Fellowship Topic Wish List
Practice management topics by BOK Domain
Business Operations
Ancillary services/Alternative revenue streams:
Case studies on development and management of alternative revenue services/facilities: sports clinic, birthing center, alternative/complimentary medicine, in-office dispensary – (partnering with a vendor); cosmetic procedures, imaging, Orthopedic service lines, etc. Business outsourcing
Case studies (e.g., laboratory services, billing services, professional services; including sample RFPs and agreements)
Closing a practice – process, procedures, checklists, timelines Selling a practice; Practice valuation
Medical office/facility design & construction
Case studies on specialty-specific design considerations & issues; evidence-based design Medical office space leasing – process & procedures; sample agreements
Medical office relocation, including choosing a location; business planning, process & procedures, checklists
Marketing your practice
Case studies on marketing different Specialties (e.g., plastic surgery/dermatology) Tools, including Social Media, practice Websites, etc.
Onsite or workplace wellness clinics – pros & cons, benefits, set-up & operation; including community utilization, competitive environment for existing Primary Care services
Satellite clinics – planning, development & operation; business plan for opening successive sites (2nd, 3rd, etc.)
Specialty-specific practice operations/financials Successful implementation of a Hospitalist service
Other specialties, e.g., Pediatrics; Plastic Surgery; Dermatology; Allergy Starting a Practice
Developing a business plan
Demographic studies/data needed (panel size, etc.) & how to conduct Specialty-specific practice start-up
Case studies, examples: In-house laboratory; Orthopedic "chains," Urgent Care Centers, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics (include pro forma financials including metrics such as start-up costs per physician)
Financial Management
Billing office issues – (e.g., dealing with Medicare regulations, etc.)
Centralized billing/business office set-up/operations/outsourcing/staffing models/flow charts Claims management/Denial management/EOB Audits
Cost-benefit analysis – how to conduct; templates
Collection techniques/use of collection agencies; industry standards
Cost Containment methods/Cost capture methods implemented (e.g., charging for forms) Coding/Billing
Coder/biller productivity – how addressed Training issues/programs
ICD-10 education and implementation strategies Coding/Billing Compliance audits/procedures
Financial policies, i.e., financial hardship policies & implementation: co-pay standards, waivers of co-pay, guidelines for self-pay
Financial reporting – how to present to physicians Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Outsourced billing operations/central billing operations/ how to compare/evaluate; RFP template
Patient financing programs – what Practices are doing? Related policies & forms Payer contracting/negotiation strategies & tools
Payer reimbursement issues
RVUs (e.g. various ways to implement, cost accounting, income distribution, fee schedules) Setting fee schedules for medical services and procedures – guidance
Human Resource Management
Administrator bonus/incentive plans Administrator performance evaluation Administrator recruitment
Disruptive physicians; physician &leadership anger management
Employee benefit programs; health insurance programs, benefits paid by practice, caps Employee motivation programs/strategies
Generational differences in the workplace
Mediation programs in groups for interpersonal relationships/physician conflicts Mentoring programs
New physician/ orientation/retention –steps for success;
Physician recruitment and retention, use of new techniques (e.g., social media) in recruitment; how to determine need (example: physician population needed to support orthopedic surgeon, etc.)efforts
Professionalism
Staff incentive plans (e.g., to find new clients, increase productivity, and reduce cost) – compensation models, best practices
Staffing models
Information Management
E-prescribing
EHR adoption – how to find & evaluate vendors EHR implementation issues; examples:
Implementation procedures, including checklist Data Breach Insurance
HL7 Interface Issues
Scanning protocol; adding position of "scanner" Security policy & procedures
Resulting changes to the Practice, for example: design of office to accommodate new EHR; addition of staff; new staff positions (e.g., scanner)
EHR optimization
Medical records management/EHR staff – job descriptions & performance benchmarks Telemedicine in the practice, including office visits – (including how to code)
Electronic communication with patients: email, automated notification systems, Internet, etc. Business record management – policies & procedures followed
Vendor search – how to conduct; RFP sample
Organizational Governance
Accountable care organizations
Board Committee roles and structures/governance issues/job descriptions (Finance, Operations, Executive)
Compensation models: physicians, mid-level providers Incentive plans for mid-levels
Incentive plans for physicians incorporating team work, group “citizenship", patient satisfaction, etc.
Contracting with an independent practice association (IPA) Emergency call coverage: stipends/policies
Fair Market Value pro forma development
Governance issues: physician strategies, financial reviews, succession Hospital-employed-physician agreements/arrangements
Hospital-group practice relations/communications (e.g. handling billing, coding, patient registration; sharing information)
Hospital-owned multi-site/multi-specialty practices – successful performance and practices Integrated Delivery Systems
Leadership models (e.g., Servant Leadership; Citizen Leadership; Transformational leadership – examples, characteristics)
Locum tenens search/relationships with search firms; policies & procedures Non-Physician providers and usage, efficiencies, scope of practice
Peer review processes & procedures
Physician or key leader departure – or untimely death Physician governance
Physician productivity – improvement/new-physician ramp-up Physician relations – tactics for engaging physicians
Physician retirement/procedures & forms Physician termination
Role of medical director/managing partner; Managing partner – pay & practices
Selling a practice; Practice merger – including multiple locations: Buy/sell agreements, practice asset valuation technique
Succession planning – administrators and physicians
Patient Care Systems
Achieving practice standards (clinical standards, safety, financial, environment, privacy, patient satisfaction, etc.)
Appointments & scheduling, surgery scheduling, etc. – process improvements and innovation. Practice efficiencies, such as shared medical appointments (group visits); Call Center operations; set-up; staff needed; performance benchmarks
Improving patient flow/workflow/patient wait times/exam room utilization, etc. Referral management; physician referral satisfaction surveys
Patient Centered Medical Home/Care coordination – successful implementation; clinical care policies
Patient registries – successful implementation
Front office operations; customer service; training examples No shows - reduction/No-show rates by specialty
Outreach program set-up & management (e.g., vascular surgery outreach) Patient dismissal/termination for non-compliance issues
Quality Management
Accreditation processes & programs Clinical outcomes/evidence-based medicine
Patient Satisfaction surveys; new patient surveys – best practices Pay for performance processes programs
Peer review of patient data for quality assurance purposes – including software applications to assist process
PQRI
Practice efficiencies/"lean" tactics
Practice efficiency audits/single practice and multi-site practices Practice quality innovations
Process improvements
Risk Management
Billing staff audits – best practices (charge & payment posting)
Compliance policies & procedures – including: office inspection checklist: HIPAA, OSHA, policy and procedure manual, needed equipment, signage, etc.
HIPAA Compliance
HIPAA Compliance officer policies & procedures/salary levels Nurse practitioner guidelines –- Medicare incident-to rules
Specialty specific topics
Academic practices
Tracking physician productivity;
Staffing ratios (number of support staff to physicians); Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Anesthesiology
Contracts with hospitals, contract arrangements CRNAs and billing for them
Pain management services Productivity for anesthesiologists Use of medical management companies Cardiology
Imaging services Gastroenterology
Ancillary services (e.g., Anesthesiology ancillary) Orthopedics
Incorporating physical therapy into the practice Physical Therapy services
Ophthalmology
Use of optometrists in practice
Urgent Care Centers – aspects of setting up, establishing hours, services, utilization statistics, billing, revenue
