The doctors we're losing now aren't coming back. And the patients who will need them in 5-10 years don't yet know what they're going to be missing. Links from the show: https://www.beckersasc.com/leadership/whats-pushing-physicians-out-of-practice-9-years-early/ https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/hospital-physician-relationships/physician-specialties-ranked-by-greatest-shortages-in-2038/ https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/hospital-physician-relationships/physician-specialties-ranked-by-greatest-shortages-in-2038/ https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/hospital-physician-relationships/physicians-with-the-highest-attrition-rates-study/ https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/10-healthcare-workforce-challenges-defining-2026/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/docbuddy/?viewAsMember=true https://docbuddy.com/solutions/op-note/

13 min
Jun 5

The Joint Commission's New AI Certification

In this episode, Erik breaks down what this certification actually means, why it matters, and what it signals about the maturity of AI in healthcare. This isn't about slowing innovation—it's about validating before deploying. Eighty-one percent of physicians are now using AI in clinical practice—up from just 38% in 2023. That's not gradual adoption. That's a full-out sprint. But here's the problem: adoption has vastly outpaced oversight, and healthcare cannot afford to learn that lesson the hard way. On June 1st, 2026, the Joint Commission—the nation's oldest and largest healthcare accreditation body evaluating over 23,000 healthcare organizations—launched the Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare (RUAIH) certification. And it's one of the most significant announcements in healthcare AI in quite a while. Whether you're a health system deploying AI tools, a clinician using them daily, or an administrator responsible for governance, this framework defines what thoughtfully deployed AI actually looks like—and why your organization should care. Links from the show: Check out DocBuddy's Op Note solution.Connect with DocBuddy on LinkedIn.https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/01/3304442/0/en/joint-commission-releases-first-of-its-kind-exclusively-designed-for-healthcare-organizations-voluntary-responsible-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-certification.htmlhttps://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/joint-commission-intros-new-voluntary-ai-responsibility-certificationhttps://www.fiercehealthcare.com/ai-and-machine-learning/joint-commission-launches-voluntary-ai-certification-program-healthcarehttps://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/joint-commission-launches-certification-for-responsible-healthcare-ai-use/

16 min
May 28

The Surgeon Shortage Nobody Is Talking About - And What You Can Do About It

A landmark study just tracked 224,629 surgeons over a decade, and the findings are a wake-up call for every surgery center administrator in the country. Nearly 10% of surgeons left clinical practice within an eight-year period — and in some specialties, the numbers are far worse. Oral and maxillofacial surgery lost 1 in 4 surgeons within just five years. OB/GYN wasn't far behind. In this episode, we break down the data, reveal which specialties face the highest attrition risk, and explain why mid-career surgeons - those with 5 to 9 years of practice - are the most vulnerable group. We also cover the American College of Surgeons' newly released national workplace standards framework - the first of its kind in the organization's 113-year history - and what its six key domains mean for how you structure schedules, allocate OR time, and support the surgeons affiliated with your center. Whether you're managing a single-specialty ASC or a multi-specialty center, this episode gives you the data and the framework to have more informed conversations with your medical staff, your board, and your recruitment partners - before a staffing gap becomes a crisis. In this episode: The attrition rates by surgical subspecialty you need to knowWhy the mid-career danger zone matters for your retention strategyWhat the ACS workplace standards framework actually requiresFive practical steps ASC administrators can take right nowSHOW NOTES / SOURCES ACS Press Release — Nearly 10% of Surgeons Are Leaving the Profession Within 8 Years (May 20, 2026) https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2026/nearly-10-percent-of-surgeons-are-leaving-the-profession-within-8-years/ACS Press Release — American College of Surgeons Releases First-Ever Workplace Standards Framework (March 4, 2026) https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2026/american-college-of-surgeons-releases-first-ever-workplace-standards-framework/Primary Research — Elemosho A, et al. A National Analysis of Trends and Factors Associated with Surgeon Attrition in the United States. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2026. DOI: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001905 https://journals.lww.com/journalacs/abstract/9900/national_analysis_of_trends_and_factors_associated.1680.aspx

