What does a urologist really do, and how much of the job involves the subjects patients are often too embarrassed to discuss?

In this episode of the Gold Coast Podcast, Eric Winegard sits down with Dr. Paul Bower, President of Bower Urology, for a candid conversation about medicine, robotic surgery, military service, men’s health, private practice, artificial intelligence, and building a growing healthcare organization on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Dr. Bower originally planned to pursue general and trauma surgery. After joining the Navy, completing his internship and deploying to Afghanistan, he reconsidered the lifestyle and demands of trauma medicine. His interest in minimally invasive procedures, robotics and advanced technology eventually led him into urology.

He explains the wide range of care urologists provide, from vasectomies, kidney stones and urinary issues to erectile dysfunction, penile implants, prostate cancer treatment, robotic prostatectomies and robotic kidney surgery.

Dr. Bower also discusses an underserved area of healthcare: women’s urology. He explains why many female patients prefer female providers and shares Bower Urology’s plans to expand its women’s health services.

The conversation then turns to artificial intelligence. Dr. Bower believes AI can meaningfully improve healthcare administration, scheduling, documentation, phone systems and surgical visualization, but says completely autonomous surgery remains far from reality.

Eric and Dr. Bower also examine the business side of medicine. Dr. Bower explains why insurance reimbursement delays create severe pressure for independent practices, why hospitals have greater negotiating leverage, and why recruiting physicians can be difficult even in rapidly growing communities.

In this episode:
Why Dr. Bower originally avoided urology
Serving as a Navy medical officer
Deploying to Afghanistan
Moving from trauma medicine toward robotic surgery
What urologists actually treat
Kidney stones and minimally invasive procedures
Vasectomies and men’s reproductive health
How penile implants work
Erectile dysfunction treatment
Robotic prostate and kidney surgery
The growing need for women’s urology
Why female providers are highly sought after
The future of AI-assisted healthcare
Why autonomous surgery remains unlikely in the near future
Using AI for scheduling, documentation and phone calls
Expanding Bower Urology across the Treasure Coast
The shortage of urologists in growing communities
Recruiting doctors into private practice
Why hospitals can pay physicians differently
Insurance reimbursement delays
The business challenges facing independent doctors
Raising five sons
Advice for Eric as a first-time father

Guest:
Dr. Paul Bower
President, Bower Urology

Hosted by:
Eric Winegard
CEO of Rare Blue Moon Marketing

This episode is for general informational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about individual symptoms, diagnoses or treatment options!

Thank you all for listening in on today's episode of The Gold Coast Podcast!