Mark Censoprano and Jason Auerbach, DDS, plan to compliment each other's unique skills as co-CEOs of Max Surgical Specialty Management.
Mr. Censoprano recently joined the oral surgery-focused management services organization after serving in leadership roles at Miami-based Guardian Dentistry Partners and Chicago-based Aspen Dental.
MSSM supports 28 surgeons and 21 locations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
The two execs recently spoke with Becker's about how they plan to work together to support oral surgeons with their platform.
Editor's note: These responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Mark, what interested you in joining MSSM?
Mark Censoprano: Definitely the people and, honestly, the quality of the people always comes first for me. I spent a good amount of time with the Max organization before joining and everybody I met was just more impressive and genuine than the next. I did get an opportunity, which I think was really great, to meet the doctor partners themselves during the interview process. What I found is that the caliber of the professionals and, more importantly, the caliber of the human beings themselves is really special. That's always what draws me to an organization and I wouldn't be here unless that was the case with Max. The quality of the human beings really defines an organization for me.
Dr. Jason Auerbach: Anybody can see that his experience and the tacit knowledge he brings sets him apart, but what would not necessarily be as obvious without having had the opportunity to speak to him was who he is exactly as a human being. That's paramount to everything. His leadership style, his cooperative nature and his quiet but clear confidence make him what I see as a rare bird. So when I met him, it wasn't even a question that he was perfect for Max and having worked with him now for just a short period of time, it seems to be obvious that we've made an exceptional decision with him.
Q: How do you plan to work together to lead the company's growth?
JA: The beauty of Max as a differentiated platform in the space is that surgeon leadership, but anyone else who's a leader understands what they bring to the table and what they don't necessarily bring to the table. The beauty of my relationship with Mark is that we have such complementary skill sets but a shared vision in terms of really redefining the space. You'll see over time and time again that he'll take the lead where his expertise and his knowledge base makes sense and where I can bring value, that's where I'll take the lead.
Q: Mark, how do you plan to use your past experience working with other DSOs to inform your leadership at MSSM?
MC: As we continue to build Max into what we believe will be the premier surgical specialty support platform, my plan would be to draw on the experiences I've had in the past in building an organization that does what's right for the doctors. Sounds kind of straightforward, as it should be, but that isn't always the case. Do what's right for the doctors, build the organization in a way that's capable of doing that and supporting the doctors in the right way. The success of Max, or any organization in the healthcare support space, rests on how well it helps the doctors to do what they do best, which is take care of their patients and take care of their team members. With my last breath, I will work to make sure their lives are better when they partner with Max, and I mean that. Always do what's right by them. There will always be bumps in the road. There will be things that don't go perfectly smoothly, but when you have the right intentions, things tend to work themselves out.
Question: What is exciting about the oral surgery field right now?
JA: Anybody who's ever heard me speak understands that I think oral maxillofacial surgery is the best specialty in healthcare, and I think we're really on the precipice now of taking it to the next level. The full scope of oral maxillofacial surgery in terms of the subspecialties and some of the newer techniques and technologies we are implementing everyday at our practices puts us in an exciting time. Forget the business side of things, which obviously is tremendous, but from a surgeon's perspective, we are in the business of delivering high-level clinical care. To Mark's point, taking care of those people who are delivering that care, whether it be the surgeons or the support staff, ultimately will help us deliver the best possible outcomes to our patients and hopefully build an organization that is something we can all be proud of for many years to come.