Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/233760
About Dermatology Associates of Wisconsin/Forefront Dermatology Established: 2004 Locations: 37 in Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa Employees: 393 Dermatologists: 42 dermwisconsin.com Strength in numbers "I t's very difficult to take on the competition of hospital-owned doctors and to take on the insurance companies, but the only way to be able to successfully compete with them and be your own boss is to be big – just like almost everything else is big now, in medicine or industry or in shopping centers," Henry Katz says. Bertler says he expected the company to grow to a point and level off, but it continues to grow, partially because single providers are interested in partnering up to protect themselves. The future will likely see a wider reach of single specialty clinics like Dermatology Associates or possibly multi-specialty clinics as a way to cut or share costs, Bertler says. As Dermatology Associates expanded into other states, it added the Forefront Dermatology division that operates under its own website. It's a non-geographic-specific name that works better for the clinics in Michigan and Iowa, Bertler says. Ripple effects T he city of Manitowoc provided about $2 million in tax increment financing for the construction of Dermatology Associates' new five-floor structure, completed in 2010 to accommodate growth and to house a massive computer record system for all of its clinics. Mayor Justin Nickels said it was a key project at the time because it was important to keep the growing company headquartered in Manitowoc. "Fortunately, we had the local home-grown boy who wanted to stay in this community," Nickels says, and the expansion of Dermatology Associates has facilitated the growth of several other businesses in the city. Ken Katz has contributed in other ways, serving as the current United Way chairman and donating $100,000 to the Capital Civic Center, the largest individual donation to the center's renovation project, Nickels says. "He is really invested in downtown, specifically, but also personally in the area where we need it most, so he's putting his dollars that he earned back into the community," he says. Tricia Wagner says her brother's dedication to his craft, w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m Hear Dr. Ken Katz discuss why Dermatology Associates has grown quickly -- and strongly. the company and its success have made it happen. "He likes to say, if you're not going up, you're going down, and he has a very internal drive to make things happen," Wagner says. "He's very passionate about dermatology, he's very passionate about high-level standards of care." Most of the Katz siblings have gone into medicine. Peter is a dermatologist in Appleton. Tricia was trained as a physical therapist. Tom manages the physical therapy department at the Marshfield Clinic. Another brother works in insurance. Goal: To be No. 1 in the nation K en Katz categorizes Dermatology Associates as a small regional player that is starting to expand into surrounding states. "I think that when you're the best at what you do, becoming the biggest follows naturally, because physicians want to join your group, patients want to be seen by your group, and that just continues to develop the business model." Tricia Wagner says the company is planning to open more clinics in Wisconsin, has been doing some legwork in Indiana, and is interested in North Dakota because of the population growth with the oil boom. "We're maintaining our focus just on dermatology and the services that support dermatology, and as of now there are no thoughts or plans of deviating from our core business," Wagner says. "Some businesses do diversify, and certainly there are reasons to do that, but strategically our focus is just to try to be the best in dermatology that we can." "By surrounding yourself with good people to help manage the business and develop the business aspect of things, you can continue to grow," Ken Katz says. "In medicine, it's all about reputation and quality of service, and if you have those two things plus a well-run company, you will continue to grow. "My goal is to be the best, but I think in five years, we'll be the largest dermatology practice in the country and we'll have 300 to 400 dermatologists across the Midwest." J a n u a r y 2 014 • Insight | 27