Healthcare Strategic Growth Blog

How to Mitigate Risk and Evaluate Growth Opportunities 

By Sean Conway and Evan Elmore

UnitedHealth Group released its quarterly earnings report earlier this month and several changes in coverage caught our attention, particularly as they pertained to outpatient services.

United is to begin denying claims for certain types of services performed in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). They are the first major payer to do so. This will inevitably lead to an increase in care at other outpatient settings, such as Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs).

This post will discuss why this should be of concern to HOPD invested health systems and how they can prepare to mitigate their risk. We’ll also consider how ASC management companies can take advantage of this opportunity for growth. 

Tags: market reimbursement analyzer, reimbursement, outpatient, HOPD, ASC

Just How Nashville—and SHSMD—Ready Are You?

By Sean Conway

Tags: SHSMD, shsmd19

Heed these Warning Signs and Prevent Costly Consequences

By Sean Conway

When signing on with an outside partner for strategic growth insights and support, there are a variety of factors to consider, and a few warning signs to heed. Some examples include:

• Will your vendor be a good strategic growth partner for your specific needs?

• Should you choose the partner who can do a little bit of everything, but may not specialize in one area? Or go with multiple partners, each with their own specialty?

• Is your vendor fully HIPPA compliant in how they use patient data?

While there are many variables to consider, in this post we focus on what to look out for and what to avoid. If you notice any of these red flags as you walk through the evaluation process with a new partner, take note, as it could be a warning sign for a less-than-stellar partnership down the line. Any one of these issues could lead to costly consequences that may not seem important early on, but could cause major (and expensive!) problems for your hospital as the relationship progresses.

Tags: strategic growth, growth partnership, healthcare analytics partner, healthcare growth

Restaurants, Breweries, and Hotspots You Won’t Want to Miss

By Sean Conway

You’ve made it to SHSMD Connections 2018, congrats! While your main goal over the next few days will be to make lasting connections with some of the estimated 1,200+ healthcare professionals on-site and attend as many sessions and keynotes as possible, it’s not a bad idea to plan a few local activities as well.

The Washington State Convention Center and surrounding hotels are located in the heart of downtown Seattle, the ideal hub to access all of the city's best drinking and dining opportunities. Take advantage of this and check out the Seattle foodie scene to bond with co-workers or mingle and connect with other SHSMD attendees.

Tags: SHSMD, shsmd18, seattle

Session Summary: Physician Relations Inside and Out—Launching and Fueling Your Program for the Long Haul

By Sean Conway

The first day of SHSMD Connections 2017 was jam-packed with excellent educational opportunities, just as you would expect. The SHSMD website promises a conference that will equip healthcare professionals with the information and resources needed to face the rapidly evolving future of healthcare, head-on. Day one of the main educational sessions lived up to this commitment.

The “Physician Relations Inside and Out” session was a perfect example of an instructional, learning opportunity created with future growth in mind. Carol Koenecke-Grant of Valley Health System has built a physician relations program from the ground up, using a well-planned strategy. In this session, she shared how to develop a business plan integrating communication best practices, gain ongoing access to physicians, and deliver results.

Tags: physician liaison, physician relations, conference, healthcare, healthcare conference, physician liaision, SHSMD, healthcare physician strategy, shsmd17, healthcare meetings, meetings

By Sean Conway

You’ve made it to SHSMD Connections 2017, congrats! While your main goal over the next few days will be to make lasting connections with some of the estimated 1,400+ healthcare professionals on-site and attend as many sessions and keynotes as possible, it’s not a bad idea to plan a few after-hours activities as well. Take advantage of the Orlando nightlife to bond with co-workers or mingle and connect with other SHSMD attendees.

Tags: conference, healthcare, healthcare conference, SHSMD, shsmd17, healthcare meetings, meetings, nightlife, orlando

As a Physician Relations Rep, data is the foundation upon which your entire outreach strategy lives or dies. Without a reliable data source, a trustworthy physician referral tool, and a system for tracking and measuring initiatives, your strategy will lack the full depth of understanding needed to meet your annual growth goals.

The goals of a Physician Relations program are to:

• Promote physician engagement in order to grow volume in alignment with the hospital's strategic plan.
• Engage and connect physicians to other physicians and to support key hospital services.
• Unearth any quality, customer service, or access issues physicians may be experiencing.

Tags: Blog, physician liaison, Physician Pathway, physician recruitment, physician referral, physician referral tool, physician relations, strategic growth, strategic planning, health care, health system, healthcare, healthcare strategy, hospital strategy, Physicians, physician patterns