Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

A Note From Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting’s Business Valuation Team

January 13, 2012 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

A Note From Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting’s Business Valuation Team

As we begin a new year, the Business Valuation experts at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends, colleagues and business partners for a fun and successful 2011!

Featured below are some examples of Pinnacle’s most unique, complex, and creative business valuation solutions of 2011. These case studies represent how we continue to assist clients meet their most challenging needs and reduce compliance risk.

We look forward to the opportunity to work with your organization in 2012!

Sincerely,

The Business Valuation Team of Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Please visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com or contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting for any of your business valuation needs: kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com or (303) 801-0123.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting provides a range of strategic, financial and operational services to improve clinical and business performance for hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare organizations. Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting is a nationally recognized leader in business valuation, physician compensation, medical staff planning, performance improvement and compliance support. Other divisions of Pinnacle provide physician practice management, medical bill/coding, and technology/integration support services. Pinnacle’s array of specialized and highly responsive client services promote advanced innovation while our dynamic team solidifies strong client relationships and assists in solving your most complex challenges.

Valuation & Financial Services

Fair market value (FMV) opinions
Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting performs FMV reviews of over 300 physician service arrangements per year for clients that range from large, multi-state health systems to independent physician practices. Our extensive database of hospital-physician relationships can be quickly tapped to evaluate a range of client transaction needs, speeding up the physician contracting process and eliminating unnecessary compliance costs.

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Business and strategic valuation services
Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting specializes in healthcare business valuations for buy-sell and joint venture (JV) transactions. We provide valuation services that support transactional healthcare fair market value (FMV) requirements with a process that includes:

• Detailed situational assessments
• In-depth fact-finding and interviews
• Market analysis
• Extensive financial modeling
• Rigorous valuation methodologies

Our knowledge of the broader healthcare industry adds valuable insight to the risks and benefits of either a sale or acquisition. We ensure that you enter a transaction fully informed.

Fair value for financial reporting (FAS compliance)
Pinnacle provides a potent combination of in-depth healthcare industry knowledge with a strong understanding of the nuances and best practices surrounding fair value in a GAAP reporting environment, including purchase price allocations, intangible asset and goodwill impairment testing, not-for-profit entities, and other assets, liabilities and equity securities.

Physician compensation/Stark compliance
Stark Law and Anti-kickback compliance are some of the most challenging issues in physician compensation today. Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting can conduct a full audit of your billing and compensation process to determine the effectiveness of your Medicare and IRS compliance efforts. We are adept at working with counsel and financial managers to identify problem areas and create compliant billing, compensation and compliance solutions. Our consultants have also supported a number of Stark self-disclosure audits to assist hospital management and counsel in conducting internal investigations and preparing reports to government authorities.

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Physician compensation/productivity analysis
Refine and reinforce your approach to physician compensation with pay and productivity analysis from Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting. Be confident that your compensation methods and contracts produce results, achieve your goals, and are backed by impartial market intelligence.

Health plan contract analysis/negotiation
Make sure your payer contracts support your business and financial goals. Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting will profile your clinical activities and ensure proper coding to establish equitable contract terms and management systems. It’s a crucial part of bottom line success.

Physician practice assessment
Master the key operational, financial and strategic systems needed for physician practice success. Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting works for hospital and physician practice managers. We evaluate processes and performance against industry best practices and recommend business-building improvements.

Billing/coding audits
Effective billing/coding practices mean more than optimized revenue. They can mean the difference between compliance and fraud. Pinnacle owns and operates a medical billing company with certified coders on staff that can be tapped to evaluate your revenue cycle management program. Our deep experience and expertise can help you enhance both revenue and compliance.

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Strategic & Operational Services

Hospital/Physician strategy development
The rapidly changing healthcare environment is again pushing hospitals and physicians to streamline care delivery methods. Pinnacle helps devise strategies and operational solutions to create high performing, integrated organizations. Importantly, we have the ability to partner with health systems to create and manage the necessary infrastructure to successfully operate integrated practices.

Market research and strategic analysis
A successful healthcare business needs clear, detailed strategies and a deep knowledge of your specific business environment. We help hospitals and physician practices develop innovative and sound solutions that improve performance and business development.

Financial analysis and planning
Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting brings a balanced perspective to business valuation, needs assessments, and feasibility in all financial transactions involving physician practices or ancillary clinics. We have extensive experience in dialysis clinics but can offer our real-world expertise to anyone looking to add physicians, acquire practices, create unique professional service arrangements and more.

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Group formation and mergers
Launching a group is a complex process but one we’ve completed many times. Our proven project management plan helps create or integrate individual practices, form a smaller group from a larger one, or add physicians to hospital integration initiatives. Plus, once we’ve helped create your group, we can provide on-going practice management services to get your doors open as quickly as possible.

Healthcare association strategy and analysis
Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting partners currently sit on the board or advisory panels of several healthcare associations and have worked internally at some leading organizations. If your association needs experienced guidance on membership, management, or strategic issues, we can help with project engagements, executive retreats, industry research and more.

New physician/new manager education
We can help physicians and staff better understand the business of healthcare. In fact, we regularly teach residents at hospitals, demonstrating effective management techniques for running successful practices. If you have new hires, position them to succeed with our training programs.

Tags: business valuation, business valuations, health care consulting, healthcare consulting, physician fair market value, physician fmv, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding audits, The Pinnacle Group

Join Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at the Upcoming American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute and Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute

January 18, 2012 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Join Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at the upcoming American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute and Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute: February 8-10, 2012 at the Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, FL!

Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute

February 8-9, 2012
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Orlando, FL
HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.

Program Description

Sessions at the Physicians Law Institute will provide a focused analysis of the legal challenges faced by physicians and their counsel. Some of the topics on this year’s program include:

Physician-Hospital Syndication Unwind Exploratory – A Primer on the Gross Anatomy of a Complicated Surgery
Current Antitrust Issues Relating to Physician Mergers, Acquisitions and Combinations
Special Real Estate Issues for Practice Management Real Estate Tenant and Landlord
The Latest and Greatest about ACOs and Other Physician Integration Models
Hospital Physician Affiliations – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Perils and Pitfalls of Careful Drafting: How Stark has Changed the Risk Calculus
HIPAA Breach Notification – Case Studies on What to Do and When to Report

The program will also include the Top Legal Developments for Hospitals and Physicians with Jack Schroder and Cindy Wisner.

Attendees can register for just one of the programs or add-on the Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute and attend three days of programming (February 8-10). The Physicians and Hospitals Law Institutes provide in-house and outside counsel with the latest information needed to advise clients in these two segments of the healthcare industry. The programs are scheduled so that you can attend either the Physicians program or the Hospitals program if your practice focuses on a particular provider or you can register for both for a more comprehensive curriculum that will prepare you to address legal issues facing both segments and gain a better understanding of their distinct legal challenges.

Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute

February 9-10, 2012
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Orlando, FL
HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.

Program Description

Sessions at the Hospitals Law Institute will provide a focused analysis of the legal challenges faced by hospitals and health systems and their counsel. The program will kick-off with a plenary session on the Top Legal Developments for Hospitals and Physicians with Jack Schroder and Cindy Wisner. Some of the topics on this year’s program include:

On-Call Compensation: Market Trends, FMV and Commercial Reasonableness and Governance Oversight
Hospital Physician Affiliations – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Perils and Pitfalls of Careful Drafting: How Stark has Changed the Risk Calculus
HIPAA Breach Notification – Case Studies on What to Do and When to Report

Practice Group Luncheons

The following Practice Groups will be holding a luncheon presentation at the Physicians and Hospitals programs:

Antitrust: The Role of Economic Analysis in Healthcare Antitrust: Cutting-Edge Economics Meets the Anomalies of the Healthcare System – February 8
Labor and Employment: Alternative Dispute Resolution: Obtaining Maximum Benefit From the Process – February 8
Physician Organizations, sponsored by PYA: Roundtable Discussion of Recent Issues Affecting Physicians – February 9
Health Information and Technology and Healthcare Liability and Litigation (Joint): Responding to an Alleged Data Breach: Things Outside Counsel Should Know – February 9
Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review: Preventative Medicine: Hospitals’ Use of Credentialing and Peer Review to Avoid Liability – February 10
Business Law and Governance, Hospitals and Health Systems, In-House Counsel, and the Enterprise Risk Management Task Force (Joint), sponsored by Sullivan Cotter and Associates Inc.: I Went to Law School—How in the World Am I Supposed to Help With Quality Initiatives? – February 10

Program Materials

All materials will be available on a website prior to the program and handed out on CD at the program. For those who still do want the binder they will be available for an additional fee; please order on the registration form.

CLE Information

This program will be worth approximately 13.0 credits (including 1.0 ethics credit) for 60-minute states and approximately 15.6 credits (including 1.2 ethics credit) for 50-minute states. Participants will be given CLE Request forms at the program. Forms must be completed and returned to AHLA staff to receive credit. The sessions, unless otherwise designated, are intermediate to advanced in level. There are no prerequisites required to register for this program.

This seminar will be worth approximately 15.0 CPE credits. AHLA is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37219-2417. NASBA’s web site is located at http://www.nasba.org.

This program is designed to be an update on developments in the area of physicians and physician organizations. There are no prerequisites or advanced preparations required to register for this group live program. Those seeking accounting credits should be familiar with the basic concepts of law and terminology associated with this area in order to obtain the full educational benefit of this program.

Hotel Information

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Hotel
5601 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
Reservations: (888) 430-4999
Online Reservations

Room Rates: $210 single or double occupancy
Hotel Cut-off Date: Friday, January 20, 2012
Hotel accommodations are not included in the registration fee. When making reservations, please indicate that you are with the American Health Lawyers Association; the room block may sell out prior to hotel cut-off date.

Travel Information

Official Travel Provider – ATC (Association Travel Concepts)

Discounts and Services:

5% off applicable classes of service for tickets purchased more than 30 days prior to the meeting. Restrictions apply and not all classes of service apply for the 5% discount. (United Airlines, American Airlines).
Personalized services.
Low fare options.
Discounted meeting rates (Enterprise, Hertz)
Advanced seat assignment and special meal requests. Frequent flier program updates

Some restrictions may apply. Discounts apply between February 5-13. *Service fees apply to ticketed reservations. You may also call your own agency or the vendors directly and refer to the ID numbers.

Cancellation/Substitutions
Cancellations must be received in writing by February 1, 2012. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations received after the cut-off date. Registration fee, minus the $125 administrative fee, will be refunded approximately 3-4 weeks following the program. If you wish to send a substitute, need more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies please call (202) 833-1100 prompt #5. Note that the registration fee is based on the AHLA membership status of the individual who actually attends the program.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com & www.PhysicianFMV.com

About The Physician FMV Program

Determining appropriate and compliant physician fair market value (FMV) is complicated. Diverse factors like the Stark Law and inconsistent internal payment policies make it difficult to confidently approach physician compensation negotiations. Until now.

- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

- Manage access to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) data for others within your organization

The Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program dramatically reduces the complexity of determining fair market value for physician compensation. It builds internal capacity and gives hospitals more control over the process by providing proprietary tools and powerful information to help make defensible decisions about physician relationships.

Over 200 hospitals and healthcare organizations have found that the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program empowers users to make smart and supportable decisions with regard to physician compensation and fair market value mattes. The Physician Fair Market Value (FMV)Program’s key benefits include:

- Elevated compliance through broader application of Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) payment terms and greater consistency across physician contracts

- Significant time savings – where resources can be redirected to other matters (strategy, operations, etc.)

