(LISTEN): Longtime former Columbia Orthopaedic Group president Dr. Mark Adams appears on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable"

Columbia Orthopaedic Group (COG) was founded in 1965 on Broadway in downtown Columbia. It started as a white frame house near Boone Hospital Center. COG built their current 72,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility at Broadway and Keene in 2008. The current facility includes an in-house ambulatory surgery center, doctor offices, exam rooms and an imaging center. Longtime former Columbia Orthopaedic Group president Dr. Mark Adams joined host Fred Parry Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." Dr. Adams, who served as COG's president for 18 years, emphasizes their humble beginnings and growth. He notes the bedrooms in that 1965 white-frame house served as exam rooms. Dr. Adams tells listeners that COG today sees 700 visits each day, adding they have 27 physicians and more than 225 employees. Mr. Parry and Dr. Adams also discussed numerous other topics on the show, including the $10-billion merger between St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare and Kansas City-based St. Luke’s. Dr. Adams tells listeners that he sees the merger as an attempt to shift the power curve that exists in medicine. Dr. Adams says insurance has had pricing power for many years. They also discussed a number of benchmark developments in Columbia healthcare in the past 40 years, including Columbia Regional Hospital’s 1974 opening. Dr. Adams tells listeners that Boone was very crowded at that time, adding that Columbia Regional, which is behind the Moser's on Keene and is now Women's Hospital, essentially became an orthopaedic specialty hospital. Fred and Dr. Adams also reflected on three of COG's founders: Garth Russell, Glenn McElroy and John Payne: