In our last discussion, Jessica and Whitney spoke about how service lines and medical groups can live symbiotically, rather than just “coexisting” within the same organizational ecosystem.
In this follow-up post, they look more closely at how the groups should work together to achieve the goals of the overall health system and be jointly accountable for world-class, patient-centered outcomes.
How are service line councils and medical group boards able to pursue value-based care strategies?
Whitney: This should be the responsibility of the service lines. It may start as a larger initiative at a medical group level, but the execution should be at a service line level, especially if there are value-based initiatives unique to that service line. To ensure ownership from service line physician chiefs, health systems are now beginning to institute incentive-based payment structures aligned with the value-based outcomes.
Jessica: While Whitney’s statement is true from the perspective of traditional service lines, a different construct may be needed for primary care. Typically, primary care is within the purview of the medical group depending on how its structure is organized. We see primary care evolving as the most influential service line right now due to value-based care changes in the market. The importance of primary care and a strong primary care network continues to grow in relation to supporting the overall performance of various service lines.
Published August 17, 2018