Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Dr. Omkar Baxi, Orthopedic Hand Surgeon at Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group
Date: August 16, 2025
Host: Becker's Healthcare
Guest: Dr. Omkar Baxi

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Omkar Baxi, an orthopedic hand surgeon with the Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, shares his insights on current trends and shifts within orthopedics, outpatient care, technological innovations—including ambient AI scribes—and the evolving role of financial transparency in healthcare. Drawing on his team’s experiences serving about 800,000 patients in the DMV area, Dr. Baxi explains how technological and systemic advances are shaping not only clinical workflows but also the broader patient and provider experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Dr. Omkar Baxi and His Practice

• [00:52] Dr. Baxi introduces himself as an orthopedic hand surgeon handling surgical practice from hand to elbow and shoulder, working within a group of 13 physicians in Virginia.
  • He supports around 2,000 doctors with Kaiser Permanente across the Mid Atlantic, serving about 800,000 patients in the DMV area.

Industry Trends and Persistent Challenges

• Decreasing Reimbursements:
  • [01:32] “The perennial issue has always been decreasing, decreasing reimbursement. So that is the headwind that we always face.” – Dr. Baxi
  • Aging populations, increased supply/staffing costs, and the need to maintain patient-first, high-quality care create added pressures.
  • Emphasis on the need for new technologies and innovations to balance costs and care quality.

The Evolving Role of Outpatient, Orthopedics, Spine, and ASCs

• Shifting Venues for Care:
  • [02:13] Dr. Baxi discusses the move from hospital-based care toward in-office procedural suites, and even transitioning some cases from ASCs to office-based surgeries:
    • “A big part of that is finding the right patient to do the right surgery or the right intervention in the right venue.”
  • Freeing up ASCs for larger procedures that are being shifted out of hospitals (e.g., total knees, total joints) by moving minor cases into office settings.

Technology Innovations: Ambient AI Scribes and Prescreening

• Impact of AI on Workflow:
  • [03:07] Dr. Baxi highlights the adoption of ambient AI scribes:
    • “We are now using ambient AI scribes in my organization. I think that's been super helpful… my non-orthopedic colleagues actually feel like it's a complete game changer.”
  • Benefits: Providers focus more on patients, fewer distractions taking notes, improved continuity and documentation.
• Future of AI in Prescreening:
  • Dr. Baxi foresees a further role for AI in patient prescreening:
    • “Part of that is actually before they even come to see me… helping us to narrow that down will help us figure out how to best deliver care.”

Financial Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

• Beyond the Clinic Visit:
  • [04:50] Dr. Baxi broadens the conversation from clinical costs to the entire patient experience, including insurance selections and lost work time:
    • “The cost of healthcare eventually comes down to the patients. So that has to be a part of our conversation. And it's not just when they come to see us, but it's also when they're selecting their health plans in their open enrollment period.”
  • Value of integrated care models that reduce surprises and promote clarity.
• Considering Patients’ Realities:
  • Dr. Baxi explains why context is vital—two patients with the same injury could face different “costs” depending on their jobs and life situations:
    • “If you have a very manual job and you can't go to work for three months, it's very different than if you have a computer job… I think we definitely have to expand our view of really what cost means and I think that'll help a lot.” [05:54]

Final Reflections: Collaborative Innovation

• Interdisciplinary Approach:
  • [06:52] Dr. Baxi emphasizes the importance of collaboration between all healthcare stakeholders:
    • “The only way to move forward and to innovate is to have all these people at the table. And we need to do that more often, I think.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On decreasing reimbursement and industry headwinds:
  • “The perennial issue has always been decreasing, decreasing reimbursement…” – Dr. Omkar Baxi [01:32]
• On AI scribes as a ‘game changer’:
  • “We are now using ambient AI scribes in my organization… they really can focus on their patients.” – Dr. Omkar Baxi [03:08]
• On expanding the meaning of healthcare costs:
  • “If you have a very manual job and you can't go to work for three months, it's very different than if you have a computer job and you could easily be working and still earning a paycheck for those three months…” – Dr. Omkar Baxi [05:54]
• On collaborative innovation:
  • “The only way to move forward and to innovate is to have all these people at the table.” – Dr. Omkar Baxi [06:56]

Key Timestamps

• 00:52: Dr. Baxi’s introduction & overview of group practice
• 01:32: Discussion on decreasing reimbursements & operational challenges
• 02:13: The trajectory toward more in-office and outpatient procedures
• 03:07: Adoption and impact of ambient AI scribes
• 04:50: Defining and operationalizing financial transparency
• 06:52: Closing thoughts on collaborative industry innovation

Conclusion

Dr. Baxi’s interview offers practical, on-the-ground insight into how orthopedic and outpatient care is evolving amid reimbursement challenges, the rise of technology, and the push for greater transparency. At every turn, he advocates for putting patients at the center of decision-making and underscores the need for a truly collaborative approach among all healthcare stakeholders.