Access
Reality check: 4 myths about your patient access strategy
Expanding access in the medical group is just plain hard to do, and we know it's a top-of-mind issue for leaders. Here are four myths to help you craft a better approach to access. Read the post
Compensation
Physician compensation: 5 questions before you roll out a new model
Most medical groups start the compensation conversation with the details—what alternative models look like, methods of reporting, and any legal implications. But, they need to step back. Even the best-conceived mechanics won't hold up to clashes with physician ethos, unplanned shifts in reimbursement, and mismatched system-level goals. Read the post
Financial sustainability
5 keys to a high-performing hospital-employed medical group that won't require a subsidy
Hospitals around the country face unprecedented pressures to conserve resources while still growing market share. We sat down with Dr. Tim Crowley—a key member of the team leading network development efforts for the newly expanded Steward Health Care and former president of Pinnacle Health Medical Group in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania—to discuss operational changes medical groups can make to improve performance. Read the post
With $1.4 trillion in federal cuts, medical groups need a new economic playbook
Most of health systems are putting less stock in fee-for-service care delivery—whether or not they feel ready to do so. Obama-era reimbursement cuts are still on schedule to reduce payments by $143 billion in 2025 and that's compounded by legislative proposals that would increase cuts to $1.4 trillion. But making a pivot could mean investing tens of millions to build the infrastructure to support value-based care. Read the post
Health care reform
Thinking of adding new physicians to your group? Think again.
The health care industry is in a period of rapid consolidation. Between 2012 and 2015 alone, there was a 50% increase in the number of physicians employed by hospitals. And 91% of CEO respondents to a recent Modern Healthcare survey expect MACRA requirements to drive an increase in physician employment by larger practices and health systems across the next few years.
However, just because consolidation is in vogue doesn't mean your medical group should necessarily join the trend. It's important to recognize that there are a whole slew of new MACRA requirements that might impact what makes for good acquisition targets and when you should bring new physicians onboard. Read the post
Were you selected for CPC+? Here are 5 initiatives to help you get started.
CMS released the final list of participants in Round 1 of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) program. CPC+ is a five-year program that involves 57 payers and 2,893 practices in 14 regions. For the practices selected, participating means major changes to practice patterns as well as considerable funding to advance population health management. This funding is significant, because some of the most common reasons organizations fail in their pursuit of care transformation goals are limited funding, treating value-based care as a special project, and competing financial incentives. Read the post
Physician engagement and burnout
Scribes: When they're worth it
One of the most popular questions from medical group executives is "should we provide scribes for our physicians?" The biggest obstacle to scribe implementation is cost. So, how can medical groups cover scribes' costs and deploy them in a financially conscious way? Read the post
What burnout interventions work best? Here's what the data say.
Physician burnout is rampant in health care and the impacts sweep across the industry. Recognizing burnout's importance, many health care executives are proactively taking steps to address it. But what's the best approach? Read the post
4 reasons your physicians don't read your emails (and what to do about it)
Often, the sheer volume of well-intentioned communications to support, engage, and align physicians can be overwhelming. Not only does this cause physicians to tune these efforts out, but it also breaks front-line physicians' trust in executives to understand them, or their work as professionals. Read the post
We want to hear from you: Tell us your 2018 priorities
Our team is determining which topics to research in 2018 and would appreciate your input. Feedback from medical group leaders is the single most important factor in finalizing this agenda. Contact mgsc@advisory.com to help determine our 2018 research.