Developing a Physician-Hospital Alignment Plan
By Robert McGowan and Amy MacNulty

Specialists, in turn, are expanding their office hours and providing ancillary services and special procedures in their offices that were traditionally sponsored by the hospital.

The tradition of volunteerism among physicians is also rapidly disappearing, as more and more physicians are demanding to be paid for time spent in various leadership roles within the hospital. Additionally, 38 percent of the hospitals in the study indicated they were already paying physicians a stipend for on-call coverage in the emergency department.

It is becoming increasingly clear that hospitals and their physicians must find innovative ways to collaborate and align their economic interests, or they will have no choice but to compete aggressively with one another. Given these realities, it’s critical that boards be prepared to assess the current state of their hospital’s physician-hospital relationships and develop a formal, board-approved, physician-hospital alignment plan. Developing such a plan is becoming just as important as developing strategic, financial, master facility, and information systems plans.

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Center Member, Woman's Hospital , was recently featured on the Web site www.caringforcommunities.org as an example that Hospitals are more than emergency departments, birthing centers and outpatient clinics. The work they do extends beyond the hospital walls, from free clinics to job training to immunizations and much more. Woman’s Hospital is just one example of how hospitals are making America healthier, community by community.

Better Beginnings
Woman’s Hospital – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

To improve access for expectant Medicaid mothers and establish relationships that result in healthy births and healthy families, this program engages Medicaid mothers-to-be in prenatal care and provides them with private OB/GYNs.

Developed by Woman's Hospital leadership and run by the hospital's Social Services Department, an initial counseling session provides expectant Medicaid mothers with lab work, prenatal class questions and answers, instruction about Medicaid compliance and referral to their own participating physician. Since 1994, Woman's Better Beginnings has placed nearly 15,000 women with private physicians.

Critical Issues in Health Care System Governance
June 19-20, 2007
Loews Philadelphia Hotel - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The Center for Healthcare Governance is pleased to present “Critical Issues in HealthCare System Governance,” a national conference structured to address the specific governance needs of health care systems. A key element of the Center’s curriculum-based approach to education, this 1-1/2 day program offers a wealth of information, strategies and best practices for system CEOs, trustees and executive/clinical leadership. Participants will come away with a broader understanding of the complex issues inherent in system governance, as well as a deeper appreciation for the environmental factors challenging systems today.

Special attention will be given to the board’s authority, role and responsibilities in a multi-organizational structure, with a focus on streamlining the structure and maximizing the functioning of system boards, setting strategy, and ensuring quality and patient safety. Presenters will also address issues related to the “glue” of governance — communication, agenda planning, productive leadership retreats, and board engagement, and share strategies for effectively leveraging physician participation in system governance.

Join us to explore how system boards can best balance roles, responsibilities and division of authority with their member hospital boards. You will uncover the essentials of high-performing governance at the system level, while increasing your knowledge of the core business issues facing all health care organizations.

Who Should Attend:

• Health care delivery system and member hospital CEOs and senior executives
• Trustees who serve on system boards or on the boards of the system's member hospitals

Learning Objectives

• Understand how health care system governance differs from governance in independent hospitals
• Address the specific roles and responsibilities of system boards to chart strategy, promote clinical improvements, and engage physicians across the organization
• Gain insights into the practices and processes that can improve the performance of system boards
• Explore how diverse organizational cultures, planning processes, and decision-making approaches can thrive in a multi-hospital system

Conference Web site | Registration Information | Brochure (PDF)

The Center for Healthcare Governance developed Speakers Express to help make the high-caliber speakers and presenters found at its national symposia and regional workshops available to organizations throughout the country. Our speakers are proven professionals who are viewed as the "go-to" leaders in their respective fields of expertise, customizing their presentations to fit the unique needs of each organization.

The Center for Healthcare Governance introduces Alice G. Gosfield.

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