Place To Practice

By Martin, Edward

At Harvard Medical School, urologist Anthony Atala was a pioneering researcher in growing replacement tissue and organs. But when he moved three years ago to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, he became a case study in another medical phenomenon, says Evan Falchuk, president of Boston-based Best Doctors Inc. “North Carolina has become a magnet for top doctors from across the country. It has become one of the leading states for health care, and that’s self-reinforcing.”

Atala bioengineers urethras, bladders and other organs to replace those damaged by disease (“Grow Your Own,” fitly 2005). He’s also on the list of North Carolina’s best physicians, which Falchuk’s company compiles each year for BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA. It comprises more than 860 doctors, about 5% of those practicing in the state. Some are researchers; others see patients daily. All achieved the status by their reputation among their peers.

Best Doctors asked about 33,000 doctors nationwide to name the best in their specialities. It checked credentials, standing with the state licensing board and other criteria. When the vetting was done, about one in 20 achieved star status. The list that appears on the following pages (and the full roster that can be found on BusinessNC.com) was compiled in 2006 and updated in 2007. Polling for the 2007-08 list is being concluded this summer.

There’s more than prestige at stake here, especially for businesses confronted with the rising cost of providing medical coverage for their employees. Health-care economists say treatment by doctors who provide better outcomes is less expensive in the long run. And knowing which doctors are considered good is valuable, especially when it’s so difficult to identify the bad ones.

The General Assembly addressed this issue last year when it gave the state Medical Board greater authority to publicize actions it takes. “What we’re seeing is an overall trend toward transparency in medicine,” Falchuk says. “Seeing if your doctor has been disciplined is one way of asking, ‘Will he screw up my care?”‘ But disciplinary records don’t provide the full picture, he says. “By itself, the fact that a doctor has been stied doesn’t mean much. This is America – doctors get stied. That’s why employers and employees are looking for better tools to make their decisions.”

Good doctors attract more of the same, one reason health care in this state stands out. “North Carolina has a long history of teaching excellence at schools like Duke and Wake Forest, and it’s fertile ground to practice medicine. A lot of young doctors like the lifestyle, the business climate and the fact that, medically speaking, there’re a lot of well-educated people there.”

Copyright Business-North Carolina Jul 01, 2007

(c) 2007 Business, North Carolina. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.