Understanding the Need for Onsite Practice Management Visits

Interview Information also Important

By Dr. David E. Marcinko and Staff Reporters

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According to Robert James Cimasi MHA, ASA, AVA, CMP™ of Health Capital Consultants, LLC, in St. Louis, MO, the following types of information specific to medical practices should be gathered by the financial executive, financial advisor or healthcare consultant when performing a practice enhancement engagement, or especially, an economic valuation and appraisal. This information may be obtained through an interview, questionnaire, or preferably a site visit:

  • Background Information: Include such information as the number of years the entity has operated at its current location and in the community, as well as the office hours.
  • Building Description: Include the location (urban/suburban), proximity to hospitals and other medical facilities, and its size, construction, electrical and computer wiring, age, access to parking, and so on.
  • Office Description: Approximate acquisition details and price, as well as ownership or lease details should be included.  The square footage and number of rooms, and a description of different office areas should be outlined, including, where applicable: medical equipment, including all diagnostic imaging and major medical equipment; pharmacy, laboratory, examination rooms, waiting rooms, and other areas.
  • Management Information Systems: Document types of hardware and software and the cost, age, and suitability of all components, including their management functions, reporting capabilities, and integration between programs.
  • History of the Entity: Give the date founded and by whom, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) physicians in practice by year, the physicians who have joined and left the entity, the dates they practiced at the entity, and their relationship and practice arrangement with the entity.
  • Staff Description: Include the number and types of non-physician positions as well as the tenure and salary of all current employees.
  • Competitive Analysis: Include details of hospital programs impacting practice, growth or decline in the volume of business and the reasons, association with other physicians, competitive strengths and threats, the number and volume of procedures performed, any change in the number and volume, and the corresponding fees.
  • Patient Base Information: Encompass income distribution and percentages from different payors, the number of new patients and total patients seen per week, the age mix of patients, the number of hours spent in patient care per week, and the number of surgeries performed.
  • Managed Care Environment: Details the terms and conditions of all managed care contracts including discounts and withholds, the impact on referral patterns and revenues, willingness to participate in risk sharing contracts and capitation, and the entity’s managed care reporting capabilities.
  • Hospital Privileges and Facilities: List all hospital privileges held by physician members of the medical practice and the requirements for acquiring privileges at the different local hospitals.
  • Credit Policy and Collections: Include practice policies for billing and payment, use of collection agencies, acceptance of assignments, other sources of revenues, and an aged breakdown of accounts receivable.
  • Financial Management: Include cash management procedures and protections, credit lines and interest, controls to improve payment of accounts payable, late payment frequency, formal or informal financial planning methods, and budgeting processes.
  • Operational Assessment: Include governance structure for the entity, detailing responsibilities and procedures for performance, conflicts, recruitment, outcomes measures, case management, reimbursement; income, continuing medical education (CME), credentialing, and utilization review.

Assessment

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The financial advisor must also allow for discussion of overall relationships with physicians in the community, practice concerns, and needs.

Conclusion

And so, your thoughts and comments on this Medical Executive-Post are appreciated. Have you ever had such an onsite visit? Was it by a fiduciary financial advisor or medical management consultant; or other? What was the outcome? Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, be sure to subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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