KNOXVILLE — A physician who earned his MBA at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has developed a new line of disposable medical instruments for obstetricians and gynecologists.
James PattersonJames Patterson, an OB/GYN from Memphis, Tenn., founded GYN Disposables in 2004, developing his business plan as part of his yearlong studies in UT’s Physicians Executive MBA program (PEMBA). Now GYN Disposables is marketing its products nationwide.
“I had the idea for this business long before getting my MBA,” said Patterson, “but the direction and guidance I received during the PEMBA program made me realize my opportunities and provided me with the educational roadmap to get me there. Without UT, this company would not have been possible.”
GYN Disposables’ line of disposable, cost-effective instruments eliminates the risk of disease transmission for both patients and physicians and offers a much lower environmental impact than traditional sterilization techniques.
“Single-use instruments offer peace of mind to both the patient and the physician,” Patterson said. They enhance patient safety and comfort and improve patient turnover time; they also allow increased physician consultation time, increased office efficiency and decreased labor costs.
GYN Disposables’ first disposable product was an improved cervical tenaculum, used in almost all gynecologic procedures. Its patent-pending design is more lightweight than its reusable predecessors, offering less pain and bleeding for the patient.
GYN Disposables also has introduced an IUD insertion kit and will be introducing an endometrial biopsy kit in 2008. The company plans to roll out disposable instrument kits for all OB/GYN in-office procedures, greatly simplifying office processes.
GYN Disposable products are produced with planet-friendly materials, conserve resources and offer up to a 90-percent reduction in solid, clinical waste associated with the sterilization process — such as gloves, tissue, wraps, solvents and plastics.
“We see tremendous potential for these products in increasing patient health, decreasing patient discomfort and allowing physicians more time with their patients,” Patterson said.
The PEMBA program, offered within the College of Business Administration’s Center for Executive Education, blends four, one-week residences with online interactive learning. It is the only yearlong, accredited MBA program exclusively for physicians. The program is organized so that physician leaders can stay fully engaged in their careers while earning their degrees.
Along with a curriculum of planning, entrepreneurship, ethics, finance, information design and leadership, PEMBA students get a healthy dose of lean management principles that they can apply immediately to their own workplace initiatives.
PEMBA, which recently celebrated its 10th year, has engaged 285 physician leaders representing 42 U.S. states; Saipan; Puerto Rico; and six other countries (Saudi Arabia, Germany, Turkey, Korea, Japan and Canada). For five consecutive years, it has been the No. 1 preferred MBA program exclusively for physicians according to Modern Healthcare/Modern Physician magazines.
For more information on GYN Disposables, please visit
www.gyndisposables.com.
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Contacts:
Cindy Raines, (865) 974-4359, craines1@utk.edu
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For more UT news, visit http://www.utk.edu/news/