Founded by Chief Executive Officer John Sikes and Chief Compliance Officer Jeff LeBlanc in 2003, the Baton Rouge based company got its start in nurse anesthetist staffing. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 transformed the anesthetic landscape throughout Louisiana. DPI ultimately pivoted into fee-for-service contracts, evolving into a more traditional anesthesia management company in 2007 after bringing in Chief Marketing Officer Gerry Pedersen as a partner. Chief Medical Officer Scott Gardiner became a partner in 2018.
Today, DPI engages 107 employees and credentials 350 anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in a three-state area—Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina. The company offers several different services, from departmental management and staffing services to practice consulting and billing services.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: John Sikes, Chief Executive Officer; Jeff LeBlanc, Chief Compliance Officer; Larry Hornsby, Chief Strategy Officer; Madison Mulkey, Chief Operating Officer; Bobby Johnson, Chief Financial Officer; Gerry Pedersen, Chief Marketing Officer; Scott Gardiner, Chief Medical Officer
Phone: 800.454.9902
Address: 8946 Interline Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Website: dpianes.com
“Our ability to grow the company when things look dire has been a constant for us over the 20-year span,” says Sikes. “I believe it’s that way because we’re always intentional about looking forward and grounded in what we do on a daily basis.”
The COVID-19 pandemic provided DPI the opportunity to expand its geographic footprint into South Carolina with successful contracts to staff two hospitals with anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists—an achievement in 2020 when hospital staffing was by and large considered a challenge.
“We took a facility that was struggling to staff any anesthesia providers at all, and had it fully staffed within three months,” Sikes says. “We completely turned the situation around for them in a very short period of time.”
Sikes credits DPI’s recruiting and retention as key to its ongoing success, especially with the increasing volatility of the healthcare employment market. Traditionally, Certified Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) worked strictly under the supervision of an anesthesiologist, but many states now allow CRNAs to practice independently due to the safety, efficiency, and financial benefits. Providing expertise to physician practices that are slow to change when the healthcare industry is evolving so rapidly is an important cornerstone of DPI’s business.
“There are some administrations that feel as though they are very exposed in that regard,” Sikes says. “Healthcare is changing. The landscape is changing, and they want a group that is going to be able to change with them. Flexibility is a key piece.”
DPI operates by a core set of values, including leadership, integrity, accountability, humility, and family. These core values inform the culture that DPI wishes to create in their own company and within each of the organizations they staff.
“In today’s world, having those kinds of values on the table and really understanding what they are and standing for something that you believe in, is quite important,” Sikes says. “That’s how you attract people that you want to be a part of your profession. You establish what your DNA is, and people open to that are going to be more apt to come and work with you. You’re offering more of an experience and a culture to be a part of that is positive.”
Trust also extends toward making patients comfortable and pain-free during procedures using new techniques that allow providers to use fewer addictive opioids in the process.
“The very core of what we do is providing less pain and more clarity,” Sikes says. “If you take that same idea to the boardroom, it’s the same thing. We’re there to address what their pain point is. Our central purpose is to make sure administrators, anesthesiologists, and nurse anesthetists have the resources they need so they can design their future.”
Looking forward, Sikes anticipates shifting focus from new business development to internal operations, including integrating new technology, clarifying processes, and ensuring the company is ready to take the next step in its growth.
“2024 is going to be a year where we grow internally and solidify a lot of our internal operations and internal support,” he says. “Or we’re going to take a giant step in additional revenue and employees and growth. Either one is going to be very good for us as a whole.”
John Sikes
It is an exciting time for DPI as we enter 2024. We are humbled by the huge opportunity we have every day to influence the surgical experiences of our patients and make positive impacts in their lives. Our core values of integrity, leadership, accountability, humility, and family inform the DNA of our company and offer a solid foundation for us to stand on as the trusted anesthesia partner for many hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers across the southeastern United States. DPI’s sustained success is a result of hiring the right people who are passionately willing to serve and persevere through the toughest of circumstances. Our team of top-notch clinical providers and business experts creates a collaborative culture which fuels DPI’s exponential growth. We are proud to have provided measurable value in the Surgical and Anesthesia arena for the past 21 years and look forward to what the future holds.
