In an anesthesia market rife with consolidation, mergers and acquisitions, the threat of shrinking payments due to new and complex payment programs, and general uncertainty on the regulatory and legislative fronts, the need for anesthesia groups to be solidly aligned with their hospitals is, at present, exceptionally strong. In a session at the rec...
Will Latham, MBA President, Latham Consulting Group, Inc., Chattanooga, TN Over the years, you may have heard the old saying that "Nothing happens until someone sells something." With regard to anesthesia groups, we have found that "Nothing (good) happens until the group has effective governance."Without effective governance: The group lacks the ab...
SUMMARY Strategic business planning, including identifying your anesthesia group's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; analyzing the impact of external political, economic and other forces, and developing a mission and vision statement is essential for leveraging and making intelligent decisions regarding technology in the current env...
It's a riddle almost as inscrutable as that of the Sphinx: How can a physician or pharmacist or facility owner be convicted of a federal crime for violating a state law? The answer is, unfortunately, quite simple, quite questionable and quite dangerous. It turns what many think about federal healthcare law compliance on its head.It signals that man...
SUMMARY ABC recommends
that participating anesthesiologists and CRNAs use a Qualified Clinical
Data Registry (QCDR) as opposed to a Qualified Registry (QR) to submit
data to the Quality Payment Program’s Merit-Based Incentive Payment
System (MIPS). In our view, a QCDR is the reporting method most likely
to ensure long-term success in MIP...
It is becoming all too common for physicians to report feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their jobs, and, at times, even emotionally, psychologically and physically depleted. In fact, occupational burnout, a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment,¹ is hitting near-epidemic rates acr...
SUMMARY Because most anesthesiologists practice in large groups, succession planning revolves primarily around considering the impact a retirement will have on the group. Experts advise advance planning and thinking in terms of having a "next generation" of clinicians in place to avoid gaps. Only 23 percent of physicians 55 and older are involved i...
Healthcare has been the talking point for generations, but its presence has been even more pronounced since President Obama's election in 2008. Such discussions have revolved around passing comprehensive healthcare reform, passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), repealing the ACA and replacing it with the American Health Care Act of ...
SUMMARY Burnout affects more than half of physicians and, according to a new survey, more than half of anesthesiologists. In a recent article, a group of prominent health system CEOs calls on healthcare leaders to take an active part in addressing what is now considered a serious public health problem that impacts patient safety, healthcare costs a...
Quick! Who's the president of Switzerland?Anesthesia group leaders seeking to create a larger structure out of existing groups, from an alliance among local groups, to business models for exclusive contracting, to the creation of a true regional or national player, encounter a plethora of problems from the merely difficult (e.g., due diligence) to ...
SUMMARY The interscalene block is not a new technique, but its acceptance as a routine anesthetic modality for shoulder surgery has evolved slowly. A review of the ABC client base indicates additional potential for the use of this block with ultrasonic guidance. Anesthesia practices should review their data to assess that the reasons for not doing ...
The concept of automating the anesthesia record has intrigued academicians for decades. Some of the early versions of software packages for computer-based record keeping were quite complete and impressive despite the technology's limitations during the 1980s and 1990s. A number of companies made significant investments in the various software optio...
SUMMARY Most anesthesia practitioners participating in the Quality Payment Program in 2017 will participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). This eAlert offers a guide for eligible clinicians on how the MIPS composite score will be calculated, including an explanation of the scoring system's four thresholds, a description of the ...
One of the most important responsibilities of any anesthesia group's governance is to develop a strategic plan for the group. For some groups this is the role of the Board. In other groups, all shareholders participate in this process.Unfortunately, it appears that for many groups, "hope" is their strategy.We are continually surprised to find group...
SUMMARY Despite some small signs of progress, the opioid epidemic remains a serious reality in the United States, with recent survey data showing that one in three patients who have taken prescription opioids for at least two months report addiction or psychological dependence. An article by Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, in the April 2017 issue of Annals ...
I pushed the wiring instructions across the table.A few minutes later, I confirmed that close to $10 million was in the account of my client, the sole shareholder.Then we all went to lunch.Ah, the shiny object, the more or less instant gratification. The sale of your anesthesia group and the fresh $1 million in your pocket.But what comes next? And ...
SUMMARY Efforts by Congress and the Trump administration to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act are far from over, and the impact on patients, hospitals and healthcare providers, including anesthesia practitioners, is still not known. We summarize the provisions of the American Health Care Act and responses from major healthcare organization...
Amanda K. Jester, JDWaller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, Austin, TXAshleigh VanLandingham, JDWaller Lansden Dortsch & Davis, LLP, Nashville, TNOn May 5, 2016, the White House issued a report citing a variety of issues with the use of non-compete agreements advocating for non-compete reform at the state and federal level.1 According to the Wh...
SUMMARY Without sustained efforts by healthcare leaders—including anesthesia leaders—to foster a culture that lives and breathes patient safety, organizations and practices cannot change, according to Ana Pujols McKee, MD, of The Joint Commission. We highlight 11 Tenets of a Safety Culture, issued in a recent Sentinel Event Alert, all of which depe...
One of the most important responsibilities of any anesthesia group's governance is to develop a strategic plan for the group. For some groups this is the role of the Board. In other groups, all shareholders participate in this process.Unfortunately, it appears that for many groups, "hope" is their strategy.We are continually surprised to find group...