Quality First, Scale Second

Interview with Dr. Bartłomiej Kacprzak, Founder of BK21 MedConcept

Photography: Jacek Poremba

Until recently, OrtoMedSport was one of the most recognizable projects in private orthopedics in Poland. Today its founder, Dr. Bartłomiej Kacprzak, speaks about a new chapter – BK21 MedConcept. However, this is not merely a change of name or a rebranding. It reflects a shift toward a different model of medicine: one more focused on quality, the relationship with the patient, and the physician’s responsibility.

For years you developed OrtoMedSport – a project that became well recognized in the world of orthopedics and sports medicine, not only in Poland but also abroad. Today you speak about a new chapter: BK21 MedConcept. Why did you decide to make this change?

The decision matured over time. OrtoMedSport was created from a very specific need – I wanted to build a place where injuries would be treated comprehensively. Not only surgery or consultations, but the entire process: diagnostics, therapy planning, rehabilitation, and a return to activity.

The model worked well for many years, but eventually I began to reflect on the direction private medicine in Poland should take. Should the goal be building larger structures and serving more patients, or focusing on the quality of treatment and the doctor-patient relationship?
BK21 MedConcept is the answer to that second question.

What does this change mean in practice?

Above all, a stronger focus on quality. In private medicine we often see a model where scale becomes the key factor – the number of visits, procedures, and facilities. When I realized this was not the direction I wanted to follow, I decided to change the model.

BK21 MedConcept was created as a more intimate, almost “boutique” medical project. The idea is simple: patients should feel that the doctor has time for them and genuinely focuses on their problem. In today’s healthcare system, this is not always obvious.

Why?

Because the pace of work in healthcare is extremely fast. In many places a doctor has only a few minutes for a consultation, which makes it difficult to truly understand the patient’s situation.
Orthopedics, especially functional orthopedics, often requires a deeper conversation about lifestyle, activity level, and injury history. Sometimes the solution is not surgery but changes in training, work on biomechanics, or appropriate rehabilitation.
That is why one of the foundations of BK21 MedConcept is time for the patient.

Did you have any concerns about this change?

Honestly, no. Mainly because I wasn’t afraid of the patients’ reactions. I was convinced that it’s not the name that builds trust, but the people and the quality of the work they do. Over the years, patients came not so much to a place with a specific name, but to a doctor they know and trust. In that sense, I knew that I was the face of this change and that responsibility for the quality of treatment was what mattered most.

For me, this decision was more of a natural evolution than a risky step. The name may change, and the organizational structure may change as well, but the values that guide my work remain the same. What has always mattered most to me is that a patient feels they are coming to a place where someone will truly take care of their problem.

If, over the years, you build a relationship based on trust, on reliable diagnosis, and on responsibility for medical decisions, that relationship does not depend on the sign on the building. It is connected with the person, with experience, and with consistency in the approach to treatment.

That is why I looked at this change calmly. I knew that if the quality remained at the same level, or even improved, patients would understand that perfectly.

I will push a bit further. There must have been some concern.

Well, in the business world there is often a belief that growth means an ever-increasing scale. I consciously chose a different direction: greater focus and a more intimate model of work.
I observe my patients, talk to them, and what I see only strengthens my conviction that it was the right decision.

People who come to me very quickly notice that behind the new name stands the same philosophy, perhaps even an even greater commitment to ensuring that everyone who enters the office is treated with the same attention and respect, regardless of who they are, how old they are, or where they come from.

Many people associate you with treating athletes. Is that still your main group of patients?

Athletes do indeed often see orthopedists because their bodies are exposed to enormous strain. But for me, one principle is key: a patient is a patient.

It doesn’t matter whether someone is a professional footballer or works at a computer. It doesn’t matter whether they are 20 or 70 years old. It doesn’t matter whether they come from Warsaw, a small town, or another country. Every person deserves the same quality of treatment.

In fact, in my daily work I see very clearly how wide the spectrum of patients is. At BK21 MedConcept, we also run programs aimed at the youngest patients – children and adolescents. Early diagnosis of orthopedic problems, proper assessment of the development of the musculoskeletal system, and appropriate guidance for children are extremely important. Their bodies are constantly developing, which is why it is crucial to detect any potential abnormalities at a very early stage.

At the same time, we work with people who are very professionally active, with athletes, but also with patients in mature age groups and seniors. Each of these groups has different needs and different health challenges.

From my perspective, this is also extremely interesting from a scientific point of view. In addition to my clinical practice, I am also involved in research activities, which is why analyzing treatment outcomes and observing the processes occurring in the bodies of people from different age groups, professions, or levels of physical activity is very important to me.

Medicine advances precisely thanks to this – through careful observation, data analysis, and drawing conclusions. Every patient is, of course, an individual story, but at the same time each of them contributes something to the broader understanding of how the human body functions. And for me, that is one of the most fascinating parts of this work.

That sounds like a philosophy.
Yes, because it comes from my own experiences.
Before I became a doctor, I was an athlete. I dreamed of a career in football. Unfortunately, a serious injury and mistakes in treatment forced me to end that path.
It was a moment that shaped me greatly. That was when I understood how important the quality of diagnosis and treatment is, and how much influence a doctor can have on a patient’s life.

Was that when you decided to become an orthopedist?

Yes. In a way, it was an attempt to understand what had happened. But it was also a desire to do things better. I wanted to become a doctor who doesn’t look only at imaging results or at a standard treatment protocol. I wanted to look at the person. Today it may sound obvious, but in medical practice it is not always the case.

You often emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to treatment.

Because injuries or orthopedic problems are very rarely just an issue of one joint or one muscle. The body is a system. If someone has knee pain, the cause may lie in the hip, the foot, or sometimes in the way a person moves or their training style. That is why I always say: orthopedics should not be only surgery. It should be functional medicine.

So surgery is not always the solution?

Exactly. One of my favorite sayings is: the best surgery is the one that doesn’t need to be performed. Of course, there are situations in which an operation is necessary. But in many cases, excellent results can be achieved through proper rehabilitation, changes in training loads, or work on stabilization. That is why cooperation between doctors, physiotherapists, coaches, and strength and conditioning specialists is so important.

Is BK21 MedConcept an attempt to change the way medicine is perceived as a business?

In a sense, yes. Private medicine must be well managed, of course. But I have always believed that if we start thinking about it solely in business terms, it becomes very easy to lose the true meaning of this profession. A doctor makes decisions that affect people’s health and lives. That is an enormous responsibility. That is why I try to build a model in which the quality of treatment comes first, and only then the development of the organization.

How do you define the quality you talk about so often?

For me, quality in medicine has several dimensions. First, the knowledge and experience of the doctor. Second, proper diagnostics. Very often, making an accurate diagnosis is key, not just performing a procedure. Third, the treatment process, which doesn’t end with surgery or a single visit, but includes the entire recovery journey. And finally, something that is often underestimated: communication with the patient.

What do you mean by that?

A patient should understand what is happening with them and why we are proposing one treatment over another. Many people come to me feeling scared and uncertain. If a doctor takes a moment to talk and explain the situation, it often turns out that half of their stress disappears. This is a very important part of the treatment process.

How do you see the future of orthopedics?

I hope it will become increasingly interdisciplinary, and this is a trend I try to promote. Physiotherapy, movement biomechanics, regenerative medicine, and prevention will play an ever-greater role. Technology will, of course, also be hugely important – from advanced diagnostics to digital solutions supporting the treatment process. But at the same time, I am convinced that at the heart of this future will still be the doctor and the patient. Medicine is, above all, about relationship and trust.

What would you like patients to feel when they cross the threshold of BK21 MedConcept?

Above all, I want patients to feel calm. I want them to feel that they have come to a place where someone will truly take care of their problem – regardless of who they are, how old they are, or where they come from.

When I created BK21 MedConcept, my goal was to make it a place that gives patients a sense of safety and comfort from the very first moment. That’s why I placed great importance both on the medical side and on the space in which the patient spends time.

On one hand, we have very modern diagnostic facilities and medical equipment that allow for precise assessment of orthopedic problems and treatment planning at the highest level. Modern medicine today offers enormous possibilities, from detailed imaging diagnostics, to technologies supporting the analysis of musculoskeletal function, to advanced treatment and rehabilitation methods. For me, however, the key is that technology serves as a support for the doctor and brings real benefit to the patient.

On the other hand, I put a lot of thought into the atmosphere of the place itself. Medicine is often associated with stress, uncertainty, and sometimes difficult experiences. That’s why BK21 MedConcept was designed to be bright, calm, and aesthetically pleasing. Beautiful, thoughtfully designed interiors, natural materials, plenty of light. None of this is accidental. The goal is for the patient to feel, from the very first moment, that they are in a place where someone has thought about their comfort. We also pay close attention to details: how the patient is welcomed, how the conversation goes, how the entire visit unfolds. Often it is these small elements that determine whether someone feels well cared for.

For me, medicine is not just diagnosis and treatment. It is also the patient’s experience, the way they move through the entire process. I want everyone who crosses the threshold of BK21 MedConcept to feel that they have come to a place where someone truly gives them attention and takes their problem seriously.

At the very heart of BK21 MedConcept, there is an element that is highly symbolic for me. Between my office and the exercise room, I designed a large glass wall featuring Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. It is one of the most recognizable symbols in the history of science and art, a depiction of the human body inscribed within ideal geometric proportions. For me, this image carries deep meaning. It shows the human being as a harmonious whole, in which everything is interconnected: movement, proportion, balance. This is exactly how modern orthopedics should perceive the body.

We do not treat the body as a collection of separate parts – knees, shoulders, or spine – but as a system where each element affects the others. If the biomechanics of movement change in one area, consequences often appear elsewhere. The Vitruvian Man is thus a beautiful metaphor for this idea: harmony, proportion, and understanding the human body as a whole.
The placement of this graphic between the doctor’s office and the exercise room is also deliberate. On one side, there is diagnosis, medical knowledge, and problem analysis. On the other, there is movement, therapy, working with the body, and regaining function. This glass wall symbolically connects these two worlds.

I also wanted it to serve as a guiding thought for patients and the entire team. Medicine is not just technology or procedures. It is an attempt to understand the person – their body, their capabilities, and their limitations. And that is exactly what this image reminds us of every day in the very heart of BK21 MedConcept.