Written by Bloom Magazine
David A. Blum, MD is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon at Orthopaedic Center of South Florida
Tell us something interesting about yourself most people don't know." Let our readers get to know you on a personal level.
At 53-years-old, I can still do a handstand, a cartwheel, and various breakdance moves.
What is your "why?" What inspires you every day to do more/better?
I am inspired to do better every day because I am blessed with a skill set that can help heal people and improve their lives. I cannot think of a more rewarding profession.
If you were to describe yourself in three words, what would they be and why?
Dedicated, empathetic, and personable. Dedicated-To put my full effort into what is important to me. I am dedicated to patient care, my family, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Empathetic- I think that I am well suited to be a physician because of my concern for others and their well-being. Personable-I enjoy interacting with patients, colleagues, family, and friends.
Take us back to when you first began medicine; what was it like for you?
After medical school, I had seven years of internship/residency/fellowship training and one year of research. I was excited to finally practice all that I had learned. When I started practicing, I felt like I finally reached the end of a long tunnel.
What do you like most about practicing medicine and why?
My favorite thing about practicing medicine is the relationships that I have built with my patients and their families. Even though I do not practice primary care, I still get to manage patients for different problems over the course of many years. I have patients in my practice who see me under a workers' compensation claim then come back to see me to take care of other issues outside of the workers' compensation system.
What is your philosophy when treating injured workers?
My philosophy when treating injured workers is to treat the patients with the same great care and respect that I give to all of my patients. I try to understand the complexity of each injured worker's specific circumstances so that I can manage to help get the injured worker better to the best of my ability. I also try to explain to them what work restrictions, if any, I am placing on them and why. Sometimes I have to explain that I am not the person who handles their payroll situation or whether their employer has a position for them. I sometimes have to explain that I am a practicing physician in the community who cares for patients with workers' compensation claims and that I am not employed as a "Work Comp Doctor" who only cares about making them get back to work. When injured workers feel like I care about their concerns, I find that most people want to get better.
What changes or improvements do you feel you can bring to the workers' compensation industry?
The workers' compensation industry would benefit by getting injured workers seen by a specialist as quickly as possible. I find that when patients with hand, wrist, and elbow injuries get seen by me shortly after injury, it is much easier to get them better and back to full duty faster. When injured workers have excessive delays in treatment or are initially treated with multiple visits to a nonspecialist, I think that it creates a situation where an injured worker gets frustrated and less motivated.
What is your process for evaluating and treating patients?
My evaluation process is to review all previous medical records available before I see the patient. This allows me to listen to the patient and limits the need for the patient to recall all of the details of their previous care. We can focus on examination of what the current complaints are. Whenever possible I try to come up with a specific diagnosis or diagnoses, then treat appropriately. If I am not certain of a diagnosis or if I think that there are secondary gain issues, I order the appropriate tests immediately to facilitate getting the right diagnosis. In most cases I find that you cannot appropriately treat if you do not have a diagnosis.
How do you find a balance between your work life and your home life?
I find the balance between my work life and home life by remembering what my priorities are. My work schedule takes up a lot of hours during the week. I have had children at home for almost my entire practice career. My wife and children understand that patient care sometimes comes first. However, I try to limit serving on hospital/surgery center committees, going to evening and weekend marketing events, and "hanging out with the boys" (golf, poker nights). I try to have dinner with my family every night. I am available for homework help and I am a "prop dad" and my daughters' dance competitions.
What's your biggest professional accomplishment to date?
My biggest professional accomplishment to date has been developing a reputation in the community as an outstanding orthopedic upper extremity specialist. I have won many awards, and I have been featured on television. However, nothing compares to having patients come to me for a new problem because I help them or their family member in the past.
What are the company's vision, mission, values, and culture?
My group, Orthopedic Center of South Florida, has been providing care for over 25 years. We have a team of orthopedic surgeons and provide podiatric and pain management services as well. We provide outstanding care to our community in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. We also have our own therapy department and MRI machine. Our practice is very stable. We value having physicians stay, and there is very little turnover in our practice. Except for retirement, no physicians have left the practice in my six years with the group.
What Makes Your Practice Unique?
My practice is unique in that I am very accessible, and I am very accommodating to seeing patients on short notice if necessary. Another unique part of my practice is that I provide minimally-invasive, ultrasound-guided trigger finger releases in the office. This involves a procedure which requires no sutures and is performed in the office in about 10-15 minutes.
What strategies do you use to make sure you clearly communicate your message to everyone involved?
I fill out the DWC-25 Form immediately after seeing any workers' compensation patient. I let the patient know what work restrictions I am putting on the form, so that there are no surprises when they receive their work restrictions. If I order a test or a treatment and it is not done, I will contact the adjuster or case manager to find out why this has not occurred. I find that effective communication leads to better outcomes and happier adjusters, case managers, doctors, and patients.
What final thoughts would you share with those in workers' compensation?
I think that workers' compensation patients events get an unnecessarily bad reputation. My experience has been that most patients have a real injury and want to get better. When the adjuster, case manager, and I are all working together effectively, we can get most injured workers better quickly.
