A robust network of physicians—employed and independent—is the key for health systems to successfully execute a care delivery strategy.
Hospitals and health systems are facing an increasingly complex physician environment, characterized in part by physician shortages in most specialties. While many health systems have built large, powerful, and clinically integrated medical groups over the last two decades, most systems also rely on physicians who may always remain independent. Health system executives need to strike a balance between building a strong employed group and developing partnerships with independent physicians—many of whom are important referral sources.
In our conversations with health system executives, we often hear the following questions:
What is the appropriate complement of physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) in our market? How can we successfully recruit and retain providers?
What types of strategic partnerships should we seek with the independent physicians on our medical staff? How much should we invest, and how should financial relationships be structured?
How should our employed medical group be structured and governed to optimize physician engagement and meet our system’s strategic objectives?
How are academic and nonacademic (community) health systems effectively organized to ensure an integrated approach and support our system’s strategy?
What service lines should we emphasize? How do we strike the right balance of employed and independent physicians?
How do we effectively engage physicians (regardless of their employment status) to support graduate medical education and residency programs?
ECG helps health system leaders to answer these questions. Often this starts with assessing the supply and demand for providers in the community. We work with health systems to establish strategically sound medical staff development plans, which are critical to mitigating physician shortages, prioritizing recruitment initiatives, and addressing other competitive pressures. We also help organizations take a proactive approach to workforce planning to ensure they meet long-term community health needs while maintaining a strong market position.
Additionally, ECG identifies issues that can only be resolved through the development of a more comprehensive physician alignment strategy.
ECG’s physician/hospital alignment services customize partnerships with independent groups through a range of alignment structures that include:
