Hackensack, N.J.-based Max Surgical Specialty Management is a new oral surgery-focused management services organization with big plans to expand its network.
The organization supports 16 offices and 25 surgeons in New Jersey.
Co-CEOs Jason Auerbach, DDS, and Jeff Ward recently spoke with Becker's about the company's goals and why investment in the oral surgery field is picking up.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What are your plans for the organization's growth over the next couple of years?
Jeff Ward: We have a long pipeline and list of relationships we are nurturing and moving along rapidly and we plan to double the number of surgeons at all of the locations in the next 12 months and then continue at that level of growth going forward.
While we are only located across New Jersey, we have a lot of discussions across the Northeast. We're focusing on the Northeast, but we do have plans in all the surrounding states.
Q: What does your organization look for in a partner?
Dr. Jason Auerbach: When we look for a partner practice, we look for people who are engaged, who are looking to grow, who are progressives, who are really leaders in the geography they serve. They are focused on technology and the patient experience. They are focused on growth and they want to continue to build their brand with the support of a larger organization.
Q: What kind of growth are you expecting to see in the oral surgery field within the next few years?
JW: There is tremendous interest in healthcare service investing in general by the private equity field and that's because, historically, healthcare has provided some of the highest risk-adjusted returns, nice returns to investors with a very low amount of volatility ... There are a lot of investments in different specialties and there has not been a lot of investment in oral surgery, so because it remains so fragmented, it has a very high level of interest in the investment world. We expect a lot more activity, we expect more entrants and we do expect all of the current participants and platforms to grow very rapidly in the coming years.
Q: What advice do you have for oral surgeons who are interested in partnering with an MSO or DSO?
JA: Ultimately, if you are looking to get involved with a large practice, understand the partners you're dealing with. The people are ultimately who will make your post-deal experience either a positive or negative one. DSOs, unfortunately, have a somewhat negative connotation in the oral surgery world. I think that's based on some of the players who have been in this space beforehand. Max's differentiator is the people who make up the organization and the fact that we have a unique perspective with our truly surgeon-led model.