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K
eith Smith, MD, isn't looking to For leading the effort to provide
shake up the American healthtransparency in healthcare
pricing, Keith Smith, MD,
care system. He's looking to
blow it to bits and help rebuild it in a co-founder of the Surgery
Center of Oklahoma, is the
way that dramatically eases the burOutpatient Surgery Magazine
den for surgical facilities, physicians,
2013 OR Excellence Award
patients, employers and taxpayers —
winner for financial management.
just about everybody, in fact, who
isn't profiting from maintaining the status quo (or who stands to profit as a result of impending legislation).
He might just pull it off.
Dr. Smith and partner Steven Lantier, MD, both anesthesiologists,
started the Surgery Center of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City in 1997.
Nearly 5 years ago they made the radical decision to start posting surgery prices online.
It was "almost an act of selfAll-Inclusive
defense," says Dr. Smith, "a
Prices for Surgery
shot across the bow" aimed at
The Surgery Center of Oklahoma
the deeply entrenched institulists all-inclusive prices for
many surgeries on its website
tions that were making it
(surgerycenterok.com/pricing)
hard, he says, for his center to
compete, despite its emphasis
on high quality at extraordinarily low — at least by comparison — and transparent
prices. It's all right there on
the website,
surgerycenterok.com/pricing:
$2,750 for a carpal tunnel
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