The course, which will be offered in six cities, beginning in Chicago on May 30-31, 1998, teaches surgeons to evaluate various consolidation models for their practices; conduct a premarket analysis and discover ways to resolve postmerger dilemmas; identify methods to assess their practice’s value; and assess the financial and legal implications of physician practice management acquisition.
"When practices decide to merge, they often fail to adequately analyze the market or look at their own needs sufficiently to tell where they need help," says David A. Wong, MD, course chairman, whose practice was part of a six-practice, full-asset merger in Denver. "Often, they neglect to seek advice from other physicians who have gone through the process and outside experts who can help with the process." The result is often clashing of personalities, values, and business styles that threaten the success of many arrangements.