- Immediate return on investment after just two to three uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports)

- Enhanced organizational capacity to address physician compensation, contracting and compliance

Hospitals using the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program immediately possess greater knowledge on which to base physician contracting decisions, the reliability of a proven physician fair market value analytical methodology and improved capacity to manage / document compensation and other contractual terms. Furthermore, Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program support includes: training, ongoing coaching, technical support and focused consulting (if necessary).

Visit: www.physicianfmv.com or contact us today for more information: 303.801.0123

Pinnacle’s Pick: Husch Blackwell Legal Alert: Missouri Medicaid Proposes Its Provider-Preventable Conditions Policy

January 12, 2012 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Pinnacle’s Pick: Husch Blackwell Legal Alert: Missouri Medicaid Proposes Its Provider-Preventable Conditions Policy – January 12, 2012, Contributing Authors: Robert L. Hess II

Missouri’s Medicaid agency is proposing to expand the current payment prohibition to include healthcare acquired conditions as defined by Medicare and to require hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to bill for provider-preventable conditions as the method for reporting such incidents to the state. Providers have 30 days from January 3, 2012, to file comments on the proposed rule.

Read full article

About Husch Blackwell LLP

Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with 600 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London, serving clients with domestic and international operations.

Pinnacle’s Pick: Becker’s Hospital Review – 13 Recent Hospital Mergers & Acquisitions

January 6, 2012 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

* Content directly quoted from Becker’s Hospital Review – Business & Legal Issues for Health System Leadership To view the direct link, please visit Becker’s Hospital Review. Written by Molly Gamble | January 03, 2012 and directly quoted from Becker’s Hospital Review.

The following hospital mergers and acquisitions took place within the past two weeks, beginning with the most recent.

1. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear Rejects 3-System Merger
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has rejected a proposed three-system merger between public University Hospital in Louisville with Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare in Louisville and St. Joseph Health System in Lexington, which would have combined a public safety-net hospital with a Catholic healthcare company to create a statewide system.

To view the direct link and the rest of the article, please visit Becker’s Hospital Review.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Tags: acquisitions, business valuation, FMV, icd10, mergers, physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, physician practice management, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding

Employment Opportunuity – Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Seeking Analyst

December 27, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Overview

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting seeks an Analyst for its rapidly growing healthcare consulting practice.

The Analyst will help develop analytical models, perform market analysis/research and support report letter development for advisory projects for both private and public entities in the healthcare industry. These entities may be hospitals and health systems, physician groups, ancillary clinics, publicly-traded companies, etc. This position offers professional growth to the motivated candidate. This candidate will work closely with several team members and report to a Senior Consultant with Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting.

The ideal candidate will possess a Masters degree in Business, Healthcare Administration or Public Health. Bachelor degree candidates will be considered. The candidate should possess strong organizational abilities to handle multiple projects and meet ongoing deadlines; demonstrated effective oral, written and interpersonal communication abilities; and a strong understanding and proficiency with Microsoft Excel. The successful candidate must be committed to staying at the cutting edge of healthcare regulations, financial best practices and ethical standards. Salary will be commensurate with experience and market findings. Pinnacle offers a comprehensive benefits package including a 401k with an employer match.

Responsibilities

Support healthcare related projects, physician compensation, employment arrangements, complex contract arrangements, etc.
Analysis of healthcare data, including, but not limited to, physician productivity, practice/service line profit and loss information, industry structure and trends, economic factors impacting industry, impact of healthcare regulations, etc.
Report letter generation and detailed financial modeling.
Documentation of all work thoroughly and accurately.
Review of all work for validity, accuracy of data and professional appearance.
Demonstrate teamwork and responsibility with engagement project team members.
Stay abreast of current business and economic developments relevant to the client’s business; and use current technology and tools to enhance the effectiveness of services provided.

Qualification Requirements

Masters or Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration with emphasis in healthcare, or finance.
Demonstrated aptitude in quantitative and qualitative analysis.
1-3 years experience in healthcare administration or consulting – preferred.
Well developed understanding of health care industry and in-depth understanding of health care data and the methods of data analysis.
Ability to prioritize and manage concurrent projects, demonstrate initiative and work independently with moderate supervision.
Excellent analytical, project-management, communication, interpersonal, and teaming skills.
PC proficiency including MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, a member of The Pinnacle Group, provides a range of consultative services to hospitals, health systems, physicians and publicly traded companies. Pinnacle maintains a client network across the country. For more information please visit www.pinnaclegrouphc.com. a Resume with cover letter and references can be e-mailed to kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com, (please, no calls).

Tags: analyst opening, business valuations, compliance, compliance support, employment opportunity, fair market vaue, health care consulting, healthcare consulting, hospital and health systems, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Holiday Greetings & Best Wishes in 2012 – Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

December 20, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Season’s Greetings From

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting!

From all of us at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, At this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. In lieu of gifts, a donation will be made to United Way and Urban Peak. Thank you for your continued support and best wishes in 2012!

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Tags: business valuation, compliance, healthcare consulting, icd10, physician fair market value, physician fmv, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding

Physician Fair Market Vaule (FMV) Program – Have You Heard?

December 13, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

See what clients are saying about us!

Have you heard? Over 200 hospitals and healthcare organizations have found that the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program empowers users to make smart and supportable decisions with regard to physician compensation and fair market value mattes. Listen to what Physician FMV Program participants are saying…

“I’ve been in hospital administration for 30 years. I could have used this program for the last 25.”

- Chief Operating Officer, 245-bed hospital

“As in-house counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of our Medical Center, I have found the Pinnacle FMV Program to be invaluable. It provides me with an efficient and cost effective tool for validating that our institution’s arrangements with physicians are compliant with fair market value requirements. It also gives me the ability to quickly respond to requests from my Executive colleagues with informed market data as they enter into business discussions with physicians and their groups. Additionally, the Pinnacle team staff has been extraordinarily helpful in providing me with specific explanations, regarding the FMV tool and the underlying data and formulations, as well as with their robust perspective on various compliance and FMV issues, at both a local and national marketplace level. I continue to be a very satisfied client of The Pinnacle Group.”

- Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer, Medical Center

“We engaged Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting (Physician FMV Program) to prepare physician compensation workbooks to comply with the Stark II, Phase II requirements, and have been extremely pleased with their work product. We had looked at doing this ourselves, and not only would we not have had the expertise that Pinnacle has in this area, but the cost alone of having Pinnacle (Physician FMV) do this versus buying each individual survey ourselves was an overriding factor. We have found Pinnacle’s (Physician FMV’s) work to be exemplary, and their staff professional, friendly and extremely competent. We have some markets which require additional assistance, and they have been able to provide exactly what they need to support their reasonable compensation requirements. I would highly recommend Pinnacle (Physician FMV) to anyone involved in physician compensation issues.”

- Manager, Hospital System, Legal Division

About The Physician FMV Program

- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

- Manage access to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) data for others within your organization

- Elevated compliance through broader application of Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) payment terms and greater consistency across physician contracts

- Significant time savings – where resources can be redirected to other matters (strategy, operations, etc.)

- Immediate return on investment after just two to three uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports)

- Enhanced organizational capacity to address physician compensation, contracting and compliance

To learn more about the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program visit: www.physicianfmv.com or contact us today for more information: 303.801.0123

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Tags: health care consulting, physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, physician practice management, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Congratulates Jana Sizemore – Accredited Member with the American Society of Appraisers

November 30, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Congratulations to Jana Sizemore who recently earned her Accredited Member designation with the American Society of Appraisers in the business valuation discipline! Advancement to Accredited Member is granted after completion of education requirements and approval of full-time appraisal experience, educational background and an appraisal report reviewed by the ASA’s Board of Examiners.

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting’s Business and Strategic Valuation Services

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting specializes in healthcare business valuations for buy-sell and joint venture (JV) transactions. We provide valuation services that support transactional healthcare fair market value (FMV) requirements with a process that includes:

• Detailed situational assessments

• In-depth fact-finding and interviews

• Market analysis

• Extensive financial modeling

• Rigorous valuation methodologies

Our knowledge of the broader healthcare industry adds valuable insight to the risks and benefits of either a sale or acquisition. We ensure that you enter a transaction fully informed.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com and www.PhysicianFMV.com

Tags: american society of appraisers, and compliance support., business valuations, physician practice management, valuation methodologies

Join Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at CHSM’s – Integrated Delivery Systems: The Right Choice For Quality Healthcare?

November 10, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting is pleased to announce our recent participation as Silver-Level Sponsors for Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM). Though our sponsorship, we continue to support CHSM’s mission to bring outstanding educational opportunities to the Rocky Mountain healthcare community.

Join Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at CHSM’s next event: Integrated Delivery Systems: The Right Choice For Quality Healthcare?

Registration: http://www.chsm.org/civicrm/event/info?id=33&reset=1

Healthcare reform and modern-day economics are sparking a renewed drive toward integration of care into one seamless team providing the right help at the right time. While integrated delivery systems (IDS) promise higher quality care, lower costs, and competitive advantages, the results have been mixed. In Colorado, however, three organizations have been operating successful integrated healthcare systems for more than a decade. Join us as executives from Colorado Springs Health Partners, New West Management Services Organization and University Physicians discuss clinical integration strategies, key success factors, and the challenges they face in the brave new world of healthcare reform. Don’t miss this important event!

When: November 11th, 2011 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Location: Doubletree Denver Tech Center – Indigo Room, 7801 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-2508

Contact Phone: 303-265-9224

Email: customer.service@chsm.org

Program Speakers

Ruth N. Benton, MBA, CEO, New West Management Services Organization, Inc. and New West Physicians, P.C.

Deborah L. Chandler, MBA, CMPE, EVP/CEO, Colorado Springs Health Partners

Elizabeth D. Kissick, MBA, Director of Health Plan Development at University Physicians, Inc.

Program Details

Registration: Breakfast and Networking 7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.

Presentation: 7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

About Our Speakers

Ruth N. Benton, MBA, CEO, New West Management Services Organization, Inc., New West Physicians, P.C. (collectively, New West) is the founder and owner of New West, a primary care group practice. The company has grown to $50 million in revenue with 300 employees in 17 locations in the Denver area. Previously, Ruth served as the vice president for HealthOne, HealthCare United, and HMO Colorado. For the past five years, she has been one of Denver Business Journal’s “Most Influential Health Care Leaders in Colorado”.

Deborah L. Chandler, MBA, CMPE, EVP/CEO, Colorado Springs Health Partners, has over 25 years experience in multi-specialty group management and administration, including over 10 years as CEO for Anchor Heatlh Centers in Florida. Debbie serves on the boards of Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development, the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Community Health Partners, Pikes Peak Workforce, and Southern Colorado American Heart Association.

Elizabeth D. Kissick, MBA, Director of Health Plan Development at University Physicians, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation supporting medical services operations for the clinical practice of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She oversees all commercial contract transactions, rental network development and management, and business activities associated with population management within a faculty practice plan. Previousy, Liz served as Senior Manager for Managed Care at Johns Hopkins Medical Services Systems.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER ONLINE NOW! For additional information about CHSM, please visit: http://www.chsm.org/

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

or visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com

Tags: business valuations, physician fair market value, physician fmv, physician practice management, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding audits

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Top Five: 5 Big Ideas for Physician Groups, Margaret Dick Tocknell, for HealthLeaders Media , November 2, 2011

November 9, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Stay informed with what Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting (The Pinnacle Group) is reading in relation to current events and topics within the healthcare industry.

