Meet the Surgeons: ModMed Welcomes Two Medical Directors for Orthopedics
Two Medical Directors Join the ModMed® Orthopedics Team
Learn how Dr. Suezie Kim and Dr. David Wei, both champions of technology and healthcare, bring a wealth of surgical and private practice experience to their new roles.
Dr. Suezie Kim, a practicing orthopedic surgeon from Tucson, Arizona, is adding Medical Director of Orthopedics at ModMed to her plate. While she remembers always wanting to be a doctor, she believes her interest in technology dates back to her years at the University of California, Riverside. That’s when the premed major, who wanted a well rounded experience, loaded up on classes in computer science, programming, web development, and even graphic design. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised how my interests in medicine and technology have aligned so well for me at ModMed,” she says.
Dr. David Wei, a practicing hand and upper extremity surgeon in Greenwich, Connecticut, is also joining ModMed as a Medical Director of Orthopedics. As the youngest of three physician siblings, he likes to joke that he was born into medicine. His interest in technology? He traces that to his childhood fascination with taking apart electronic devices to understand how they worked — including the family VCR. As an undergraduate at Yale, he studied molecular biophysics and biochemistry before attending medical school and orthopedic residency at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital.
For Dr. Kim, who attended medical school at the University of Vermont and completed her residency training at NYU, it was the variety of surgical procedures that drew her to orthopedics. “I found it rewarding that I was able to fix a lot of conditions as an orthopedic surgeon,” she recalls. “Whether it was a broken bone to put in the right place or a torn ACL that needed a ligament replaced.”
With EMA, I know exactly when patients arrive, so they wait less and interact with me more.
– Dr. David Wei
Unique Perspectives as Surgeons in Private Practice
Once in private practice, Dr. Wei paid more attention to the electronic health record (EHR) systems he encountered. “If the tools were efficient, we could treat patients better. If the tools were not, we’d have a harder time with every facet of their care,” says the hand surgeon who channeled that passion into building an app with a former classmate to manage perioperative patient care. In fact, Dr. Wei enjoyed the experience coding the front and back ends of things so much, he did not hesitate when presented with the opportunity to join ModMed.
Dr. Kim points to her service as a naval officer at Camp Pendleton as influencing her decision to join ModMed as a Medical Director. “I was privileged to see the sacrifices young, healthy men and women make for our country,” she says. “It was also eye-opening to see how EHRs and EMRs [electronic medical records] were used throughout the Veterans Affairs system.”
When it was time to help her practice transition to the ModMed orthopedic EHR, EMA®, Dr. Kim was impressed by the features that allowed her to easily communicate with her team. “My surgical ordering is much easier and faster with EMA,” she explains. “The speed of setting up protocols that prepopulate the equipment I’ll need or which pain meds I’ll want to prescribe translates to more efficiency in the operating room.”
Influencing the Future of ModMed Orthopedics
“Maybe 10 or 20 years ago, physicians in private practice could focus solely on the clinical aspects,” says Dr. Wei. “But in today’s landscape, it’s critical to have all-in-one tools like ModMed that improve our clinical care while making us more efficient from a business standpoint.”
Dr. Kim is a firm believer that having on-staff physicians who code really sets ModMed apart, facilitating ongoing updates and integrations driven by user input. “The number of user requests that come in and can be quickly changed within weeks, depending on how simple they are, is phenomenal,” she says.
Both Medical Directors agree that implementing a new EHR system takes time and effort, but the benefits can be worth the investment. They cite EMA’s ability to decrease charting time, improve communication and help clinicians spend more time with patients as valuable benefits for any private practice.
Dr. Kim hopes to use the time she saves with EMA putting her coding skills to good use at ModMed. In his new role, Dr. Wei is looking forward to helping clinicians spend less time staring at a screen and more time speaking with patients face to face.
ModMed offers a ton of resources during the implementation period, from hands-on training sessions at your practice to online tutorials for more scheduling flexibility.
– Dr. Suezie Kim
This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult with your legal counsel and other qualified advisors to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards.
