La Cañada physician Dr. Greggory DeVore extols the value of the entrepreneurial spirit at ‘Newt U’ symposium

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Dr. Greggory DeVore, a fetal specialist from La Cañada Flintridge and GOP delegate, talked about the value of the independence and self-reliance during a talk at a symposium outside the Republican National Convention Tuesday morning.

The talk was part of the “Newt U” series of talks and lectures hosted by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Tuesday’s theme was “We Built It,” echoing the topic of Day Two of the RNC itself, and focused primarily on business.

During his talk, DeVore chronicled his 37-year medical career, beginning with his time in academic fields, to working in the corporate hospital environment, to finally opening his own private practice in 1990.

DeVore said his academic work focused primarily on difficult pregnancies, and coming up with new ways to improve outcomes for his patients. These improvements, he said, were not always appreciated in the corporate hospital world.

“One day, a nurse came into my office and asked, ‘Where are all the dead babies?’” he said. “I said ‘Excuse me?’”

The methods he had implemented for his new employer had dramatically decreased the number of stillborn infants, as well as sick ones who had to be placed in neonatal intensive care, DeVore said. The problem? NICU accounted for nearly a quarter of the profit realized by the hospital.

This drove DeVore to open his own practice, which he says has allowed him to purchase the equipment he feels will improve the lives and outcomes of his patients.
“I’m in control of my own destiny; I’m in control of the destiny of my patients,” he said.

DeVore, who has three offices - in Pasadena, Tarzana and Mission Hills - said he has been successful in helping patients, as well as financially, because of that independence.

-- Dan Evans, Times Community News
E-mail: dan.evans@latimes.com
Twitter: @EditorDanEvans