Employed Physician Networks

The Vision

A limited membership group of hospital/health systems executives who run networks of employed physicians and who work in non-competing, not-for-profit, geographically dispersed hospitals and health systems throughout the country. These individuals meet to share experiences, projects, management challenges, and strategies as well as future trends and issues in order to instruct, improve, and enlighten one another. The Roundtable Meetings are highly interactive with Members freely sharing about specific experiences from their workplaces. Members of The Healthcare Roundtable form deep personal and professional relationships that bring maximum value to their organizations throughout the year.

Who is Qualified to Participate?

The focus of this Roundtable Group will be on the employment of physicians by hospitals/health systems.

This Roundtable is not designed for physician group practices that are not comprised of physicians employed by hospitals/health systems. It will not focus on joint ventures or partnering models that do not include full employment.

Therefore, we will not offer Memberships to leaders of group practices that are not fully employed by hospitals and health systems.

The “Dyad Concept” and Double Memberships

Traditionally, our Roundtables have been comprised of individual Members (e.g. one executive in a specific job title from a given organization.) In keeping with this practice, we will be offering Single Memberships to this Roundtable Group.

However, many organizations have two individuals sharing responsibility for their employed physicians networks using the dyad concept (e.g., the VPMA and the COO; the COO and a Senior Practice Administrator; a Physician network CEO and a System Exec VP). Therefore, this Roundtable will also offer the opportunity for two members to join in a Double Membership.

The Meetings

The Members formally convene two times per year, spring and fall, for a two-day interactive session. Participants identify the issues they want to explore and the experts they want to hear from. A typical two-day Roundtable seminar will feature 3-5 speakers (outside speakers and/or Members themselves) making presentations on recent trends and innovative projects.

Issues may include topics such as:

What are the key components of Health Care Reform? How will each of the system's constituents be impacted?
What are organizations doing internally with their hospitals, externally with the payor community, and politically within the states in response to Health Care Reform?
What are the Members doing around Accountable Care Organizations?
What are the successful integration strategies and physician employment models being implemented across the country?
Loosely affiliated group practices or aggregated multi-specialty mega-practices – which one makes sense?
The employment of specialists – how is it different from primary care?
Getting the compensation model down – how to avoid the losses of the 90’s
Are the employed physicians considered employees or members of the medical staff when it comes to discipline issues?
Who runs the physician network -- Hire a physician CEO? An MGMA type CEO? Separate medical director?
Should the top person be called a “CEO”?
Who runs the business office and the credit and collection function – the hospitals folks or specialized physician practice business office types? Who handles IT?
Governance – use of a physician “board” or a cabinet
Legal structures – what are the various options?
Balancing the issues of employed physicians versus independent physicians
Integrating quality measurement into the physician practices
IT and EMR/EHR for the practices
Employment contracts or other approach?
Employing hospital-based specialists – right ways and wrong ways
ED call pay – does employment really solve the problem?
Managing provision for charity care – paying for the mission
Building the network – acquisition or employing new grads
Improving performance within the owned and operated medical practices, with the spotlight on improving the bottom line
Compensation in employed physician networks increasingly should be tied to reductions in direct physician overhead costs for such things as staffing and supplies
Reporting up to a corporate board – how do you keep them from focusing solely on profit or loss rather than looking at the employed network from a more strategic viewpoint?

Members are encouraged to present the issues/problems they are facing so that fellow Members can advise one another as peer consultants. During these interactive discussions, Members share new innovations and projects-in-process.

The Roundtable Dues, Attendance and Guest Policy

A Member may bring one guest to any Meeting, particularly an individual who is considering membership. Guest registrations are made in advance (at no additional charge)--limited to four total per Roundtable Meeting.

Single Memberships will be $2,995 for two consecutive Meetings. Double Memberships will be $5600, also for two consecutive Meetings.

Scheduled Meetings of The Healthcare Roundtable for Employed Physician Networks

April 18 (eve)--20, 2012
The Westin Riverwalk
San Antonio, TX

September 12 (eve)--14, 2012
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa
Denver, CO

View the List of Members

"....an excellent experience combined with a wealth of information and knowledge that is very specific to my immediate need and situation."
--Kent Nicaud, VP of Physician Administrative Services, Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, Gulport, MS

" The role of employed physicians, efficient practice management techniques, and physician collaboration on patient care services are important parts of our strategic initiatives for growth and financial stability. The Roundtable is the perfect forum to share, listen and learn with colleagues who wrestle with similar issues. As a relatively new Member to the group, my insights have been welcomed, and I have enjoyed interactions with a group of very talented and knowledgeable professionals."
--Jonathan Cook, VP for Physician Services, Shore Health System, Easton, MD

"I have been a Member of The Healthcare Roundtable for several years. This organization offers a rare combination of educational sessions that are pertinent to my position's current demands along with an opportunity to dialogue directly with peers who face or have surmounted the same challenges as I do on a daily basis. It is not unusual for me to return from these meetings with many ideas and new approaches to sizable issues at our healthcare system. With its expert leadership, I cannot recommend THR highly enough."
--Philip L. Schaefer, FACHE, VP & Administrator, Ambulatory & Physician Services, Southern Ilinois Healthcare, Carbondale, IL

"Orlando Health, in a time of transition has greatly benefited from having a regular forum to bounce ideas off of. We have implemented several processes that have been presented or shared within the Roundtable."
--Jessica Wertman, Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Health Physician Group, Orlando, FL

"The Employed Physician Network Roundtable provides excellent networking and information sharing with administrative/physician peers. The bi-annual meetings emphasize the big-footprint items that employed groups have a common interest in starting up or improving, and the peer networking outside of the meetings provide objective feedback and sharing of strategic tools. The Roundtable has offered far more value to me as a Vice President than traditional conference and education sessions."
--Faitha Shelton, VP Adena Medical Group, Chillicothe, OH