5 Big Ideas for Physician Groups

Margaret Dick Tocknell, for HealthLeaders Media , November 2, 2011

Last week’s Medical Group Management Association conference in Las Vegas featured four days of workshops, networking, and almost 100 sessions devoted to the challenges facing physician groups as they attempt to navigate the business of healthcare reform.

Here is my (Margaret Dick Tocknell’s) analysis of the big ideas discussed at MGMA:

1. The healthcare reform train has left the station.
If you’re sitting around waiting for the final court decision on healthcare reform before investing in electronic health records or exploring different payment models, then your practice is so far behind that it may never catch up. The feds have been pumping some serious dollars into demonstration projects and other initiatives to help physicians and hospitals develop the infrastructure to compete in the new world of healthcare.

Even providers that don’t participate in these projects are aligning themselves with other providers and payers to develop healthcare delivery systems and payment models that move patient care from volume to value and focus on higher quality and lower cost care. Through these partnerships, providers and payers are putting processes in place to collaborate, develop clinical engagement, and manage transitions of care. Healthcare has changed and it will not return to the old way of doing business.

2. The physician-patient relationship is in flux.
Physicians tend to make many treatment decisions for their patients, but implementing new healthcare delivery systems that emphasize collaboration will require patients to be more engaged in the decisions that affect their medical care. Studies show that, all things being equal, patients tend to select less invasive and less expensive procedures when they have the tools and information to assess the trade-offs of different treatment options. That means the physician or the staff must take time to provide the resources a patient needs to make informed healthcare decisions.

I predict physician practices will adopt a common practice of pushing decisions and jobs to the lowest level possible. A physician’s time will be reserved for patients who need more intensive care and physician assistants will handle more of the everyday medical cases. E-mail, once health plans agree to reimbursement terms, will play a larger role in patient-physician engagement.

3. Physicians have a role in incentivizing patient behavior.
My insurer tells me that I can earn $50 just by completing an online health risk assessment. I still haven’t taken the time. But what if my insurer put some real money on the table and got my doctor involved in the process? One insurer offered $1,000 for family members to complete an HRA, review it with their primary care physician, and then develop and follow a medical care plan. Its HRA completion rate jumped to a whopping 80%. By engaging physicians and adding a medical plan, this insurer added real value to the HRA.

4. Healthcare will be important to economic development.
Employers will send their jobs to cities and states that support a robust healthcare industry with sufficient providers. Some companies are already taking healthcare services into consideration when they look at facility locations. Employers are becoming more aware of how healthcare price competition and availability of medical services can affect their workforce and their bottom line.

5. Making a list and checking it twice isn’t just for Santa Claus.
Physician offices can benefit from developing checklists for even routine activities. A checklist clarifies a process so the same steps are taken each time. It establishes priorities, makes sure everything that needs to get done gets done, reduces errors, and can help the physician office staff function better as a team. It’s a relatively simple effort that can save a practice time and money.

These hot topics will change the practice of medicine for years to come. If you were at MGMA, or even if you weren’t, what’s your take on these big ideas?

(Please send your ideas to kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com and Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting will post your responses on our blog!

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

www.pinnaclegrouphc.com

www.physicianfmv.com

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Introduces Chris Fete, JD, MHA, Senior Analyst

November 1, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting proudly introduces our newest team addition, Chris Fete, JD, MHA. Christopher joined Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in 2011. As a Senior Analyst, he supports Pinnacle’s consulting engagements including fair market value reviews of physician compensation, Key Opinion Leader analysis, business plan development, financial and market analysis, community needs assessments and physician practice start-up / management assistance.

Prior to joining Pinnacle, Christopher was an administrative intern for a children’s medical center in St. Louis, MO. As a team leader, he assisted in the development and organization of a patient access-line for Maternal Services between two hospitals. In past positions, Christopher served as a clerk in the states of Michigan and Missouri. He assisted attorneys in all aspects of trial preparation, memorandum and analysis of complex legal issues related to medical center operations. Christopher has researched and prepared service arrangements, employee contracts, as well as compliance issues specifically related to Stark Law, False Claims Act, Fraud and Abuse, and Anti-Kickback Statutes. He has additionally reviewed and analyzed university agreements with physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and service providers.

In his free time, Christopher enjoys participating in outdoor activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, camping and hiking. He additionally enjoys lending a hand with community service projects and was an assistant high school varsity lacrosse coach for several years before moving to Denver.

Expertise

- Physician Key Opinion Leader compensation planning and analysis

- Regulatory and compliance analysis

- Physician-hospital relationships

- Healthcare industry trends and policy research

- Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling

- Strategic planning and business development

Professional Designations and Affiliations

- Member, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)

Education

- JD, St. Louis University School of Law and School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO

- MHA, St. Louis University School of Law and School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO

- BA, Creighton University, Omaha, NE

Additional: Health Law Certificate, Health Law Association, Moot Court

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

www.pinnaclegrouphc.com or www.physicianfmv.com

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Announces Silver-Level Sponsorship of Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM)

October 17, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Join Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at CHSM’s next event: Integrated Delivery Systems: The Right Choice For Quality Healthcare?: Friday, November 11, 2011

LEARN MORE & REGISTER ONLINE NOW! For additional information about CHSM, please visit: http://www.chsm.org/

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

or visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Welcomes Two New Additions!

October 7, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting is excited to extend a warm welcome to our new Senior Analyst, Chris Fete and Analyst, Rob McCabe. We are thrilled to add two new key additions to the Pinnacle Team as we continue to enhance and develop our service offerings.

Chris and Rob will assist Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in the development of analytical models, perform market analysis / research, and support in report letter development for advisory projects in the healthcare industry, which includes hospitals and health systems, physician groups, ancillary clinics, publicly-traded companies, etc. They will additionally contribute to and support healthcare related projects, physician compensation, employment arrangements and complex contract arrangements. Please be on the lookout for their individual company biographies and expertise in the near future!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Announcing a New Addition to Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting!

September 21, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

The Pinnacle Group would like to welcome Alan Ashinhurst, consultant for Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, joining in 2011 after two years as a practice administrator for a multi-state urgent care facility. He brings with him multiple years of experience in various healthcare fields and positions to assist hospitals and physician offices with clinical and management needs. His expertise includes practice management, technology – electronic health records (EHR), and process and efficiency improvement. Alan’s focus on managing physicians, staff and community relations brings a level of understanding and expertise to Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in an operational capacity within the Coding and Audit Division.

Alan has a strong clinical background, working as a Radiologic Technologist in diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, special procedures, a traumatic burn unit as well as a sister company of The Pinnacle Group. Alan has additionally worked as an admissions clerk in an Emergency Room and a ward clerk for a Post Anesthesia Recovery Room, giving him several years of hands on experience in patient care and customer service. He received an AS in Radiologic Technology and BS in Health Services Administration from Washburn University.

Expertise

Practice Management and Operations
Practice Management Systems and EHR
Contracting
Credentialing
Physician Relations
Process and Efficiency Improvement

Professional Designations and Affiliations

Member, American Registry of Radiologic Technologist
Member, American Society of Radiologic Technologist

Education

AS Radiologic Technology, Washburn University
BS Health Services Administration, Washburn University
Completed Study with The Leadership Institute

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Visit Pinnacle Healththcare Consulting at the Upcoming Fraud and Compliance Forum

August 19, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Crabby from Compliance Concerns?

With a 300% average ROI and powerful tools to help make defensible decisions about physician relationships, the Physician FMV Program helps take away the CRABBY and makes determining physician fair market value look like CAKE!

Visit Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting at the Upcoming Fraud & Compliance Forum!

September 25-27^th, 2011

Renaissance Harborplace Hotel

Baltimore, MD

The Fraud and Compliance Forum is jointly sponsored by the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA). It will include an explicit designation of a session as ‘compliance focused’ or ‘legal focused.’ The Fraud and Compliance Forum has the benefit of combining the quality of HCCA and AHLA sessions with the expanded networking power of a combined program.

Register online: www.healthlawyers.org/programs

With Physician FMV, You Can:

Obtain FMV compensation rates for over 70 physician specialties for employment, call and medical directorships
Search a national database of hospital-physician relationships
Generate FMV reports online
Elevate Medicare and IRS compliance
Save time with better information
Reduce costs with enhanced knowledge

The Physician FMV Program dramatically reduces the complexity of determining physician fair market value. The Program helps you build internal capacity and provides you with more control over the contracting process with powerful information and proprietary tools to help you make defensible decisions about physician relationships.

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY – ANALYST, PINNACLE HEALTHCARE CONSULTING

August 3, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Overview

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting seeks an Analyst for its rapidly growing healthcare consulting practice.

Responsibilities

Support healthcare related projects, physician compensation, employment arrangements, complex contract arrangements, etc.
Analysis of healthcare data, including, but not limited to, physician productivity, practice/service line profit and loss information, industry structure and trends, economic factors impacting industry, impact of healthcare regulations, etc.
Report letter generation and detailed financial modeling.
Documentation of all work thoroughly and accurately.
Review of all work for validity, accuracy of data and professional appearance.
Demonstrate teamwork and responsibility with engagement project team members.
Stay abreast of current business and economic developments relevant to the client’s business; and use current technology and tools to enhance the effectiveness of services provided.

Qualification Requirements

Masters or Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration with emphasis in healthcare, or finance.
Demonstrated aptitude in quantitative and qualitative analysis.
1-3 years experience in healthcare administration or consulting – preferred.
Well developed understanding of health care industry and in-depth understanding of health care data and the methods of data analysis.
Ability to prioritize and manage concurrent projects, demonstrate initiative and work independently with moderate supervision.
Excellent analytical, project-management, communication, interpersonal, and teaming skills.
PC proficiency including MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Welcoming Alana Erickson, CPC to Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

July 15, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

The Pinnacle Group is excited to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Alana Erickson, a recent addition to the Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting team as a Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant.

Alana Erickson serves as a practice management and coding consultant with Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, which continues to add depth and value to revenue cycle reviews. She brings over 21 years of experience in various healthcare management positions to assist hospitals, physician practices and other provider organizations with performance improvement needs. Alana’s expertise spans the spectrum of healthcare delivery in metropolitan, rural, hospital and physician practice settings. She offers a wealth and variety of knowledge in practice management and operations as well as revenue cycle management services including compliance, physician practice audits, physician billing guidelines, practice management, and electronic health record (EHR) systems analysis/implementations.

Alana’s professional background includes director roles, where she was responsible for physician relationships, information technology and business support for critical access hospitals and rural health clinics. Past roles also include service as liaison or consultant for specialty groups in health system EHR implementation projects. She served as a practice administrator for a medium sized cardiology and cardiovascular surgical group, where she managed strategic planning, daily operations, third-party contracting, system implementations, financial management, benefits administration, and management of staff and key relationships. Most notably, Alana’s experience boasts management of all business operations for a multi-specialty group of 80+ physicians. With Alana’s array of capabilities, she has assisted in providing strategic and operational management, physician recruitment, rollout of practice management and EHR systems, human resources and a variety of key services necessary for integration.

Expertise

Physician Practice and Billing Guideline Audits
Revenue Cycle Process Improvement
Practice Management and Operations
Practice Management Systems and EHR
Contracting
Credentialing

Professional Designations and Affiliations

CPC, American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
Provider Outreach Education Advisory Group Member, Noridian Government Services
Program Committee, Colorado Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

Education

BS, University of Colorado, Boulder
Electronic Medical Records Adoption (EMRA) Certificate, North Idaho College

The Pinnacle Group provides a range of strategic, financial and operational services to improve clinical and business performance for hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare organizations. Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting is a nationally recognized leader in business valuation, physician compensation, medical staff planning, performance improvement and compliance support. Other divisions of Pinnacle provide physician practice management, medical bill/coding, and technology/integration support services. Pinnacle’s array of specialized and highly responsive client services promote advanced innovation while our dynamic team solidifies strong client relationships and assists in solving your most complex challenges.

