R. Jonathan Henderson, MD

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist with Regional Urology, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana, discusses the Large Urology Group Practice Association, or LUGPA, the only nonprofit urology trade association in the United States. Dr. Henderson, who is the current President of LUGPA, explains LUGPA’s mission to preserve and advance the independent practice of urology; its core values of quality, collaboration, innovation, and integrity; and its strategic priorities, including advocacy and health policy, value-based care, practice management and benchmarking, and leadership development. Dr. Henderson expounds upon LUGPA’s dyad leadership model, wherein a practice is run by both a physician leader and an administrator, and he asserts this results in stronger practices, both medically and businesswise. Dr. Henderson then promotes Practice Management for Urology Groups, LUGPA’s Guidebook as a “recipe book for what we do in urology” before summarizing LUGPA’s benchmarking and executive leadership programs. Turning to the future, Dr. Henderson says LUGPA is following innovation and breakthroughs in urologic care, cost containment pressures, evolving payment methods, and practice and hospital integration and consolidation. He highlights health care personnel (HCP) shortages, citing data to support his assertion that it is a “perfect storm,” with 277 urologists completing residency annually, 2,000-3,000 current US job openings, and an average urologist age of 58. Dr. Henderson concludes by discussing the LUGPA 2021 Annual Meeting as well as new virtual offerings spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing LUGPA’s value in facilitating powerful networks and its relevance to all urology practitioners, whether they be academic, hospital-based, independent, or employed.