SMS Healthcare is positioned for growth in 2024 with new Chief Executive Officer David Hoy at the helm. Mr Hoy’s arrival at SMS in 2023 is the culmination of a 15-year career in health, in senior executive roles at Healthscope, the John Fawkner Private Hospital, Medibank, a small startup called The Cradle, and Vision Eye Institute.
“Each of these roles has enriched my personal perspective and skillset, equipping me with a good understanding of the healthcare sector, an appreciation of the work undertaken, and the sense of reward that comes from helping people,” Mr Hoy said.
As a startup healthcare business with a team of “extraordinary” surgeons and staff, he said SMS presented an appealing professional opportunity to drive growth within a business model that he hopes will find “a happy medium”, meeting both the doctors’ and corporate needs.
“We’ve got leaders in the field; the likes of Professor Stephanie Watson, Dr Tanya Trinh, Dr Armand Borovik, and Dr Patrick Versace; and through their industry knowledge and professional relationships we’ve been able to access the latest technologies and participate in trials. These are the things that inspire me and reinforce my excitement about leading a remarkable organisation with a great team of doctors and staff,” Mr Hoy said.
the industry relationships that SMS has, allow us to continue to be at the forefront of new technology and allows for opportunities in research
Dr Armand Borovic
Expanding Scope
Having joined SMS in 2022, Dr Borovik told mivision that being part of “a large, dynamic group (that is) poised to become the leader in the industry” is already presenting exciting opportunities for him to expand his professional scope.
“I now have access to experts in marketing, business development, relationships with industry that provide early access to the latest technology, and contemporaries to discuss difficult and interesting cases with.
“The reality is that only a larger group like SMS can provide such extensive resources and I am already seeing the benefits for my patients and our practice”. He said the ability “to pick and choose from the resources available” along with opportunities presented to expand the geographic areas in which he provides patient care “have been fantastic”.
Dr Borovik said the transition to working with SMS was seamless.
“SMS has a lot of experience in the ophthalmology space now and know where they can add value, and also know where to leave things be: why mess with a formula that is working if it isn’t necessary?
“I am also part of the broader group’s national Medical Advisor Committee, which allows me to gain management insights from my colleagues around the country at other SMS facilities and contribute to how the overarching group functions… experience that I would otherwise not have gained.”
He expects this exposure, along with access to regular education events and new practice systems will enable him to expand his refractive practice further while also streamlining patient care, enabling him to focus on particular areas of interest, namely cataract, cornea, and refractive surgery.
Additionally he said, “the industry relationships that SMS has, allow us to continue to be at the forefront of new technology and allows for opportunities in research”.
Investment in technology is something that Dr Hoy has on his radar. “We’re committed to thoughtful adoption of new technologies – to trying to make sure our doctors have what they need in their practices, that practices are properly equipped, and have the right staff who are getting continuous training,” he said.
With ophthalmology costs being among the highest in the healthcare specialties due to the equipment and the staffing levels required, he said there is a focus on ensuring the business operations support both doctors and patients in a way that delivers holistic care while helping to address the costing challenges.
The strategy really involves strengthening our collaboration with referrers and having SMS as the best place to work for doctors and staff
A Targeted Approach
Growth is also on the agenda, with SMS looking to expand its day surgery portfolio to encompass the whole health journey.
“The strategy really involves strengthening our collaboration with referrers and having SMS as the best place to work for doctors and staff. We want people to join SMS because they know about our focus on service delivery… our business is a people business; great people will ensure our success.”
With that in mind, Mr Hoy said that rather than building specific specialties, SMS would be “reaching out to certain people in certain areas with a targeted approach… You can grow quickly to scale, but we’re trying to be a little bit more focussed than that,” he said.
Looking into the distant future, Mr Hoy said his aim is for SMS Healthcare to become recognised for its exceptional eye care and compassionate approach to healthcare; and to ensure that SMS continues to set the benchmark in redefining delivery of patient care.
“Because dealing with the patient in front of you is one aspect, but it’s their family, their friends, all community are all impacted by people’s health conditions. So, trying to make sure that we are contributing positively to the broader community, and ensuring SMS Healthcare is a place that people want to come and work is something I am passionate about… everyone wants a safe, happy environment, whether you are on one side of the desk or the other; that’s very important to me,” Mr Hoy concluded.
About SMS Healthcare
SMS Healthcare is a private healthcare provider focusing on facilitating and streamlining patient care through multidisciplinary teams, short-stay hospitals and integration of healthcare services. The company has a national footprint and comprises primary care, diagnostic care, specialist care, day surgery and short-stay hospitals across multiple healthcare disciplines. SMS Healthcare focuses on achieving operational efficiencies and streamlining the delivery of healthcare to support connected patient care.