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Pinnacle Perspective – Upcoming Events, About the Team and About The Pinnacle Group

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Upcoming Events: Have an event that we should attend? Please let us know!

September 16^th, 2011, Health Care Compliance Association, Regional Conference – UPPER MIDWEST, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
September 25-27^th, 2011, AHLA & HCCA, Fraud & Compliance Forum, BALTIMORE, MD
October 28th, 2011, Health Care Compliance Association, Regional Conference – MOUNTAIN, DENVER, CO
December 2nd, 2011, Health Care Compliance Association, Regional Conference – SOUTH CENTRAL, NASHVILLE, TN

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A Pinnacle Group Highlight – Bill Johnson, Senior Consultant

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare 1 comment

Mr. Johnson offers a wide range of healthcare experience to the Pinnacle Group that includes nearly 30 years of executive leadership. His areas of expertise include strategic healthcare initiatives with health systems and physician practices. Bill’s professional experiences include strategic planning, business development, physician recruiting, operational management of large physician practices in multiple locations, outreach development, financial operations, business/practice mergers and acquisitions, physician/hospital joint ventures, selection of practice management and electronic health systems for practices. He has additional experience in third-party contracting, physician integration strategies, physician compensation models and tax planning for strategic decisions. Within Pinnacle, Bill provides financial and strategic direction as well as consulting on client engagements.

In his free time, Bill enjoys the serenity of fly-fishing in Colorado’s rivers and streams. He additionally enjoys other forms of outdoor recreation such as playing tennis and mountain biking. However, don’t peg him as your standard Colorado resident. His interests are as varied as they are unique. Just ask him about his interest in amateur radio!

Business Valuation Perspective – Identifying the Correct Ingredients

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

In the employment model, discussed in the FMV Compensation Perspective, a hospital might be in a position to purchase a physician or group practice as part of its integration strategy. The process of determining future physician compensation, coupled with what price to pay for an existing medical practice, is a tricky one.

Future physician compensation is often based largely on the historical performance of the individual physicians. Since historical compensation for physicians in a private practice is essentially collections from the delivery of professional services less the expenses of running the practice, profits after physician compensation are negligible. As a result, traditional going concern value, where an investor expects to earn a return over and above the costs to operate the business, does not exist. Under these specific circumstances, the value of a physician medical practice boils down to the cost of reproducing the assets necessary to run the practice. In valuation parlance, this entails the application of the cost, or asset-based approach to value.

While identification of the items a physician practice needs to operate is the first step, placing value on each component is the second phase that requires due diligence. Involving the physician or physicians from the early stages, communicating frequently throughout the process and keeping the process transparent will make for a smooth valuation process.

Ask the question, “What is required to reproduce the medical practice from scratch?” The first meeting will involve identifying all tangible and identifiable intangible assets of the practice. Tangible assets generally include medical equipment and instrumentation, furniture and fixtures, such as exam tables and waiting room furniture, office equipment, and computer equipment such as hardware and software, etc. In addition, the practice may also own the real estate in which it operates, or if it leases the space, may have made investments in leasehold improvements that are of value to both buyer and seller for future operations. Other tangible assets include inventories of medical supplies and drugs. Accounts receivable are another tangible asset owned by a medical practice; however, they are not typically included as part of the transaction and the physicians are responsible for the collection of the receivables outstanding prior to the deal’s closing.

The most challenging aspect can be identifying intangible assets that can be included as part of the deal. Below is a list of intangible assets commonly considered when valuing physician practices:

• Medical records

• Insurance contacts, if reimbursement is at favorable rates

• Trained & assembled work force of non-physician providers and office staff

• Trained & assembled work force of employed physicians

• Trade name or trademarks

• Non-competition agreements

As part of the valuation process, it is advisable to include the physicians or practice administrator in the process early on to set expectations for how the practice will be valued, timing of major milestones such as meetings, and delivery of the valuation results. Hopefully the above tips have assisted in gaining perspective in terms of proper identification during business valuations.

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Compensation Physician Integration Perspective

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

As healthcare providers continue to prepare and position for healthcare reform, the common challenges associated with physician integration is unchanged. A successful relationship depends on setting clear expectations, effective operations management and aligning compensation to performance.

On the surface, physician integration is a win-win situation for a hospital and physician. The hospital is able to bolster its team of physicians, which improves its patient care delivery system. The physician no longer has to directly deal with health plans, large capital expenditures and running a small business. Unfortunately, a scenario all too common to hospitals – after hiring the hard-working, independent physician and providing a salary, the physician’s work ethic notably slows down. Consequences may include a decrease in patients due to diminished access or a physician’s disenchantment with peers and management. All the while, the individual physician may not understand what is taking place and suddenly finds him /herself in a less revered way.

When demands of an independent practice are absent, many physicians do not feel the urgency to produce for someone else, as they did for themselves. To avoid this scenario, hospitals must be candid about their expectations and evaluate prospective physician employees accordingly. Compensation programs must be devised to either reward work efforts or help physician(s) ease out of practice. If a physician cuts his productivity, call availability, and other contributions by half, the related compensation must be commensurate and be discounted by the same amount.

Many hospitals question, What is the best method for paying employed physicians? The answer – there is no best “one-size-fits-all” method. The best way for an organization to pay its employed physicians depends on the unique dynamics of the specific organization. Every organization will have unique characteristics (e.g., specialty compositions, mission requirements, payer / patient factors, persistent or unresolved problems, cultural traits, etc.) that will influence what the organization needs to achieve through its physician compensation plan. These characteristics will define objectives that should be incorporated into compensation programs.

There are different types of compensation models and templates that can be evaluated to help hospitals structure their compensation programs. Before looking at these models, the objective of the compensation program MUST be defined. Importantly, when designing incentives to promote specific objectives, the risk / reward must be significant enough to directly affect physician behavior.

In contrast to the past, hospitals felt compelled to “own” physicians. However, the attitude today is one of partnership and shared risk / reward. Many hospitals are willing to commit the resources to provide physicians the opportunity to maintain historic income levels, but expectations are set so that commensurate value is received in return. One of the most common compensation frameworks that hospitals now adopt is one that centers on rewarding productivity and other forms of performance. In other words, hospitals are trying to align hospital objectives of efficiency and fiscal responsibility with physician objectives of income and stability.

Common productivity models will establish base compensation levels and pay incentives to physicians as they exceed Work Relative Value Unit (WRVU) thresholds or some other measure of output (e.g., charges). Depending on the market and payer conditions, these models may or may not directly incorporate practice profitability as a variable in the compensation formula.

The successful hospital and employed physician relationship is based on a fair compensation model that rewards effort in which expectations for productivity or other performance measures are established early in the process.

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Healthcare Industry Overview – Reasons for Hospital Integration

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Healthcare reform (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act PPACA), encourages the development of integrated delivery systems through its focus on medical homes, physician-hospital enterprises, accountable care organizations and bundled payment methods. These are all key drivers in considering closer hospital-physician alignment. In A.M. Best’s 2010 Hospital & Health Care Systems Survey, healthcare organization leaders and professionals ranked physician integration as the top strategic challenge facing healthcare organizations.

Here are a few other reasons feeding the integration trend:

1. Uncertainty around reimbursement for both physicians and hospitals

2. Increasing costs and other negative economic pressures on physician incomes

3. Physician expectations for financial support through call or subsidy arrangements

4. Changing physician attitudes toward employment and away from private practice

5. Community and hospital needs to ensure access to essential medical services

6. Competition among hospitals around clinical service lines

7. Shortages of physicians in key specialties

8. Strategic goals for transforming health care delivery

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Pinnacle Perspective Newsletter – Valuation. Compensation. Integration.

May 24, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Welcome to our Pinnacle Perspective Newsletter! For your desired article of interest, please click on link directly. Thank you and enjoy!

In This Issue:

- Letter from The Pinnacle Team: In Determining 2011 Recipes for Success, Who Gets the Pie is No Piece of Cake

- Healthcare Industry Overview – Reasons for Hospital Integration

- Compensation Physician Integration Perspective

- Business Valuation Perspective – Identifying the Correct Ingredients

- A Pinnacle Group Highlight – Bill Johnson, Senior Consultant

- Upcoming Events, About the Team, About The Pinnacle Group

In Determining 2011 Recipes for Success, Who Gets the Pie is No Piece of Cake – Letter from The Pinnacle Team

The Pinnacle Group would like to welcome you to the first edition of our 2011 newsletter, The Pinnacle Perspective!

Early 2010 introduced health care reform with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). This development initiated change in many health care industry segments and introduced uncertainty in shaping organizational strategies. Understanding all the health care reform changes and how they affect your organization is no piece of cake. In this issue, we’ll break down some of the complex challenges facing hospitals and physicians to help assist in determining your own recipe for success.

The Pinnacle Group plans to continue to deliver resources to help its clients understand the changing environment, select the right strategies, and implement solutions to achieve a range of business objectives. While our breadth of expertise continues to grow, our menu of key services will still encompass valuation, integration and compensation services.

With the launch of this newsletter, we are expanding our client offerings and sharing our perspectives on critical issues, key events and innovative ideas shaping the business of health care today.

We’ll begin with an Industry Overview Perspective, and take a broad look at the top reasons driving hospital-physician integration.

In our Compensation Physician Integration Perspective, we’ll offer leading ways hospitals align with physicians to create more effective health systems.

Finally, in the Business Valuation Perspective, we further detail an overview of a physician practice valuation, applying the cost approach, and discuss how hospitals acquiring a physician practice and employing the physician(s) may not want to pay more than the net assets of the practice as a going concern.

Whatever your health care appetite, we hope that The Pinnacle Perspective will give you a taste of key industry trends and allow you to sample ideas and information to mix into your own recipe for success.

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: Click twice on each image to enlarge and read full text.

SAVE THE DATE (05-12-2011)! Building Your Healthcare Reform Toolkit: Strategies for Delivering Accountable Care

March 28, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Date & Time
Thursday, May 12, 2011
11 a.m. – Noon Registration & Lunch
Noon – 5 p.m. Program
5 p.m. Reception

| ADD TO CALENDAR |

Location
The Westin Denver Downtown
1672 Lawrence Street
Denver, CO 80202

| DIRECTIONS |

RSVP
This program is complimentary; however, registration is required. Please RSVP to Shana Hoy at 816.983.8809 by
May 5, 2011.

The Pinnacle Group is a dynamic healthcare company with expert resources to assist hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare organizations with operational, planning and transactional support needs.| more |Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with more than 600 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London, serving clients with domestic and international operations.
| more |

Paragon Health provides the most comprehensive range of cardiovascular management and consulting services in the industry. Paragon Health is the leader in cardiovascular program strategy, assessment and development.
| more |

Visit The Pinnacle Group at the Upcoming AHLA Law Institute – Las Vegas, NV – February 9th – 11th

January 27, 2011 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE

Even GOOD intentions can go BAD or get UGLY. Visit The Pinnacle Group for a fully loaded solution, February 9^th – 11^th, at the upcoming AHLA 2011 Law Institute in Las Vegas, NV.

http://www.healthlawyers.org/Events/Programs/2011/Pages/PHY11.aspx

Physician FMV dramatically reduces the complexity of determining physician fair market value. The Program helps build internal capacity and provides more control over the contracting process with powerful information and proprietary tools to help you make defensible decisions about physician relationships.

