Seminars

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. The Baylor Experience: How one healthcare system jumped ahead of the curve to lead innovation and change

Objectives:

• Explain how Baylor combined physicians, management, and its board to forge a unified and collaborative approach to economic and clinical pressures
• Illustrate how today's economic forces require a new kind of leadership and collaboration that will forever alter the way we lead and govern
• Identify the solutions that Baylor implemented that may be applied to healthcare organizations large and small

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Case #1: The ED Call Conundrum as a Symptom of Mal-alignment

There are a growing number of specialty groups that have 'had it' with call. The opportunity cost for busy specialists is simply too great in light of rapidly declining reimbursement and climbing overhead costs. They have come to medical staff and management stating that unless the hospital pays them for call and soon, they will take all their business elsewhere as your competitor has graciously offered to pay each of them $1,000/night for call coverage. Other clinicians are watching the specialists with interest, as there is a growing feeling that nobody should have to take call without some form of financial support, given today's continually falling reimbursement. Management and the board are concerned that this is a very slippery slope that will end up costing additional money that the organization does not have, and that it will only make the specialists even more miserable as their reimbursement continues to fall. The medical staff is fearful of losing important clinical specialties that provide critical backup and consultative support, and the board is fearful that essential services will be unavailable to the community if the specialties leave.

Questions:

• Will paying for call be a reasonable short-term "fix" or will it make the problem worse in the long term?
• Are there approaches that would benefit the medical staff, management, and the board in the short and long term?
• Is there a long-term solution that will end the existence of "call coverage" as a stand-alone problem to solve?

Objectives:

• Explain why "ED call" issues are a symptom of a lack of alignment between physicians and the hospital
• Describe how organizations throughout the country are working to address ED call coverage dilemmas in a way that balances physician, hospital, and patient needs
• Summarize how to craft alignment strategies that include call coverage, while addressing larger issues

10:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Case #1 (continued): The ED Call Conundrum as a Symptom of Mal-alignment

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Case #2: Models for Integration and Alignment: Which ones are right for you?

Community Hospital is interested in exploring various integration and alignment models, as it believes in the mandate to improve quality and cut costs for its community. It is exploring various options, such as creating an accountable care organization, medical home, physician-hospital group, employment model, bundled payment model, and integrated healthcare network, to name a few.

Community Hospital is a medium-sized hospital with 400 beds, has an average operating margin of 4% out of a total operating budget of $600,000,000, and a mixed population with 35% Medicare, 15% Medicaid, 35% commercial carriers, and 15% self-pay with a population draw of approximately 250,000. Bad debt increased to 9% last year and its days in accounts receivable climbed from 55 to 65 days, costing the organization approximately $5,000,000 in lost cash flow. It has a medical staff of 800 physicians with 40% split-admitters and a great deal of competition with its rival, Cross-Town Hospital, which has been enticing Community Hospital's specialty groups with generous offers to sign co-management agreements.

The medical staff, management, and board are torn because they realize that the hospital must integrate and align with its physicians in some meaningful way, yet they don't want to place the organization at risk if they choose a model that will not be financially/clinically successful or will alienate members of the medical staff and provide them with more appealing options from Community Hospital's competitors. They need to make a decision soon.

Questions:

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these models and what are the key factors that should be taken into consideration when making such a difficult and strategic decision?
• How can physicians, management, and the board work together to make this important decision, taking into account the needs of the medical staff, financial/clinical targets, and the needs of the community?

Objectives:

• Identify the range of engagement and alignment strategies that are available for consideration
• Indicate why some engagement and alignment strategies may not be right for your organization, and why
• Analyze why the choice of alignment strategy requires physician, management, and board input and discussion

2:30 a.m.–2:45 a.m. Break

2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Case #2 (continued): Models for Integration and Alignment: Which ones are right for you?

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

Agenda subject to change

• Explain how Baylor combined physicians, management, and its board to forge a unified and collaborative approach to economic and clinical pressures
• Illustrate how today's economic forces require a new kind of leadership and collaboration that will forever alter the way we lead and govern
• Identify the solutions that Baylor implemented that may be applied to healthcare organizations large and small
• Explain why "ED on call" issues are a symptom of a lack of alignment between physicians and the hospital
• Describe how organizations throughout the country are working to address ED on call in a way that balances physician, hospital, and patient needs
• Summarize how to craft alignment strategies that include call coverage, while addressing larger issues
• Identify the range of engagement and alignment strategies that are available for consideration
• Indicate why some engagement and alignment strategies may not be right for your organization, and why
• Analyze why the choice of alignment strategy requires physician, management, and board input and discussion

Who Should Attend:
Physician, management, and board leaders who want to achieve an integrated, aligned, and high-performing healthcare organization

Carl Couch, MD, MMM, FAAFP

Dr. Couch currently serves as the president of Baylor Quality Health Care Alliance, a clinically integrated network of physicians and hospitals aligned with Baylor Health Care System. Prior to this, he served as vice president of health care improvement of Baylor Health Care System from 2010-11.

