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Neil H. Baum, MD

Neil H. Baum, MD

Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical School, Vanguard Communications Group

New Orleans, Louisiana

Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.

Disclosures:

Talks by Neil H. Baum, MD

Wellness: The Other Side of the Burnout Coin

Posted by | Nov 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, considers the causes and consequences of burnout in urologists and makes suggestions for developing a urologist wellness program. He explains that urologists are unwell because they work an average of 50 to 60 hours per week, tend to be type-A perfectionists, have to deal with increased paperwork, have lost autonomy, and are forced to focus on cost rather than on patients. Dr. Baum notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems doctors face, and anxiety and depression among doctors has increased from 10% before the pandemic to 40% now. He also explains that, unlike in some other professions, there are few resources available to physicians to aid them in wellness, although there is now a physician support line. Dr. Baum then lists the consequences of physicians being unwell, most notably job dissatisfaction leading to a failure to discuss treatment options and answer patients’ questions, which in turn leads to poor patient compliance, unfavorable outcomes, more malpractice suits, and more negative online reviews. Conversely, physician wellness improves quality of care for patients, enhances patient satisfaction and online reviews, and leads to increased personal and professional success for the physicians. Dr. Baum concludes with some suggestions for starting a wellness program for urologists, highlighting the success of a counseling program at a hospital which saw a significant decrease in exhaustion, burnout, and sick leave among physicians in the program.

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No More Surprises: An Overview of the No Surprises Act

Posted by | Oct 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, summarizes the rules and implications of the No Surprises Act against unexpected out-of-network medical bills. He defines a surprise medical bill as one where a patient receives an often large bill for the difference between the out-of-network provider’s fee and the amount covered by the patient’s health insurance, and he notes that 2 out of 3 American adults are worried about these bills. Dr. Baum explains that the No Surprises Act, which was signed into law by Congress on December 27, 2020, prohibits out-of-network providers from billing patients more than in-network amounts, and that a violation brings a $10,000 fee per occurrence. He says that this most impacts out-of-network providers, emergency room physicians, and providers that a patient typically does not select, including hospitalists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists. Dr. Baum then discusses the process that occurs if a provider disagrees with a payment, noting that the losing party of an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) must ultimately pay the cost of the IDR.

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Using Templates to Enhance Efficiency and Productivity in Your Urology Practice

Posted by | Oct 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, presenting on behalf of his colleagues James E. Gottesman, MD, and Evan R. Goldfischer, MD, MBA, reviews tools for improving efficiency in a urology practice. He explains that efficiency is important for practices because revenues are decreasing, overhead is increasing, and incomes are being squeezed. Dr. Baum’s first recommendation for improving efficiency is to use scribes, since they improve patient flow, increase productivity, and improve both patient and physician satisfaction. He then highlights the benefits of voice recognition software, which significantly reduces time needed for documentation, as well as the utility of telemedicine, which has been adopted by the majority of urologists since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Baum notes that new software for prior authorization approval also increases efficiency. He then goes in depth about the effectiveness of using urology electronic medical record (EMR) templates, explaining that most urologic conditions can be managed with 10 to 15 templates, and that EMR templates enhance efficiency, enhance documentation, improve the learning curve of scribes and medical assistants, and may assist in coding and billing. Dr. Baum concludes by inviting interested viewers to contact either himself, Dr. Goldberg, or Dr. Gottesman for more information on the templates.

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Practice Management Advice for the Urologist: Advocating for Your Patient

Posted by | Sep 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, considers how and why physicians should advocate for their patients in the face of insurance claim denials. He explains that denials occur because rejections lower costs for insurance companies and allow them to hold money for weeks or months as appeals take place. Dr. Baum then tells the story of Shelly (name and likeness used with permission), a patient of his with cerebral palsy. Shelly used a voice synthesizer (VS) to communicate, but the school board refused to allow her to keep the VS once she graduated high school. Dr. Baum describes how Shelly’s family requested a new VS from their insurance so that Shelly could attend college, but were denied on the grounds that the VS was a “creature comfort” and the insurance company was “not responsible for replacing something not present at birth.” Dr. Baum decided to serve as Shelly’s advocate, reaching out to the state insurance commissioner, the insurance company’s medical director, government representatives, and the media. As a result of this advocacy, the medical director approved coverage of the VS and Shelly was able to go to college. Dr. Baum summarizes what he learned from this experience, highlighting the power that physicians have to help their patients, but also noting that they cannot advocate for every patient since the process is too laborious. He concludes that insurance companies are focused on their bottom line, so physicians must be focused on the welfare of patients.

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Improving Your Public Speaking Performance with PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach Tool

Posted by | Sep 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, explains how urologists can use PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach tool to improve their public speaking skills. He observes that while public speaking is important for building and maintaining a urology practice, many urologists lack training in this area and may even be terrified to speak in front of an audience. To help gain these skills and alleviate fear, Dr. Baum recommends using the Presenter Coach tool, a free feature in PowerPoint that gives users feedback to improve their presentations before they ever have to speak in front of another person. He explains that users can present to the computer, and the Presenter Coach will evaluate pacing and pitch, as well as use of filler words, informal speech, euphemisms, and culturally insensitive terms. Dr. Baum then goes over how to use Presenter Coach step-by-step, highlighting the benefits of its real-time feedback and in-depth rehearsal reports. He also recommends practicing with the coach more than once in order to see improvement.

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