Stop gambling with compliance. Take away uncertainty with a fully loaded solution.

We look forward to meeting your in Vegas!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

The Pinnacle Group is a nationally recognized leader in valuation services, physician compensation, revenue cycle & coding consulting, and hospital-physician integration. Pinnacle supports a wide variety of clients including, but not limited to: hospitals and health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, physician groups, dialysis providers, medical device and other healthcare companies. Sister companies to Pinnacle provide services related to physician practice management, medical billing and coding, and technology/integration support services, which affords Pinnacle operational perspectives and insights – not typically available through other consulting firms. Pinnacle’s services are backed by a professional and responsive team, to help our clients devise solutions to their complex and challenging issues.

The Pinnacle Group Top Reads: Productivity Still Drives Compensation in High Performing Group Practices

December 28, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Posted By John Kastor On December 20, 2010 @ 11:07 am In All Categories,Health Reform,Innovation,Payment,Physicians

or follow http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2010/12/20/productivity-still-drives-compensation-in-high-performing-group-practices/ to the HealthAffairs Blog.

In July, 2009, President Obama visited the Cleveland Clinic ^[1]and praised its ability to provide hospital care less expensively than some other famous hospitals. This claim was bolstered by a recent study ^[2] demonstrating that large multispecialty practices have lower cost and higher quality in treating Medicare recipients compared to other practitioners in their regions.

One of the hypotheses for this result ^[3] is that physicians in such practices are paid by salary rather than on the basis of how much revenue they generate. This claim prompted us to discover which forms of compensation are typical for multispecialty group practices and how such compensation might be linked to medical cost expenditures.

The Multispecialty Group Practices We Studied

We contacted leaders at 12 multispecialty group practices—eleven of whom participated in the Medicare study cited previously ^[2]. Ten of the twelve group practices pay physicians on the number and type of clinical services they provide with total compensation competitive with private practice. We conclude that cost savings demonstrated by group practices do not appear to be related to a fixed form of compensation.

The twelve practices we surveyed were the Billings Clinic; the Cleveland Clinic; the Geisinger Clinic; the Guthrie Clinic; the Henry Ford Medical Group; the Intermountain Medical Group; Kaiser Permanente of Northern California; the Lahey Clinic; the Marshfield Clinic; the Mayo Clinic; the Ochsner Clinic; and the Virginia Mason Clinic. (Short descriptions of each practice are included in an appendix at the end of this post.) The twelve practices were arbitrarily chosen because of their large size and scale, their longstanding experience and success in health care delivery, and their geographic diversity. While several of these clinics have research and education enterprises, none is a medical school faculty practice plan.

What We Found

Among the group practices studied for this report, most pay their doctors based on clinical activity, often measured with relative value units (RVUs)(1) which report physician’s clinical activity based on such factors as the number of patients seen, the intensity of the service provided, and the number and type of procedures performed. Many practices assign a guaranteed base salary—often calculated from data provided by organizations such as the American Medical Group Association (AMGA)(2,3) and RSM ^[4] McGladrey ^[5] — with additional incentives or bonuses based on clinical volume. The following practices pay partially or in some case, totally based on RVU methodology: Billings(3), Geisinger(4), Guthrie(5), Henry Ford, Intermountain(6), Lahey(2), Marshfield(7,8), Oschner(9,10) and Virginia Mason.(11) At the Cleveland Clinic, volume is one of the criteria used to determine future salary, but bonuses are not awarded.(12)

Two of the practices provide fixed salaries where the volume of clinical services performed is not a factor of importance in developing compensation. This model applies at Kaiser Permanente of Northern California(13) and the Mayo Clinic.(7,14)

Most of the groups give financial credit for time spent on research, teaching, and administration, and some consider patient satisfaction in determining part of the compensation.(1) None of the practices compensate on the basis of the number of consultations or tests the physicians order. Doctors in each of the multispecialty group practices studied do not realize income from facility fees since it is the practice or the hospital, not the physicians, who own the equipment and charge for their use.

Most of the respondents told us that they pay salaries that are equal to, nearly equal to, or greater than the amount the doctors could earn in private practice in their regions. Furthermore, many of the groups provide benefit programs and support structures that often exceed those available in many practices. Consequently, when one includes all the costs of employing physicians in large, multispecialty group practices, the total for most physicians is probably not significantly less than the amount they could earn practicing privately.

Lessons Learned

Volume is a significant factor in determining compensation in many multispecialty group practices. As more physicians seek the advantages of working at large multispecialty group practices ^[6] over remaining in, or joining, individual or small group practices, the question arises whether physician compensation in such large groups is uniquely different from compensation in other forms of practice. As best we can tell ^[7], in the absence of much literature directly dealing with the subject, the answer is “no.” Only two of the 12 large multispecialty group practices that we studied—Kaiser Permanente of Northern California and Mayo Clinic—pay their physicians with fixed salaries in which income does not depend on clinical productivity.

Base salary supplemented by incentives dependent on productivity is a common model. In some groups, volume is even the principal determinant of compensation; in others it plays a lesser, though still significant, role. This productivity model is typical of most organized practices ^[8]. The American Medical Group Association reports that, of its membership of 370 groups and about 110,000 physicians, the “vast majority” pay at least partly by volume measured in RVUs.(1) These data come from a collection of groups with widely different sizes and structures, some single specialty groups, and some in a for-profit structure.(1)

From these observations, it appears that many, if not most, large multispecialty group practices take volume into consideration in compensating their physicians. Though these large groups may provide higher quality at lower cost—as some studies ^[9] assert ^[2] – their compensation programs do not appear to differentiate most of them from other group or private practices.

Our study did not examine distinguishing features such as practice culture, governance, insurance contracting, and payment for performance. Any combination of these factors ^[10] can motivate practices to improve quality and reduce cost.(15,16) It does not appear, however, from our data, that the method of compensating physicians, many of whom can increase their incomes by generating more business for the group, directly contributes significantly to these savings. More comprehensive data from further, more detailed studies are required to prove whether this thesis is correct.

Compensation based on volume presents challenges at group practices, as elsewhere. Compensating doctors wholly, or in part, on volume has its problems. Such systems may encourage use of those tests and procedures that pay well. Leaders at the Marshfield Clinic have found that the RVU system “encourages doctors who do procedures to do procedures.”(8) Accordingly, Marshfield has had difficulty providing enough specialists to provide consultations since the RVUs generated for consultations are much less than those for procedures. It also leads to “running patients through,” seeing as many as possible even if this short-changes patients with complicated problems and those who want to spend more time with their doctors.(8)

What doctors earn in multispecialty group practices can be similar to what they can earn in private practice. As a general rule, physicians in multispecialty group practices earn as much as, or slightly less than, they could in private practice. However, some groups recruit by emphasizing that they provide better and more comprehensive financial and administrative benefits than most doctors in private practice can afford when working independently. Groups may employ a larger professional support staff ^[11]of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians’ assistants to make the physicians’ work more productive and give patients more effective long-term care for their chronic diseases in particular.(17) Consequently, the total cost to the group of employing the physicians may be greater than the cost to the doctors to operate their practices privately even though the salaries may be somewhat less.(17)

As for the income of physicians in multispecialty group practices appearing to be somewhat lower than in many private practices, one CEO writes: “That may have been the case in the past, but I do not believe that it is significant now. The private practice model in years past was able to manage expenses and payer mix better, so I think there was better pay. However, with complex billing processes, rising expenses through inflation and stagnant reimbursements, I think this has leveled off. That is furthered by the recruiting marketplace.”(18)

In joining a group, doctors give up charging for use of equipment that they or their groups may own. Of course, the doctors must spend or borrow capital funds to buy or lease the equipment if they want to collect facility fees for their use. Nevertheless, the return on these investments can be quite sizeable for some specialties. In private practice, physicians, either individually or in specialty groups, who own such equipment have a strong financial incentive to use it more.(17) This incentive does not apply to physician compensation in any of the groups that we studied where the groups or the hospitals own the equipment and collect the facility fees.

Our study has implications for health reform.

Most organized group practices, known for lower cost and higher quality, reward physician productivity. Some health reform proposals, like capitation and bundled payments, will change revenue flow and may disrupt the conventional RVU metrics. For example, physicians may be asked to perform “non-RVU” work, like coordination of care. Health policy makers should be aware that even among practices cited as exemplary, physician procutivity is embedded deeply in the current system of rewards.

In conclusion, our study reports that, in the 12 groups we studied, salary without supplements or consideration for volume is the exception rather than the rule. We also learned that, driven by competition to recruit doctors, most of our multispecialty group practices compensate at levels that approximate or nearly approximate what the physicians could earn in private practice.

As one of our participants told us: “Simply paying all physicians in the US on a salary basis will not be a panacea for our current [financial] ills.”(19) Two others added, “The real meat of the issue is the self-governance and ability to review and influence practice through physician leadership and organized systems of care,”(15) and “Physician engagement in the process and a commitment to the outcomes of our patients is the best solution.”(20)

Seasons Greetings From Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

December 18, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Click twice to enlarge

From all of us at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting.

At this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible.

Tags: business valuations, Health Care, Healthcare, physician fair market value, physician fmv, Pinnacle, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding audits

The Pinnacle Group Top Reads: 6 Essential Strategies for Physician Integration | Hospital-Physician Relationships

December 17, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

6 Essential Strategies for Physician Integration | Hospital-Physician Relationships.

Written by Leigh Page | December 10, 2010

Integrated physician arrangements, aligning clinical and financial interests, will be critical to the success of hospitals and health systems in the future as payment methodologies change, says Mark Grube, managing director at Kaufman Hall in Skokie, Ill. Here he outlines six essential strategies for physician integration.

1. Develop a physician-hospital alignment plan. Such a plan should support the hospital’s strategic goals. The hospital needs to prepare for a new era driven by changes in reimbursements. “Reimbursements are moving from volume to value, where value is high quality and cost effectiveness,” Mr. Grube says. “To do this, you need the active participation of physicians.”

2. Ensure sufficient capital for physician initiatives. Buying physicians practices can be a very expensive strategy, even though hospitals are no longer buying the goodwill of a practice. In addition to buying the practice, hospitals are also assuming leases of the physicians’ offices. Employment agreements tend to last three years, meaning the hospital will continue losing money if the physician is not efficient. “The hospital needs to ensure there are sufficient resources to meet the needs of the community,” Mr. Grube says.

3. Use a disciplined approach to practice acquisitions. Since hospitals now typically recruit for employment, rather than trying to place an independent physician in the community, they need to make sure they won’t lose money. “Do your due diligence when buying an existing practice,” Mr. Grube says. The hospital should undertake a detailed study of the practice, looking at revenue trends, how it is managed, the quality of the staff and the IT systems it uses. “You need to understand how these factors ill impact your organization,” he says.

4. Structure effective physician compensation programs. Hospitals are moving away from salary-based compensation. The next step is providing bonus arrangements for compliance with defined protocols and working on quality, cost reduction and “good citizen” points.

5. Create effective clinical integration programs. In such programs, both the hospital and a group of physicians jointly contract with a health plan and agree to incentives that involve achieving high quality and reducing costs. “These agreements can be a stepping stone to becoming an ACO,” Mr. Grube says. The physicians can be employed or in independent practices aligned with the hospital through a physician-hospital organization.

6. Manage employed physicians to achieve goals. “Just bringing physicians into the employment model won’t accomplish anything,” Mr. Grube says. The practices can be brought together under one structure or kept separate, but the hospital needs to implement strategies for efficiency, such as using one answering service or one IT system and creating a common set of goals.