14 min
May 1

Stop Treating Old Workflows Like the Status Quo

If your surgery center is still relying on transcription services, freehand dictation, or rigid EHR templates for operative reports, this episode of the DocBuddy Journal is worth your time. Host Erik Sunset makes the case that what many ASCs treat as standard practice is actually just the old way and there's a measurable cost to staying there. Drawing from Doc Buddy's own onboarding process, Erik explains how Op Note transforms surgeon dictation into standardized, EHR-integrated operative reports in real time, without changing how surgeons work or burdening the business office with setup. The result is documentation that's cleaner, faster, and more revenue cycle friendly — with less rework, fewer denied claims, and a direct impact on days to bill and days AR. Plus, Erik shares highlights from the Surgery Partners Leadership Conference and what to expect from DocBuddy at ASCA 2026 in Washington, DC. Links from the show: ASCA DocBuddy's Op Note Connect with DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

16 min
Apr 10

Michael McClain: How to Expand Your ASC

Michael McClain, founder of Left Coast Healthcare Advisors, returns to the DocBuddy Journal with Erik Sunset for a practical conversation about ASC expansion. Before jumping to blueprints and construction budgets, Michael argues that most surgery centers need to get honest about what problem they're actually trying to solve. More often than not, the answer isn't more square footage. From maximizing revenue cycle performance and payer contract management to block time utilization and physician alignment, Michael walks through the foundational work that should happen before any expansion conversation begins. The episode also covers the five key questions every feasibility study should answer, why physician volume estimates are almost always optimistic, and how to build a realistic financial model that accounts for ramp time, regulatory costs, and operating capital. If you're thinking about growing your ASC, this episode is required listening before you break ground. Connect with Michael McClain and follow LeftCoast Healthcare Advisors on LinkedIn. Check out the LeftCoast Healthcare Advisors Website. Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

39 min
Apr 3

Jeff Pfaff: Technology, Culture & the Future of ASC Operations

Jeff Pfaff, Senior Director of Business Operations at Inova Health Systems, joins host Erik Sunset to share hard-won lessons from scaling one of Northern Virginia's most active ASC networks — from a single center to five thriving multi-specialty locations with a additional growth planned. Jeff breaks down how Inova approaches the relentless pace of digital transformation, why throwing FTEs at operational problems is no longer an option, and how his team vets and implements new technology without burning out the people who actually have to use it every day. They dig into the real barriers to technology adoption — resistant physicians, stretched administrators, and the hidden time cost of implementation — and why building a "we" culture is the foundation everything else has to sit on. Jeff also shares his candid take on AI in the ASC space: what's genuinely exciting, what's being wildly oversold, and why a site visit in a live production environment is worth more than any demo. He wraps with glowing feedback for DocBuddy's team and solution! Connect with Jeff Pfaff on LinkedIn. Follow DocBuddy On LinkedIn.

40 min
Mar 20

Marc Ryan: Big News, Bigger Stakes

Marc Ryan, Chief Solutions Officer at Lilac Software, returns to the DocBuddy Journal with big news: Lilac Software has been acquired by Medisolv, combining payer and agentic AI expertise with Medisolv's established provider and quality measurement platform. From there, Marc and host Erik Sunset break down the most important trends shaping healthcare in 2026 — the Trump administration's technology-first agenda, value-based care expansion, and the slow but real progress on interoperability. They also dig into the financial fallout from the One Big Beautiful Bill on state Medicaid programs, the turbulence hitting health plans across every line of business, and what landmark PBM reforms and Most Favored Nation drug pricing could mean for American consumers. Medisolv's acquisition of Lilac See Marc's work at Lilac Software. As always, be sure to follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

54 min

4.6

out of 5

11 Ratings

How painful are the outdated, broken workflows you have to deal with everyday as a healthcare provider? Join host Erik Sunset for thought leadership from DocBuddy on ways healthcare providers and workers can streamline their workflows with technology, get the latest practical takeaways from the world of Health IT, and get updates from the leader in mobile workflow solutions for providers and their organizations, DocBuddy.

Creator

DocBuddy
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

126
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 DocBuddy
Show Website

The DocBuddy Journal