MEMA’s “PHYSICIAN PRACTICE FOCUSED” CONSULTING MODEL

IN-HOUSE BUSINESS CONSULTANT

MEMA functions as an in-house business consultant to a physician’s practice.  Our role is to address organizational, analytical and financial issues within the medical practice–  which require higher level business analysis & management skills.  These skills are not, typically, within the competence level of the administrative and support staff of the medical practice– nor able to be provided by the practice’s attorney and/or accountant in a timely and effective manner, on demand.

HIGH LEVEL CONSULTING SKILLS & TIMELINESS IN SOLVING THE KEY PROBLEM(S)

The application of these higher level skills is necessary to quickly identify, diagnose and correct long-standing and/or emerging financial and operational problems.  MEMA’s consultants are knowledgeable of the private practice setting and are able to successfully navigate within the medical office’s organizational and cultural environment.  Once the under-performing function or process with the physician’s practice is identified, we are able to quickly focus on the key deficiency(ies) and identify what additional information we will need, where we expect to find it and then begin our process of collecting and analyzing that information as vital components of our solution seeking process.

FAMILIARITY WITH PHYSICIAN OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND WORKFLOW FROM A SYSTEM AND BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE

In addition, MEMA is experienced in the use of numerous patient accounting and Electronic Health Record (EHR) software programs used in medical offices, regardless of the vendor.   Consequently, we know where to look and who to ask among those personnel within the practice who regularly use the existing management information systems to begin our evaluation and problem solving tasks and duties.  MEMA also identifies and interacts with the occupants of the key clinical and clerical positions involved in processing information and executing tasks that are related to the under-performing function or process.  This provides us insight regarding the clarity of understanding, by the key positions, of the process and workflow for which they are responsible.  We evaluate the ability of these key positions to correctly and consistently fulfill their duties in processing and communicating the information that is vital to the under-performing process / function under our review.   As a result, we are able to effectuate the recommended behavioral, work process and information management changes necessary for identifiable and sustainable improvement in how the medical practice operates and performs.

PROBLEM-FOCUSED “INTAKE INTERVIEW”

If and when MEMA’S advice and possible intervention is sought by a practicing physician, we follow a systematic  process to gather the initial information we require in order to define the problem(s), recommend a course of action and outline the solution(s) we would expect — pending our involvement.  That process is carried out after an initial “intake” interview with the physician and those members of his/her office staff he/she chooses to include.

WRITTEN SUMMARY & PROPOSAL

Following the “intake” interview, MEMA prepares a written summary of our findings, assessment and recommendation.  This summary is in the form of a consulting proposal which includes a detailed scope of responsibility, the definition of the services we would provide, the duration of our involvement and the fee for our consulting services.  In addition, we will be able to provide a clear and concise description of the changes we would recommend and implement, resulting in the improvements which the practice can expect upon the conclusion of our consulting services.

A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: CREATING NEW, RE-PRODUCEABLE STANDARDIZED REPORTS

MEMA is often called upon to develop and standardize reports which are currently not produced within the practice’s management information system (i.e. patient accounting & billing software and/or Electronic Health Record software) due to limitations with these software programs.  We are able, in most instances, to identify the information that is being sought and devise a way to extract and reformat that information in an MS Excel Pivot Table.  In addition we create a written document of our data extraction and re-formatting process for training of and delegation to designated in-house employees.  This provides for the MS Excel Pivot Table Report, which we have created, to be re-produced correctly, cost-effectively within the practice, on a regular basis, without requiring MEMA’s assistance and ongoing involvement.