Learn more about Kaufman Hall.

Compliance Concerns Giving You the Spooks?

October 29, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

visit www.physicianfmv.com

About The Physician FMV ProgramDetermining appropriate and compliant physician fair market value (FMV) is complicated. Diverse factors like the Stark Law and inconsistent internal payment policies make it difficult to confidently approach physician compensation negotiations. Until now.

- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

- Manage access to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) data for others within your organization

- Elevated compliance through broader application of Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) payment terms and greater consistency across physician contracts

- Significant time savings – where resources can be redirected to other matters (strategy, operations, etc.)

- Immediate return on investment after just two to three uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports)

- Enhanced organizational capacity to address physician compensation, contracting and compliance

Visit: www.physicianfmv.com or contact us today for more information: 303.801.0123

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Contact Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Visit: www.PinnacleGroupHC.com & www.PhysicianFMV.com

Tags: compensation, health care consulting, Healthcare, physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, physician practice management, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, safe harbor, stark laws

Avoid Physician Fair Market Value Distress – Arm Yourself With Physician FMV and Visit The Pinnacle Group Tomorrow at HCCA’s Regional Conference in Denver, CO!

October 21, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

A friendly reminder to visit The Pinnacle Group tomorrow at HCCA’s Regional Denver Conference

HCCA’s Regional Denver Conference

October 22, 2010

Marriot Denver Tech Center

4900 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, CO

8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.

Feel free to give us a call either way with comments or questions!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Avoid Physician Fair Market Value Distress – Arm Yourself With Physician FMV:

Obtain FMV compensation rates for over 70 physician specialties for employment, call and medical directorships
Search a national database of hospital-physician relationships
Generate FMV reports online
Elevate Medicare and IRS compliance
Save time with better information
Reduce costs with enhanced knowledge

Visit: www.physicianfmv.com for more information about our services.

Tags: business valuations, compliance, health care consulting, healthcare consulting, physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, physician practice management, Pinnacle Helathcare Consulting, revenue cycle and coding audits

Reminder to Physicians: Join Us Tomorrow for This Complimentary Event! Financial Implications of Practicing Medicine in the 21st Century

October 20, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

(CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE DOCUMENT) Time: 4:30PM - 7:30PM Location: Warwick Hotel, 1776 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203

Join us tomorrow, Thursday, October 21^st for this complimentary physician specific event covering:

Networking
Financial Planning Tips
Legal-Estate Planning / Succession Planning
Business Valuation
Tax Implications
Your Questions Answered

Time: 4:30PM – 7:30PM

Location: Warwick Hotel, 1776 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203

We have assembled an expert team of advisors that understand physicians as well as the unique situations and challenges you face.

Business issues affect your Practice and personal wealth’s bottom-line. This seminar will give guidance concerning hot topics in your career and touch on important financial themes facing physicians in today’s ever-changing environment. In this seminar, we will give you the tools to advance your wealth and protect your investments.

Medical Practice Valuation- A Physical Exam of a Practice Health – Whether you are buying, selling or considering integration with a hospital system, the valuation of a medical practice is a subject that deserves your attention. Jim Connors, Director of Business Valuation for The Pinnacle Group, will discuss reasons to consider a transaction, the variety of nuances related to fair market value and creating practice value as well as the pitfalls to avoid in either buying or selling a medical practice. With 20 years of business valuation, financial and market consulting experience, Jim has assisted clients in a variety of industries and types of transactions. Jim has been recognized within the valuation community for his published articles, presentations on valuation techniques and analyses for specific sub industries and relevant, regulatory compliance issues.

Financial Planning- The Prescription for Your Personal Wealth – As your wealth grows, life doesn’t get simpler, it gets more complex. Patty DeLucas, Certified Financial Planner, TM and Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, will present a three-step approach to managing your financial investments with clarity and consistency. Her discussion will include leveraging assets and people to increase wealth as well as delineate a personalized, financial roadmap that connects money with life priorities. Patty will also cover tax efficient asset accumulation strategies, how to protect your investment portfolio against disaster, and Roth conversions as a strategy for multigenerational wealth. Patty has over 33 years of professional experience which includes ten years in the securities industry with astute investors. As an investment advisor representative, she holds a CPA license (not currently in public practice), securities registrations and insurance licenses.

Estate / Succession Planning- Preventative Care for Future Health & Wealth – Jim Miles, Esq. will discuss the impacts of estate planning on the physician group practice entity, focusing on Stark / Anti-kickback and tax compliance issues. Jim, an attorney with the Denver and Phoenix offices of Miles & Peters, has been practicing health law for over 15 years. He specializes in the representation of health care providers and professionals, emphasizing commercial transactions, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, and business planning. His clients include numerous health care providers such as physician practice groups, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, community health centers, and other health care providers. He serves as general counsel to several health care provider trade associations.

Additionally, Janine Guillen, Esq. will discuss the impacts of estate planning on a physician’s personal wealth and wealth preservation. Janine joined Davis and Associates, P.C. after 15 years in healthcare operations and administration. She concentrates her legal practice on estate planning, wealth preservation, asset protection, estate / trust settlement, business / business exit planning and medical / disability planning. She has presented at national conferences, lectured to students and families in higher education venues and has taught on a variety of topics.

Accounting – The H&P of the Medical Practice – Changes in our tax laws are one of the few constants of American life. Every change adds a new layer of complexity to an already complicated process. Physicians need to develop strategies that will allow them to take full advantage of the tax laws to reduce tax burdens. Robert Conner, a Tax Supervisor at BKD CPAs & Advisors, specializes in physician, personal, medical practice tax planning and compliance. Development of an advantageous tax strategy allows physicians to plan for their future. Since virtually every financial decision can have tax implications, careful tax planning can make a big difference in the outcome. This forward-thinking approach can help physicians grow and preserve assets, defer income, and reduce taxes on their income, estate, gifts, investments and retirement distributions.

Insurance- Coordination of Coverage For Your Business & Personal Wealth – Scott LeBauer, CLU, ChFC, a specialist in physicians’ insurance for over 21 years, will give guidance on how insurance planning can protect wealth at any career stage. His expertise includes individual life insurance for spousal / family protection, buy-sell funding, as well as accumulation planning. He is currently an associate general agent with Capitas Financial, LLC and Vice President at Prestige Brokerage, LTD. Scott has worked with physicians on insurance and accumulation planning from the early stages of practice development to associated insurance protection for the transition of a physician practice into retirement. Additionally, he has been published for insights into aspects of Long Term Care planning and the current evolution of that industry.

Feel free to give us a call either way with comments or questions!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Tags: business valuation, business valuations, health care consulting, healthcare consulting, physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, Physician Practice Acquisition, Pinnacle Healthcare, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, The Pinnacle Group

Falling Behind on Physician Fair Market Value? Vist The Pinnacle Group at VHA’s Regional Leadership Conference!

October 11, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Visit The Pinnacle Group at the Regional Leadership Conference for VHA Mountain States - “Creating a Sustainable Future: Strategies and Tactics for Success”

With Physician FMV, You Can:

Obtain FMV compensation rates for over 70 physician specialties for employment, call and medical directorships
Search a national database of hospital-physician relationships
Generate FMV reports online
Elevate Medicare and IRS compliance
Save time with better information
Reduce costs with enhanced knowledge

Visit The Pinnacle Group at the Regional Leadership Conference for VHA Mountain States – “Creating a Sustainable Future: Strategies and Tactics for Success”

The Pinnacle Group will be located at booth 804 in the Capitol Ballroom

October 12-13^th, 2010

Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

For more information about Physician FMV or VHA’s Regional Leadership Conference, please contact – (303) 801-0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Tags: physician compensation, physician fair market value, physician fmv, Pinnacle, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, Pinnacle Physician FMV Program, The Pinnacle Group

Visit The Pinnacle Group at the 22nd Annual Health Law Forum

October 7, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

A friendly reminder to visit The Pinnacle Group at TennBarU CLE for Tennessee 22^nd Annual Health Law Forum.

Tennessee Bar Association Health Law Section

22^nd Annual Health Law Forum

October 7-8, 2010

Franklin Embassy Suites – Cool Springs

Feel free to give us a call either way with comments or questions!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Fair Market Value Checklist & Risk Assessment for Physician Contracts

September 23, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

: PLEASE CLICK TWICE TO ENLARGE DOCUMENT

Now you can spot check your physician compensation arrangements and FMV assessments with Pinnacle’s specially created check list. Identify potential problem areas that may create compliance risks.

Fill out the survey to find out your risk assessment number. The lower the score, the stronger your compliance is for fair market value. If the number is on the high side, it might be time for a complete review of physician contracting methods and payment terms.

Feel free to give us a call either way with comments or questions!

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Visit The Pinnacle Group at Fraud & Compliance Forum – Sept. 26-28th

September 17, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Simplify Success in Healthcare by Visiting us at Booth #3

A Novel Idea –Physician FMV Program 2010 - “Simplify Physician Contracting”

The Pinnacle Group will be attending the Fraud & Compliance Forum (HCCA & AHLA) at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, MD – September 26 – 28th.

PRE-ENTER our drawings for a Physician FMV Program license or iPod nano!

E-mail: kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com with your name, title, organization, address and phone number for your chance to win! Be sure to visit us at Booth #3 to say hello.

Determining appropriate and compliant physician salaries is complicated.

Challenges

* Recruitment and retention

* Responding to competition and pay demands

* Medicare and IRS compliance

* Creating and effective intergration strategy

* Involving physicians in governance

Limitations

* Elevated compliance scrutiny/enforcement risk

* Inadequate compensation knowledge and reliable data

* Internal resource and budget constraints

* Many other competing demands/pressure to “get deals done”

Diverse factors like the Stark Law and inconsistent internal payment policies make it difficult to confidently approach physician compensation negotiations. Until now.

An Enlightening Service…that supports your fair market value needs in physician compensation:

The Physician FMV Program dramatically reduces the complexity of determining physician fair market value in physician arrangements. The Program helps build internal capacity and provides hospitals with more control over the contracting process. Our powerful information and proprietary tools empower hospitals to make defensible decisions about physician relationships, backed by our third party opinion.

Contact Us Today – 303.801.0123 or kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

The Pinnacle Group Welcomes New Analyst

August 30, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

The Pinnacle Group is excited to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Drew Hoffman, a recent addition to the Pinnacle Team as Analyst.

Drew will support Pinnacle’s healthcare physician compensation, valuation and appraisal divisions, with a focus on fair market value analysis of professional service arrangements. He additionally provides market research, financial analysis and business plan development.

Prior to joining Pinnacle, Drew interned at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a company known as one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage and risk management service firms that provides a full range of retail and wholesale property/casualty (P/C) brokerage and alternative risk transfer services, as well as employee benefit brokerage, consulting and actuarial services. During his time at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., he created a 401k portfolio performance benchmarking template, composed requests for proposal and insurance renewal materials and participated in a regional intern project.

In his free time, Drew enjoys participating in outdoor activities such as wake boarding and playing softball. Drew additionally enjoys attending listings on the silver screen when he is not participating in Colorado’s outdoor recreation.

Expertise

Physician compensation planning and analysis

Healthcare industry trends and policy research

Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling

Business plan development

Education

BS, Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance, (Cum Laude)

University of Colorado, Boulder

- Minor in Economics and certificate in Quantitative Finance

Visit: www.pinnaclegrouphc.com

SAVE THE DATE! Pinnacle Presents: Financial Implications of Practicing Medicine in the 21st Century

August 27, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Doctors' finances & investments need regular check ups too...

