Successful Integration Strategies
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Bringing together hospital professionals and physicians is often a challenging process, but strategizing can help facilitate a seamless transition.
For physicians considering joining a hospital, there are numerous factors that should be considered. Halley Consulting Group, a firm dedicated to promoting successful integration strategies, works with physicians to identify potential hospital partners — what they describe as a “hospital of choice.” The hospital of choice for the position will be an institution that may be apparent from the beginning of the process or selected after several rounds of considerations. Halley Consulting Group conducts a questionnaire with more than 90 questions to help determine which hospitals physicians should consider for a potential long-term partnership. The questions encompass a variety of topics, including:
- ability to capture additional market share in the community’s patient population;
- number of hospital-affiliated physicians;
- current service model and whether it is achieving success;
- long-term achievable goals;
- specialties or service lines;
- strength of the hospital administration;
- market share;
- vision and business model of the institution; and
- women’s and children’s services.
The questionnaire will allow the major players to emerge, so the physician can decide which avenues of hospital integration to pursue.
Build a Partnership
After a physician has decided to join a hospital, the two parties should now uphold both ends of the deal and work together efficiently. The physician should meet with the necessary hospital representatives — medical directors, C-level executives and other relevant professionals — to help establish the ground rules for the partnership before documents are signed.
“Many physicians are more worried about the amount of compensation their practice will receive for joining the hospital, but taking the time to establish rules and processes in advance is critical for success,” says Marc Halley, M.B.A., CEO of Halley Consulting Group and author of the book Owning Medical Practices: Best Practices for Sustainable Results. “Determining a governing model allows hospital administration and physician leaders to understand the roles they each play in the organization.”
The End Result? Better Patient Care
The goal of successful integration is to engage both the physician and the administration to better the organization, and ultimately improve the delivery of patient care. Both groups should focus on what they can learn from other professionals rather than differences of opinion. Hospital administrators can also establish performance indicators to determine if the integration is a continued success. Qualitative measures, such as advisory boards or meetings that engage physicians and management, can help identify both areas of progress and potential opportunities for improvement.
“Unfortunately, many hospitals and physicians integrate structurally and consider the process complete,” says Halley. “The real integration occurs with successful governance, which can lead to initiatives related to quality assurance, protocols, service lines and demand chains. Both partners have responsibilities to prioritize the needs of the patients, community and organization.”
Through a successful integration process, patients and potential patients will notice a difference. For instance, if an individual visits a primary care provider who suggests the patient seek the help of a specialist, acquiring an appointment with the specialist may take a few weeks. If the individual requires immediate attention for a medical concern, such as possible heart disease, this inconvenience could cost a patient precious treatment time. With a successfully integrated physician-hospital model, patients can have ready access to specialists with little or no extended wait times. This model promotes timely, efficient care and communicates an attitude of patient-focused care.
For more information about Halley or Halley Consulting Group, visit halleyconsulting.com.
MD News March/April 2011, West Michigan