Bruce Maller has had a storied career in ophthalmology. He founded and has run BSM Consulting, a healthcare consulting firm, for 43 years; he’s lectured for various medical societies and national conventions on the power of leadership; he’s designed course content and chosen speakers for societies and conventions; and for the past 9 years, Mr. Maller has helped shepherd 53 issues of Ophthalmic Professional. Now, he is gearing up for a new adventure: retirement. To give him a proper send-off, Jane T. Shuman, MSM, COT, COE, OCS, OP co-editor, chatted with Mr. Maller to look back on his career. The following is their conversation:

Jane Shuman: How does it feel to be so close to retiring?

Bruce Maller: I'm so busy that I haven’t really had a chance to process that, Jane. But when I do allow myself to think about it, I’m excited; I’m energized. I love the BSM team, but day to day, I can’t wait to not wake up at 4 a.m. and work 12 to 13 hours a day.

JS: Let’s go back to your roots just a little bit. I once heard you speak about your family background and the influences that this had on BSM. How do you think your family background influenced your career path?

BM: My mom and dad, who have long since been deceased, have had a tremendous impact on who I am, how I function and also how I lead. My mom was a registered nurse. She volunteered in senior citizen centers across Long Island. When I wasn’t in school, I went with her and learned from an early age the value and importance of caregiving.

My dad owned a small grocery store on Long Island, and I had the great fortune of working for him from the time I was in the single digits, returning the shopping carts from the parking lot. Dad was 100% focused on his team and his customers, and that taught me the importance of investing in and nurturing people. By the time I was 20, the same people worked for him who worked for him when I was 7 and 8, and when I reflected upon that, that lack of turnover didn’t surprise me. So, in many ways, Jane, I feel like I had a competitive advantage in that I came from a great gene pool, and my parents’ passion for what they did really drove and motivated me.

JS: Do you ever think about the fact that your father’s independent grocery store was much like the small private practice, as opposed to the big, mega multi-specialty, multi-location practices?

BM: I never thought about it in those terms, but you're right! My dad was fiercely independent because he had a vision of how he wanted to execute customer service, and his vision was successful, in terms of retaining customers. I can remember as a child, Jane, when I would ask my dad why people spent so much time in the store. I mean, many of them would come in many times in one day. When I got older, I realized why. He created a community with his store by cultivating this culture of customer service. Additionally, he refused to be strong-armed into joining a union that sought to consolidate the grocery stores in the tri-state area. I think that’s an interesting analogy to what’s going on with some private ophthalmology practices today.

JS: How did you get into the ophthalmology space?

BM: I think the reason I chose to be in the space I’m in is because so many of my extended family members were doctors. I think back on conversations I had with my dad, and he would mention how they were not good businesspeople. I remember later in life, my dad said to me, ‘If you’re not going to come back and run the grocery store, maybe you should think about going into business to help doctors be better businesspeople.' Years later, a dentist friend of mine introduced me to his girlfriend at the time, who had developed technology around the use of UV light and IOLs and, as a result, was very well connected to ophthalmologists. She ended up introducing me to some of them. One was Herve Byron, who became a client. He’s since passed away, but he was very influential in the field of practice management. As an ophthalmologist, he was always willing to put himself out there and to share his own challenges and issues from a practice management perspective. My dad used to say, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,’ and boy was he right! I was extraordinarily fortunate to meet so many ophthalmologists through Dr. Byron.

JS: What do you think you have brought to the table when it comes to consulting?

BM: I think I have a certain ability to teach effectively, in that I’m a very clear thinker and a clear teacher. I listen, diagnose the problem, and then problem solve. I can take concepts that may be foreign or difficult or complex to grasp and make them understandable. Additionally, I think I have the ability to motivate and inspire behavior changes. I feel like these two characteristics have enabled change for the better in many of my clients, and I love helping others achieve success.

JS: What do you consider the most exciting development during your long career?

BM: The evolution of technology and how it continues to better serve patients. My sister recently had bilateral cataract surgery. She marveled at the coupling of the technological solution with the experience she had with both the referring OD and the surgeon who performed the procedure. I love that I’ve been able to help facilitate that by teaching doctors and our practices how to lead better and how to manage better in using technology.

JS: What accomplishment has meant the most to you?

BM: It’s when I’m coaching, mentoring a physician or administrative person. My most recent example of this is a client who wants to have the first medical aesthetics business that has a true employee ownership plan. This occurred because he was touched by my story of how we’ve executed such a plan at BSM — we have 18 shareholders who are employees. I had seven one-on-one meetings with folks he’s invited to be shareholders, and it was so humbling to hear their expressions of gratitude for motivating their boss to think about something he had never considered that could be great for the business and its employees.

JS: What was your most challenging time?

BM: There are a couple that come to mind. First, on a personal level, losing my business partner of 32 years, Lisa Peltier. Watching her live through what she did and thinking she was fully recovered, only to discover that wasn’t the case, was unfathomable to me. Lisa was really the heart and soul of BSM. She had this gift of supporting and allowing those around her to be the best version of themselves.

From a business perspective, there’s no question it’s the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, this four-doctor group in Pennsylvania informed me their lawyer told them they weren’t eligible for the government-issued PPP loan. After asking them a series of questions regarding eligibility, I told them I thought they were eligible and to call a connection at a bank and outline their eligibility. Within 48 hours, they submitted the loan application, and within a week they were funded. Those doctors called me crying the day they found out they got the loan to thank me for helping them. That was unbelievably gratifying. How fortunate we are to live in a country where, you know, as difficult as this has been, how much better off we are today than we were a month ago, 6 months ago. We’re getting better. It’s incrementally better.

JS: It's been a pleasure, Bruce.

BM: For me too, Jane. OP