Join us Thursday, October 21st for this physician specific event covering:

Networking
Financial Planning Tips
Legal-Estate Planning / Succession Planning
Business Valuation
Tax Implications
Your Questions Answered

Doctors’ finances & investments need regular check ups too…

Business issues affect your Practice and personal wealth’s bottom-line. This seminar will give guidance and advice concerning hot topics within your career, as well as touch on important financial themes facing physicians in the ever changing environment of the 21st century.

We have assembled an expert team of advisors that understand physicians as well as the unique situations and challenges you face.

In this seminar, we will give you the tools to advance your wealth and protect your investments in the most time efficient manner possible.

The Pinnacle Group is Pleased to be Accompanied By:

BKD – CPAS & Advisors
Davis & Schilken, PC
Miles & Peters, Attorneys at Law
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

For Event or Sponsorship information please contact:

Michele Oliver
Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant
The Pinnacle Group
Phone: (303) 801-0124
molivier@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Kimberly Berkey
Marketing & Client Development
The Pinnacle Group
Phone: (303) 801-0123
kberkey@pinnaclegrouphc.com

Smart Investing in a Down Economy

August 24, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Real Estate opportunities can be CORE in helping physicians build equity and maintain control

Sometimes the best opportunities come during the worst of times. Professionals, especially those in the medical field, are taking advantage of real estate market conditions with the intentions of reaping future benefits. According to Allen Dreher, Director of CORE, LLC, it takes knowledge, understanding of the market and the skill to take full advantage of these opportunities.

When one firm walked into their landlord’s office to negotiate a new lease and subsequently discovered that a renewal would result in a significant price increase, they switched into purchase mode.

“That was the only push we needed,” said Jim Miles, attorney at Miles & Peters, as he explained that for years he had observed how his clients’ profit more from real estate than any other investment.

The timing was January of 2009, the beginning of the ‘Great Recession’, where potential buyers had opportunity to rise to the occasion of falling of interest rates. Instead of signing a new lease, the firm followed the signs of the time and set out to stake their claim in the real estate world.

Fred Simmons, currently Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Cardiovascular and Interventional Consultants, experienced a similar buying opportunity when he served as an Executive Director at a previous practice. After the real estate downturn of the late 80s, his then practice was able to secure and buy a piece of distressed property next to their parent hospital.

“We were able to pick it up when commercial real estate was in the tanks,” said Simmons. He viewed the four story building as an investment. “After four or five years, the real estate market picked up again and we sold it for a good profit.”

Though buying in a weak market was his first experience, Simmons knows what a good investment looks like; and it comes in various sizes, spaces and floors. He continues to buy throughout changing real estate trends and continues to share his knowledge with others in his profession.

“Physicians always have a concern that they are paying too much,” said Simmons in relation to leasing, especially when doctors lease from hospitals. He additionally explained that physicians have a better opportunity at gaining during any real estate period. Though commercial real estate has been hit hard, he continued, “healthcare real estate has maintained its value.”

Although buying may seem tempting, making the transition from renter to owner is a daunting task for some physicians. The Pinnacle Group, recognized mostly for its role in healthcare consulting, has recently expanded its frontier with CORE, LLC to fit the needs of physicians and other professionals looking to capitalize on owning their office space rather than rent long-term.

David White, Executive Director of Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting explained, “In an industry where so many physicians are making less money, it can be reassuring to know property ownership in a practice is a stable investment with more operational control. However, sometimes it is hard to know where to begin and how to find the right space answers to keep things moving forward and manage the budget,” said White.

While good timing can be the extra push for prospective buyers, one factor that can be overlooked-time investment. Miles said that he and his partner spent on average five to ten hours per week on research, design and build-out of their property.

Sometimes even the best laid plans can get complicated and many little items can become large without the proper remedy. Time can literally mean money when one is simultaneously managing a business and buy/building out property.

Simmons suggested that unless there is someone in the practice who is familiar with the processes, seeking professional help may be a beneficial option and that use of a consultant would help with the issues a practice may not fully understand.

Dreher is one such individual who enjoys taking the reigns and managing these real estate puzzles. CORE can be viewed as a boutique service where physicians can pick and choose the services they need. He went on to explain that CORE is one of the few services available that coordinates strong, experienced resources to assist clients achieve a successful, efficient outcome. The services assist in mapping out a turnkey solution–from planning, to site selection, licensing issues, financing and build-out.

“I think it helps immensely when you have a quarterback that can work with all of the individual players and get them to work together to find solutions when everyday problems arise,” said Dreher. To request information, please contact Allen Dreher of CORE at 303.378.5567 or email to adreher@pinnaclegrouphc.com.

Successful relocation and a future real estate investment portfolio begins with that first step, a call to someone who can assist in developing your roadmap to success. – Kimberly Berkey

William Johnson Joins The Pinnacle Group as Executive Director, Financial Operations

August 19, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

The Pinnacle Group is excited to extend a warm welcome to Mr. William D. Johnson, CPA, MBA, a recent addition to the Pinnacle Team as Executive Director of Financial Operations.

Mr. Johnson offers a wide range of healthcare experience to the Pinnacle Group that includes nearly 30 years of executive leadership. His areas of expertise include strategic healthcare initiatives with health systems and physician practices. Bill’s professional experiences include strategic planning, business development, physician recruiting, operational management of large physician practices in multiple locations, outreach development, financial operations, business/practice mergers and acquisitions, physician/hospital joint ventures, selection of practice management and electronic health systems for practices. He has additional experience in third-party contracting, physician integration strategies, physician compensation models and tax planning for strategic decisions. Within Pinnacle, Bill will provide financial and strategic direction as well as consulting on client engagements.

Prior to joining Pinnacle, Bill served 14 years as a Vice President of Finance with the HealthONE Hospital System and more recently, 15 years as a Chief Executive Officer for Western Cardiology Associates and Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates PC, (the largest cardiology group practice in the metro Denver market place). Bill was actively involved in providing strategic leadership and organizational direction for a large cardiology group practice encompassing all sub specialties in cardiology and 150 employees offering cardiac care in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. He developed and provided Board direction to three separate business entities encompassing under arrangement cardiac cath laboratories in Aurora, Denver and Durango, Colorado.

Bill’s additional experience includes time with Coopers & Lybrand Certified Public Accountants in both their Chicago and Denver offices with a focus on financial auditing and tax planning for individual and corporate clients.

Expertise

- Strategic planning and business development

- Physician/hospital relationships and joint ventures

- Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling

- Physician compensation planning and analysis

- Physician practice mergers and acquisitions

Professional Designations and Affiliations

- Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Colorado

- Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

- Member, Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants

- Member, Medical Group Management Association

Education

- MBA, with an emphasis in finance, Regis University, Denver Colorado

- BSBA in Accounting, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

A Few More Letters Added to Pinnacle’s Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant Title

August 16, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

The Pinnacle Group would like to extend its congratulations to team member Michele Olivier, Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant, for her most recent accomplishment. Michele has been awarded the Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA) credential after successfully passing the national certification examination. This certification is sponsored by the American Academy of Professional Coders (the AAPC), a nationally renowned organization offering professional accrediation, education, recognition, and networking opportunities to medical coders Utilizing a CPT, ICD-9-CM and HCPCS.

“Michele’s achievement underscores Pinnacle’s commitment to being an industry leader in providing advanced compliance support to hospitals and other health care provides. We applaud her personal efforts to earn this distinction, which will elevate the quality of our services and success of our clients,” said Dan Stech, Pinnacle’s Executive Director of Products and Innovation.

This certification continues to expand Pinnacle’s capabilities to support hospital/physician integration planning, development and ongoing monitoring. Michele currently provides consulting assistance across a range of engagements that include: periodic and targeted audits, reimbursement optimization, payer audits, practice specialization, billing process improvement, education, coding and documentation. Her expertise complements Pinnacle’s existing core services by adding a depth to the revenue cycle and further differentiates The Pinnacle Group from other valuation and compensation companies.

Upcoming Webinar – Hospital & Physician Integration- Maintaining Fair Market Value Perspective

July 7, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Hospital & Physician Integration- Maintaining Fair Market Value Perspective

Join us for a Webinar on July 20

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/607523721

Overview: With increasing pressure for hospitals to align with physicians, understanding your options, what Fair Market Value is and how it effects those options is an integral step to compliance and successful integration. This program will provide practical insights into this complicated but critical topic.

Who Should Attend: Chief Financial Officers, Compliance Officers, Healthcare Attorneys , and other Professional engaged in Physician Contracting

Title: Hospital & Physician Integration- Maintaining Fair Market Value Perspective

Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM MDT

The Pinnacle Group at HCCA Compliance Institute – Dallas 2010!

April 5, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

A Novel Idea – Pinnacle Physician FMV Program 2010 - ”Simplify Physician Contracting”

The Pinnacle Group will be attending the Health Care Compliance Association’s 14th annual Compliance Institute in Dallas, Texas – April 18th – 21st. Visit the Pinnacle Group at booth #207 to enter the drawing for a 2010 Pinnacle Physician FMV Program license, valued at $8,750.

Determining appropriate and compliant physician salaries is complicated.

Challenges

* Recruitment and retention

* Responding to competition and pay demands

* Medicare and IRS compliance

* Creating and effective intergration strategy

* Involving physicians in governance

Limitations

* Elevated compliance scrutiny/enforcement risk

* Inadequate compensation knowledge and reliable data

* Internal resource and budget constraints

* Many other competing demands/pressure to “get deals done”

Diverse factors like the Stark Law and inconsistent internal payment policies make it difficult to confidently approach physician compensation negotiations. Until now.

An Enlightening Service…that supports your fair market value needs in physician compensation:

The Pinnacle FMV Program dramatically reduces the complexity of determining physician fair market value. The Program helps you build internal capacity and provides you with more control over the contracting process with powerful information and proprietary tools to help you make defensible decisions about physician relationships. The Pinnacle FMV Program dramatically reduces the complexity of determining physician fair market value. It builds internal capacity and gives you more control over the process by providing proprietary tools and powerful information to help you make defensible decisions about physician relationships. Hospitals using the FMV Program immediately possess greater knowledge on which to base physician contracting decisions, the reliability of a proven FMV analytical methodology and improved capacity to manage and document compensation and other contractual terms.

www.physicianfmv.com

Pinnacle Top 5

March 18, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

UPMC Creates E-Health App for BlackBerry Smartphones

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center says it has created an app doctors can use to receive important patient data via their BlackBerry smartphones. In addition, the health care organization has completed a proof-of-concept of a technology platform that helps doctors and patients share information.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care-IT/UPMC-Creates-EHealth-App-for-BlackBerry-Smartphones-820733/

Standard & Poor’s Assesses Sustainability of Recovery for Not-for-Profit Healthcare Sector

Don’t let the current stabilization in the U.S. not-for-profit healthcare sector fool you. Looming financial and operational stresses may make this only a temporary rebound, according to Martin Arrick, managing director for Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services’ not-for-profit healthcare group, in a teleconference on March 2.

http://www.hfma.org/hfmanews/PermaLink,guid,da248fb2-3243-4979-befc-dbabeed309f7.aspx

Medicaid Integrity Program Promises New Headaches

If RAC audits have hospitals reaching for aspirin, then the MIP may just land them in intensive care.

