“The Competition” These days I hear that term from more and more anesthesia group leaders, and I’m sure that you’re thinking about it more than you’d like. From the Latin root competitionem, its meaning originated in the sense of rivalry, of a contest for something. Since at least the 1790s, it’s been used to describe rivalry in the marketplace. Ask yourself what “the competition” means to you. What comes to mind? In working with anesthesia group leaders across the country, my regular experience is that they envision the competition as another anesthesia group, whether from across the county or across the country. These days, the image that often first comes to mind is that of the predatory staffing-service model. I certainly can’t fault these group leaders because, especially these days, there is tremendous competitive pressure from outside entities coveting your facility contracts. So, for most group leaders protecting their practice from...