The objective of this project was to assist a large urban academic medical center in developing an academically centered faculty practice. Its scope included establishing a mission and a set of attainable goals for the practice, identifying the extent of group authority versus departmental authority, and developing the organizational governing documents. The outcome of this assignment was the formation of a more integrated practice structure with the capability of joint business arrangements with other aspects of the university’s clinical enterprise and the development of a comprehensive system of patient care.

The objective of this engagement was to assist in merging several medical groups into a single competitive entity. In addition, we assisted the group in assessing merger and affiliation alternatives with other local physician organizations following group formation. Specific tasks included developing a strategic plan, including a mission statement, goals, and strategic initiatives; determining ownership, membership, and governance structures; and assessing affiliation alternatives to address the group’s long-term strategic needs. As a result of the engagement, this group of internal medicine physicians formed a structured medical group that will contract with a management services organization for administrative services and with an independent practice association for managed care contracting.

ECG assisted a joint venture between a university-based health system and an affiliated faculty group practice to develop a comprehensive MSO business plan and implementation plan. The plans addressed the services to be provided by the venture to physician practices; organization structure and staffing requirements; and implementation of a common billing office using IDX, including definition of central versus distributed billing functions. This engagement resulted in a detailed plan to foster the successful implementation of the MSO. ECG was subsequently engaged to provide implementation assistance.

The objective of this project was to create a contracting network to combine the managed care contracting efforts of a large multispecialty physician group and independent physicians, as well as provide managed care support services such as contract administration, data collection and analysis, inpatient case management, and credentialing. To design the organization, we developed and clarified network purpose and service scope, determined the organizational governance/ownership structure, and defined the contracting approach and risk-sharing arrangements. This process resulted in the development of a successful organization that linked a 90-physician multispecialty group with independent primary care physicians through an effective contracting arrangement.

ECG was retained by a school of medicine to restructure the governance and financial frameworks of its faculty practice. We worked with a dean-designated committee of senior faculty and selected chairs to redefine the multiple objectives of the practice, structure a streamlined governance framework capable of making timely and informed decisions, and develop an innovative funds flow that aligns the financial objectives of the departments and faculty and creates a set of common financial objectives. The department chairs unanimously endorsed the task force recommendations, and the streamlined governance structure and revised funds flow were implemented.