It may have been flying under the radar for the past four years, but the Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP) is about to become healthcare providers’ latest challenge, with more dollars at stake and more provider types at risk.

http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/030310p10.shtml

Wave of U.S. Physicians Planning to Adopt Electronic Medical Records, Accenture Report Finds

RESTON, Va.; March 2, 2010 – Fifty-eight percent of U.S. physicians who don’t use electronic medical records (EMRs) intend to purchase an EMR system within the next two years, according to a new report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/press-releases/wave-u-s-physicians-planning-adopt-electronic-medical-records-accenture-report-finds

AMA: Protect Physician Identify to Limit Fraud

Health care fraud could be reigned in if more attention was paid to protecting physicians from it rather than investigating them for it. That was the general message the American Medical Association (AMA) relayed to government officials at a “National Summit on Health Care Fraud” on Jan. 28.

http://news.aapc.com/index.php/2010/02/ama-protect-physician-identify-to-limit-fraud/

Pinnacle Top 5

February 18, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Stay informed with what The Pinnacle Group is reading in relation to current events and topics within the healthcare industry.

Health Care simplified: Part 1

Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how your care may change and how much you’ll pay if the current health care bill is approved.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/02/08/gupta.health.care.panel.part1.cnn

Online Disclosure of Physician/Industry Relationships

The Cleveland Clinic and some of its leading physicians have been criticized for their financial associations with industry and the limited disclosure of these relationships to patients and the public. In response, the medical center has strengthened its policies and oversight with regard to conflicts of interest and required that all industry relationships be submitted for approval. Since December 2008, it has also disclosed on its Web site (www.clevelandclinic.org) some of the industry ties of its 2000 physicians and researchers and their immediate families.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/4/325

Can Health Care Come With a Warranty?

In the policy journal Health Affairs, Francois de Brantes, a nationally known advocate of health care quality, and his co-authors propose a new health care reimbursement model that comes with a warranty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/health/25chen.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1

Hospital Strategies for Effective Performance Management – An HFMA Educational Report

Optimally managing costs and clinical quality depends on understanding and managing a hospital’s performance drivers. By creating the right organizational structure and processes for accessing and reporting data, hospital leadership can more effectively manage the organization’s resources and improve performance.

http://www.hfma.org/library/accounting/400681_Hospital_Performance_Management.htm

How healthy is the county you live in?

Americans can now go online and find out how the county they live in ranks in terms of health outcomes and health factors. This is all part of the report that ranks the overall health of all 50 states, from healthiest to least healthy, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They’re calling this report, “the first annual checkup for every county in the nation.”

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/17/how-healthy-is-the-county-you-live-in/

Health care reform and you

CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, answers viewer questions on the health care reform bill.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/02/08/gupta.health.care.panel.part1.cnn

New this year! Revenue Cycle and Coding Consulting

February 12, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Michele Olivier, CPC

The Pinnacle Group’s services continue to expand in response to industry changes as well as the needs of our clients. We are excited to welcome the newest member of the Pinnacle team, Michele Olivier, in her role as Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant for 2010.

For the past ten years, revenue cycle management and coding have been Michele’s professional focus. Her expertise in these areas complements Pinnacle’s existing core services of physician compensation, business valuations and hospital and physician integration by adding depth to revenue cycle reviews. This unique perspective offers clients additional value, which further differentiates Pinnacle from other compensation companies.

In addition, Michele will be offering services which include:

- Addressing and improving challenges with documentation
- Performing billing and compensation audits (evaluation and management coding service, revenue cycle optimization, Stark investigations, etc.)
- Solving difficult reimbursement issues
- Creating more efficient processes within billing office operations
- Identifying coding trends and educating providers
- Supporting business office development and efficiency

Michele began her career with The Pinnacle Group as Billing Manager in August 2007, where she oversaw a staff of coders, billers, payment posters and data entry personnel. In that role, Michele managed billing operations for diverse specialties that ranged from primary care and OBGYN to bariatric and cardiovascular surgery. Her leadership in building and maintaining strong client relationships, providing advanced billing solutions and working diligently with the billing team to ensure that efficiency and profitability was delivered to each
client created the ideal bridge to join Pinnacle as a Coding Consultant in 2010.

Prior to joining Pinnacle, Michele gained valuable experience in a variety of companies. In previous roles, she held practice management positions, assisted with accounts receivable, human resources, payroll, hospital and insurance credentialing, Colorado state licensing, new hire orientation and personnel training. Additionally she implemented training and compliance for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) programs as well as served in managerial roles regarding patient billing and collections for both Medicare and private insurance companies.

Expertise
- Medical Billing and Collection
- Correct Coding and Compliance
- Fee Schedules
- Credentialing
- Contracting
- Practice Management Systems and EMR

Professional Designations and Affiliations
- American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
- Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

Applications Knowledge
- Ingenix CareTracker
- Misys Tiger
- Lytec/ Eclipse/ Medical Manager

The Pinnacle Group Co-sponsors with Husch Blackwell Sanders in Weathering the Storm: Critical Legal & Operational Issues Shaping Healthcare in 2010 (3/04/2010)

February 1, 2010 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Weathering the Storm:

Critical Legal & Operational Issues

Shaping Healthcare in 2010

The Pinnacle Group is proud to join together with Husch Blackwell Sanders and invite you to our 2010 healthcare forecast, where you can learn how your organization can successfully ride out the storm.

Date & Time
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Noon Registration and Lunch
1-5 pm Program
5-7pm Reception

Locations:
Seminar
Warwick Denver Hotel
1776 Grant Street
Denver, CO 80203
303-861-2000

Reception following program:
Husch Blackwell Sanders office
One block west of Warwick hotel
1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4700
Denver, CO 80203

RSVP
Please register by Thursday, February 25 by visiting the website www.huschblackwell.com/denverhealthcare. Select your breakout sessions and indicate if you will join us for the reception. For questions contact Shana How at 816.983.8809 or email shana.hoy@huschblackwell.com.

CLE Credit
Colorado CLE credit is pending

Topics

Trends in Hospital Physician Integration

A Former Federal Prosecutor’s Views on Healthcare Enforcement Trends for 2010

Breakout Session I:
- Preparing for and Responding to RAC & MIC Audits
- Medical Staff Landmines: Disruptive Physicians

Breakout Session II:
- Maintaining FMV Perspective in Physician Contracting
- Healthcare Quality Initiatives: The Next Big Thing

Event co-sponsored by The Pinnacle Group

Tags: Events

Introducing Physician FMV Online for 2010

December 28, 2009 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

: (click on picture once to select and twice to enlarge)

: Real Time Access to FMV Data Backed by Pinnacle’s Opinion of FMV (for illustration only – not for use)

Detailed Data on: Compensation for Employed Physicians (for illustration only – not for use)

Detailed Data on: Medical Director Hourly Rates (for illustration only – not for use)

Detailed Data on: Daily Call Payments (for illustration only – not for use)

Drill Down to the Data You Need & Generate FMV Reports on the Fly (for illustration only – not for use)

The Pinnacle Physician FMV Program 2010 Overview

We are proud to celebrate the Pinnacle Physician FMV Program’s fourth year and would like to thank you for your support and feedback as we continue to improve our analytical tools and data robustness. Over one hundred hospitals nationally have found that the Pinnacle Physician FMV Program empowers them to make smart and supportable decisions with regard to physician compensation fair market value matters.

For 2010, we are excited to introduce Physician FMV Online. Our new online application offers the workbooks in a more user-friendly format along with the ability to generate custom opinion letters on the fly, data backed by Pinnacle’s FMV opinion as well as includes detailed data on compensation for employed physicians, medical director hourly rates and daily call payments. This new feature allows you to drill down the data you need, keep track of physician relationships and access the FMV Network data to conduct your own research.

Program benefits:

The Program generally pays for itself in two uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports).

The Program saves significant time—where energy can be redirected to more pressing matters (strategy, operations, etc.). Based on our participants’ experience, the program successfully supports:
80+ % Medical Directorship Agreements
60+ % Employment Arrangements
40+ % Physician Call / Availability Payment Arrangements
Participant return on investment (ROI) of over 300% to 500%

As a benefit of Program participation, hospitals are given access to market comparable data on physician arrangements at other participating hospitals. This information is continually updated.
In addition to the efficiency and savings, the Program creates consistency across physician contracts and promotes Medicare/IRS compliance.
Use of the Program payment ranges is backed by an objective and proven third-party methodology.
The Program increases the organizational capacity and sensitivity for identifying and solving physician compensation challenges.

To schedule a demo, contact Kimberly Berkey: (p) 303.801.0123 or kberkey@medbizz.com

A Few New Changes for Pinnacle

September 24, 2009 pinnaclehealthcare Leave a comment

Hello,

Thank you for taking a moment to read our blog. Coming soon, the Pinnacle Team will be using this blog to provide you with relevant information related to various aspects the healthcare industry. The Pinnacle Group provides a range of strategic, financial and operational services to help hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare organizations improve their clinical and business performance. Pinnacle Healthcare services seek to simplify success in healthcare. By building relationships and championing innovation, we have created a dynamic set of services backed by a powerful team to help you solve the most complex challenges. With our new blog, we hope to pass on useful information to keep you current on the happenings in healthcare.

Thank you for your time and please visit again soon!

The Pinnacle Team

Simplifying the Business of Healthcare

A Note From Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting’s Business Valuation Team

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

Valuation & Financial Services

Strategic & Operational Services

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Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute

February 8-9, 2012 Loews Portofino Bay Hotel Orlando, FL HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.

Program Description

Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute

February 9-10, 2012 Loews Portofino Bay Hotel Orlando, FL HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.

Program Description

Practice Group Luncheons

Program Materials

CLE Information

Hotel Information

Travel Information

About Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting

About The Physician FMV Program

- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

- Manage access to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) data for others within your organization

- Elevated compliance through broader application of Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) payment terms and greater consistency across physician contracts

- Significant time savings – where resources can be redirected to other matters (strategy, operations, etc.)

- Immediate return on investment after just two to three uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports)

- Enhanced organizational capacity to address physician compensation, contracting and compliance

Visit: www.physicianfmv.com or contact us today for more information: 303.801.0123

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Pinnacle’s Pick: Husch Blackwell Legal Alert: Missouri Medicaid Proposes Its Provider-Preventable Conditions Policy – January 12, 2012, Contributing Authors: Robert L. Hess II

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* Content directly quoted from Becker’s Hospital Review – Business & Legal Issues for Health System Leadership To view the direct link, please visit Becker’s Hospital Review. Written by Molly Gamble | January 03, 2012 and directly quoted from Becker’s Hospital Review.

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Season’s Greetings From

Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting!

From all of us at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, At this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. In lieu of gifts, a donation will be made to United Way and Urban Peak. Thank you for your continued support and best wishes in 2012!

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“I’ve been in hospital administration for 30 years. I could have used this program for the last 25.”

- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

- Manage access to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) data for others within your organization

- Elevated compliance through broader application of Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) payment terms and greater consistency across physician contracts

- Significant time savings – where resources can be redirected to other matters (strategy, operations, etc.)

- Immediate return on investment after just two to three uses (i.e., avoiding fees for focused consulting reports)

- Enhanced organizational capacity to address physician compensation, contracting and compliance

To learn more about the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program visit: www.physicianfmv.com or contact us today for more information: 303.801.0123

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Program Speakers

Program Details

About Our Speakers

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From all of us at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting.

At this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible.

Share this:

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- Access Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Data anywhere there’s an Internet connection

- Generate tailored Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Reports for individual physician relationships

- Track all physician arrangements and payment terms

- Research hospital-physician relationships around the country

February 8-9, 2012
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Orlando, FL
HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.

February 9-10, 2012
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Orlando, FL
HORNE LLP has provided sponsorship in support of this program.