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PHYSICIAN HOSPITAL RELATIONS
The future need for
local physicians and their hospital(s) to jointly meet the service area
population's healthcare needs has never been more critical to either's
continuing success. Increasing consumer/patient expectations, aging
populations, applied technology, and decreasing reimbursement are the
key health delivery challenges. Physicians typically live a more
"economic" model whereby their professional efforts directly drive
personal compensation (i.e., being a physician is not what they do, it
is who they are.) Hospitals, on the other hand, generally live a more
"strategic" model whereby success is defined in terms of market share,
patient satisfaction, and staff compensation that is usually not
directly tied to personal unit production. The behaviors that result
from these two very different business models drive different approaches
to jointly servicing a market's healthcare needs.
If not designed
properly, destructive confusion or competitive market positioning may
emerge among these healthcare businesses. Mutually-beneficial,
collaborative approaches generally result once the local care delivery
entities understand their desired relationship(s) and jointly determine
the common outcomes they wish to achieve. Relationship options include:
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Typical
medical staff
- entity follows traditional business models with little impact or
concern
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Vendor/vendee
- program specific
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Program
partners
- aligned, yet continuous verification of both intent and performance
is required
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Best partners
- trust of intent and performance at level where the other is never
compromised and a "no surprises" communication policy is the norm
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Equity model
- governance and economic performance are risk-reward based and
legally documented.
One model will not
necessarily fit all local situations and elements. One or all five may
be necessary in any community.
For over 20 years,
Partners' principals have been helping local hospitals determine their
best "strategic" model and how to integrate the "economic" physician
model into a seamless program delivery that satisfies, and may exceed
patient expectations. Our consultants have both hospital and physician
backgrounds and can bring the perspectives of both constituents to this
issue. Our success with this service has been achieved because we are
able to help hospitals and physicians view issues form each other's
perspective. We design models that are viewed as "win-win."
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952-548-3373
