The Unsung Hero of the Ortho Industry – the Rep (OrthoSpineNews)
The orthopedic industry is changing faster than ever before. Whether you’re a surgeon, sales rep or orthopedic patient, much of the impact is less than positive. It seems that the industry is piling on the sales rep in an effort to marginalize and some might say eliminate the rep altogether. I recently read a headline about HCA’s record quarterly profits topping $980 MILLION. Keep in mind that this was Q4, 2016 at a time when hospitals are crying poor while fighting orthopedic companies on pricing like never before. Gone are the days where it was customary to assess a 3% price increase tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year. Now as a rule, hospitals and GPO’s are forcing prices to new lows year over year and even seem willing to sacrifice the presence of the rep in the operating room. It is impossible to argue the point that the orthopedic sales rep is being marginalized. In recent years, they have been told by various constituents that they are a “non-essential” part of the healthcare continuum. In an effort to increase profits, not only are these hospitals and GPO’s fighting to bring down prices, but they also seem to be fighting over the remaining piece of the pie belonging to the sales rep by way of confiscating their commissions. But are sales reps expendable? Do they only add cost to the continuum as some suggest?
If reps are eliminated from the picture, who will step in to bear the burden of support that surgeons are accustomed to receiving from their sales reps? Are surgeons going to be expected to hire P.A.’s to fill in the void of what the reps currently do? Does anyone really grasp the full picture of what the orthopedic rep does and value they bring to the healthcare system? Let me try to give you a former sales rep’s perspective on the value of the orthopedic sales rep.
A historical perspective
When I started as a sales rep for Zimmer in the orthopedic industry 30 years ago, it was evident to me that being a rep afforded me the privilege of being an integral part of the surgical team to ensure the most optimal surgical outcomes for the orthopedic patient. There was a level of trust, camaraderie and appreciation that made the role extremely rewarding. Reps like myself felt appreciated because it was evident that surgical teams wanted us in the room during cases because of the unique value we brought to the case. Ours was a special role of supporting both the surgeons as well as the hospital’s support staff. Whether we were an extra set of hands to hold the patient’s leg during prep or opening that sterile peel pack when someone dropped a disposable suction tip when the circulator was preoccupied, we stepped in to do whatever we could to keep the case progressing without a delay. Having a rep in the room was an obvious value to all because we possessed a unique perspective and skill set. We were the ones with experience in those unfortunate scenarios when things did not go just like they are supposed to in the technical video. On the infrequent occasion of a surgical complication, the reps are typically leaned on for their expertise. They help the surgeon troubleshoot during the procedure to bring about an optimal successful outcome. In many cases, the rep is the person with the most diverse experience with the products and procedure even if only by observation. Countless times, I was leaned on by the surgeon to solve a complex challenge that arose either out of some unexpected pathology or a complication. I was the one who witnessed thousands of procedures encountering far more complications and variables than the scrub tech, assistant or the surgeon. I was the one with the broadest experience to walk them through how to resolve it in such a way as to bring about the best result. In extreme cases, observers said that watching a good sales rep in surgery was often like seeing the sales rep “conduct surgery through remote control.” I was accustomed to it and considered it a privilege to ensure my surgeon’s patient had the best possible result. This kind of support is an everyday routine for many sales reps in O.R.s around the world. Before my time, I heard stories from reps that actually scrubbed in and held retractors, and in some cases doing far more of the procedure than anyone would expect until finally someone got into deep trouble. There was a book written about it called, “Salesman Surgeon” that recounts a situation where the surgeon was not even in the room when some cases were being done.
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