Dr. Couch was the founding director and 13-year chairman of the Board of Health Texas Provider Network, an organization of 600 physicians employed by the Baylor Health Care System. He was also founder of Family Medical Center at Garland, Texas, where he was an active family physician for 39 years.

Dr. Couch was founder and executive director of ABC Baylor, the Baylor Health Care System's 5-day course on clinical quality improvement, which has graduated over 1,000 physician, nursing, and administrative leaders in the past six years. He was also co-chairman of Best Care Committee and director of physician champions with Baylor Health Care System.

Dr. Couch's interests include physician group dynamics, group practice organization and function, physician compensation, quality improvement, and medical informatics. He has also done extensive work in redesigning the clinical delivery model to reduce "hassles", improve quality, and work with the DFW community of payors, providers, and purchasers to simplify the complexity of care delivery, including development of an Accountable Care Organization in Baylor.

 Dr. Couch is a board certified Family Physician and an AOA graduate of the University of Florida medical school.  He completed his clinical training at Parkland hospital in Dallas, and holds a Masters in Medical Management from Tulane University in New Orleans

Richard A. Sheff, MD

Richard A. Sheff, MD, is principal and chief medical officer with The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc., in Danvers, MA. He brings more than 25 years of healthcare management and leadership experience to his work with physicians, hospitals, and healthcare systems across the country. With his distinctive combination of medical, healthcare, and management acumen, Dr. Sheff develops tailored solutions to the unique needs of physicians and hospitals. He consults, authors, and presents on a wide range of healthcare management and leadership issues, including governance, physician-hospital alignment, medical staff leadership development, ED call, peer review, hospital performance improvement, disruptive physician management, conflict resolution, physician employment and contracting, health care systems, service line management, hospitalist program optimization, patient safety and error reduction, credentialing, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and helping physicians rediscover the joy of medicine.

Speakers subject to change.

American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
HCPro, Inc., is authorized to award 6.5 hours of pre-approved Category II (non-ACHE) continuing education credit for this program toward advancement, or recertification in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Participants in this program wishing to have the continuing education hours applied toward Category II credit should indicate their attendance when submitting application to the American College of Healthcare Executives for advancement or recertification.

Continuing Medical Education (CME)
HCPro, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

HCPro, Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
This activity has been approved by the National Association of Healthcare Quality for 6.5 CPHQ CE credits.

National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS)
This program has been approved by the National Association Medical Staff Services for 7.5 continuing education unit(s). Accreditation of this educational program in no way implies endorsement or sponsorship by NAMSS.

The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
160 East Pearson Street at Water Tower Place | Chicago, IL 60611
312/266-1000
Online Hotel Reservations
Reservations: 312/266-1000

Discounted Room Rate (deadline: May 15, 2012): $295 per night

For the discounted room rate, reservations must be made by the hotel cutoff date. Be sure to mention Greeley to receive the discounted room rate or type in promo code HC0605 if booking online. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis and often sell out before the cutoff date. Make your hotel reservations immediately to guarantee rate and availability.

Set atop Water Tower Place, high above prestigious North Michigan Avenue, and featuring exquisite décor and intuitive service, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago offers a setting of unmistakable grandeur, ideal for business or for leisure.

1. Cancellations received by HCPro, Inc. 30 days or more prior to the seminar are eligible for a credit or refund, less a $250 cancellation fee. The credit will be valid for up to 6 months from date of cancellation.
2. Cancellations made 30 to 10 days prior to the seminar date(s) are not eligible for refunds but are eligible for payment transfer (credit) to another HCPro, Inc. seminar, less a $250 cancellation fee. The credit will be valid for up to 6 months from date of cancellation.
3. Participant(s) who cancel less than 10 days prior to the seminar date(s) will be considered as "no shows" and will not be eligible for refunds/credits.

This policy is subject to change.

Exhibits and sponsorships are the most direct and cost-effective way to make your products and services visible to the people who matter most—those with buying power. For information about exhibit and sponsorship opportunities for any HCPro seminar or conference, call 877/233-8828 or email info@hcpro.com.