Private Equity In Healthcare Works Only When Culture Comes First

The fight over where orthopedic surgery happens is really a fight over who holds the power. Ryan Van Puffelen joins us to explain how ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) moved from “lower acuity” options to the center of modern ASC strategy, shifting control away from the hospital and toward surgeons, administrators, and new financial players. We unpack the KOL to DOL transition, from key opinion leaders on conference stages to digital opinion leaders shaping what people believe on LinkedIn. Ryan shares what changed, why it matters, and how he built a consistent voice by picking specific lanes: surgeon autonomy, private equity in healthcare, infusion of operational support, and the messy intersection where all of it meets. If you care about healthcare leadership, orthopedic innovation, or building a personal brand that actually opens doors, this conversation gets practical fast. Private equity gets the honest treatment too. We talk about when PE can help an ASC stay independent, fund upgrades, and professionalize operations, and when culture gets discounted and deals go sideways. We also call out the biggest online mistake we see in healthcare marketing: executives defaulting to corporate reposts that only get love from coworkers instead of creating trust with real people. Subscribe, share this with a colleague in orthopedics or ASC leadership, and leave a review if it helped. What is one lane you want to own this year?