Creating the Context for Change for Employed Network Strategy and
Execution
Employment continues to be a central provider alignment model for most health systems around the country, with these aggregated networks significantly gaining size and scale over the past 20 years. Many organizations continue to have employed networks that function in silos, largely operating as drivers of volume within the system rather than strategy or value-based performance engines
Most health system leadership teams recognize the need to change this dynamic and want to effect change, but often lack the context or capability to engage physicians within the group to make this large, disruptive cultural and operational shift — especially when managing the day-to-day network operations is so challenging in this environment. To spur change, they must focus on creating an integrated, multispecialty group adept at delivering the capabilities and patient access the health system needs now and into the future.
Frequently the vision for an employed provider network is tied to the administrative leader of the group or the system CEO, meaning that the vision changes whenever leadership changes, or worse, leadership changes so often that a vision is never established for the group. Successfully executing the day-to-day requirements — and surviving— becomes the vision. While some networks may see day-to-day operational success as laudable, management executives and their teams must evolve beyond solely tackling day-to-day operational decisions and develop a focused, long-term plan for building the capabilities that will generate success into the future. Desirable characteristics of this ideal, “High-Performing” network are included in Figure 1.
If you’re interested in accelerating the transformation of your employed provider network to support your healthcare organization’s performance, learn from the healthcare business experts at HSG.
This article was originally published by Becker’s Hospital Review on March 1, 2022.