Project Profiles
“Moving a practice without missing a beat”
New Mexico Gynecology Consultants
2 Providers, Women's Center
Challenges
Fed up with the politics and pressures of a large multi-disciplinary group practice in Boulder, Colorado, Dr. Carrie Swartz wanted to relocate her practice to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her professional schedule was as demanding as her personal one. Not surprisingly, with two young children at home and a full patient load, Dr. Swartz needed to make sure the set up of her practice 475 miles away was efficient, thorough and expert.
Solutions
Using data from a variety of sources, MPSG assembled a comprehensive 5-year analysis of the prospective practice relocation, including detailed revenue projections, cash flow expense estimates, financing options, capital requirements, equipment and supply outline and human resource needs.
We analyzed productivity code by code and outlined a predictable ramp up of each visit and procedure type. We researched the New Mexico payer market to establish the relative market share of each insurance company and applied the fee schedules accordingly. We developed a list of medical, business and IT supplies needed for the venture down to the bathroom hand soap. The MPSG feasibility tool is a sophisticated dynamic report that can change automatically as the situational factors shift which they invariably do- ramp up percentages, time lines, equipment costs, cash on hand, loan rates, etc.
MPSG worked directly with contacts in the New Mexico market- vendors, practice manager, providers, bankers and hospital executives to ensure the new practice became quickly viable.
MPSG worked hand in hand with Dr. Swartz to create a business plan of the new practice and negotiated directly with the lending institution to secure financing in what was a challenging economic environment.
Results
In the first three months of practice, Dr. Swartz has achieved her productivity targets and did so without unduly tapping into her line of credit. A plan is in place to expand her market share. Most importantly, however, Dr. Swartz is the proud and exhilarated owner of her own practice in an area she and her family enjoy.
Feedback
Dr. Swartz has said many good things about MPSG. These comments can perhaps be best summarized in the following way: About a month after the opening of her practice, we received a short note on stationary designed by Dr. Swartz herself. The letter simply read “I could not have done it without you!”
“Success Through Strategic Planning”
Mid-State Health Center
12 FTE providers, Board of Directors, community leaders, 12,000 square feet
Challenges
As a Primary Care practice in a geographically challenged market, Mid- State Health Center (MSHC) needed a pragmatic plan to help them pinpoint their competitive advantages, identify opportunities in their market and ensure that they would become a better, more viable practice. “We had recently completed some major initiatives - implementation of an electronic health record, chronic care programs and a $5 Million construction project,” say Sharon Beaty, Executive Director for MSHC, “ We needed a practice road map, a plan to get from today to achieve our vision of tomorrow, a way to drive our practice forward to achieve our goals.” With a recent divest from the local hospital, MSHC wanted to maintain collaborative relations with the hospital and work towards a more unified delivery system.
The project called for a blend of skills - organizational development, group dynamics, communication, project management, sophisticated healthcare analysis and, above all, creative problem solving. “We are a pretty large and diverse group so we needed a player, a real pro that could handle us.”
Another key challenge was to make this strategic meeting (what? – strategic meeting, conference) more than just a talking session. “More peanut butter, less Fluff”, says Beaty, “We added up the collective value of the 25 attendees’ time and figured it was worth in excess of $5,000 per hour. This meant our meeting had to be efficient and productive.” The client also wanted to include input from key stakeholders who were unable to attend.
Solutions
The customized MPSG web-based project site made for efficient communication among stakeholders and allowed us to centralize all project-related information, from survey results to meeting location. Another unique factor of this project was the amount of work accomplished prior to the attendee working session. Surveys, interviews, data analysis and open communication exponentially increased the productivity of the meeting.
Market data shows that about 90% of organizations that make the effort to create a strategic plan do not implement it. One primary goal was to power our way through input and spend more time on crafting the implementation plan. Using a balanced scorecard, the meeting produced eight specific initiatives, complete with time line, major milestones, “owner”, cost and revenue projections. “We didn’t get the usual three ring binder leave behind that sits on a shelf. We had big, bold, impossible to avoid strategic initiatives posted on huge paper in our break room, where everyone could see it and buy into it.” Knowing that it is critical to achieve workforce buy in, we created mechanisms to communicate to the staff. We encouraged and solicited input from employees at all organizational levels and infused a sense of excitement in doing so.
Results
In Phase one, we conducted a situational analysis - collecting, organizing and prioritizing the information from key stakeholders that was critical for their strategic decision-making. This became our source of potential action items.
Phase Two involved the creation of a framework to develop goals and objectives in five key areas: Finance, Operations, Marketing, Employees (Human Resources) and Patient Care. These “Balanced Scorecards” identified the goals, actions, timeline, ownership, costs and revenue associated with each area.
Finally, using the proprietary “COOL TEAMS” implementation guide, MPSG delivered a completely turn-key solution for implementing the strategic plan.
Feedback
“There are three things that distinguish MPSG from other consulting companies: their healthcare knowledge and expertise, they transfer huge value through tools, advice, tips, training, that allow us to do it ourselves, and they are just plain great professionals to deal with.”