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The Impact of Rural Plastic Surgery

Joe Meyerson, Darrell Freeman, Garrett Vangelisti, Alexey Markelov, Jessica Suber, Ian Valerio, Ernest Manders
University of Ohio
2018-01-31

Presenter: Darrell Freeman

Affidavit:
Drs. Freeman and Meyerson are residents who developed this project under the guidance of the other authors. This project is an original work of both authors

Director Name: Gregory Pearson

Author Category: Resident Plastic Surgery
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction

Introduction: In the United States, 25 million people live in a designated health service area with no plastic surgeon and 29 million people live in a designated health service area with less than one plastic surgeon per 100,000. There is currently a crisis in rural medicine because of doctor, and especially surgeon, shortages. Plastic surgeons are needed in rural surgery for their wide scope of surgical skills.

Methods: To assess the impact of rural plastic surgery, a survey was sent to fourteen CEOs of major hospitals in Oregon to understand their perception and contribution of plastic surgery to their healthcare system. The practices of two rural plastic surgeons, one in Ohio and one in Oregon, were also analyzed to determine their financial impact to their healthcare system.

Results: There were 8 responses to the CEO survey with 100% believing cosmetic surgery was a routine portion in a plastic surgeons practice and only 37.5% believing hand surgery was a routine portion. 100% of CEOs believed a plastic surgeon would be beneficial for their healthcare system. Analysis of the two individual rural plastic surgeons demonstrated significant revenue to their surgery centers ($800,000 from carpal tunnel releases and $366,000 for breast reductions).

Discussion/Conclusion: Plastic surgeons are drastically needed in the rural communities of America. CEOs of major healthcare systems recognize their value but also lack knowledge of their full scope of practice. Plastic surgeons are needed to provide care to the rural communities but they are generate significant revenue for their health systems.

Ohio,Pennsylvania,West Virginia,Indiana,Kentucky,Pennsylvania American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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