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Ken Beasley, OrthoMemphis

Successful practice management depends on multiple factors, but none perhaps is more important than the leadership that forms the backbone of a practice vision and goals.

At two of Memphis' practices, OrthoMemphis and The West Clinic, executive management find themselves in increasingly challenging environments that are continually changing.

CEO Ken Beasley took the OrthoMemphis helm approximately 18 months ago and he is now overseeing the group on a day-to-day basis under the direction of the board.

Beasley, who was previously CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital, is no stranger to the group, having worked with OrthoMemphis in a consulting capacity for the last seven years.

"The group knew they wanted a senior executive, but wanted to ease into it," said Beasley. Realizing the time had come when the group needed a full-time, on-site executive, the practice spent several months negotiating Beasley's contract before he was finally hired.

"We knew that we wanted an executive to lead on a day-to-day basis," said Beasley.

Even when a practice recognizes the need for strong, experienced leaders, finding those leaders is not always easy.

"Most administrators just don't have the level of experience needed. There are few of us out there with master's-level education and experience," said Beasley. The West Clinic has been managed for the past five years by CEO Steve Coplon, who also has an extensive background in healthcare administration. Coplon believes that the role of senior administrators is changing.

"We act more as change agents and have to think ahead and anticipate change," he explained.

Coplon said that with each overlay of responsibility, the practice is challenged even further. While larger practices may have effective physician/administrative teams that work well together, smaller practices may struggle to manage daily operations.

"With the demands of such things like HIPAA and reimbursements, it is just one more thing that a practice has to manage," he said.

The effect is that consolidating small practices may be beneficial.

"It would be a good thing for Memphis if more primary care groups could function together like specialty groups," said Coplon.

Beasley believes that answering key questions proved essential from the start. "One of the things that we've done well is to answer basic questions such as, 'What do we want to be known for and what's expected of us from everyone involved including patients, physicians and employers?'" said Beasley.

From the outset, the executive management team at OrthoMemphis spent time on a strategic, focused planning process that involved physicians and senior management and involved plans as far as 24 months down the road. Beasley said the practice also conducts a fair amount of operational benchmarking to measure how well the practice is doing.

"We pull data together and compare it to national data," said Beasley.

When asked if he believes his work has a greater impact now as opposed to working as a consultant, Beasley didn't hesitate to reply, "No question about that. Now I can accomplish things more efficiently because of my role."

The message is the same over at The West Clinic. Coplon explained that The West Clinic's philosophy remains focused and simple.

"From our perspective, we believe that we don't have to be the biggest, but we must be the best," he said.

Coplon believes that senior executives in practice settings are spending an increasing amount of time managing change amidst an increasingly complex healthcare environment. With federal reimbursements focused on decreasing coverage, practices like The West Clinic spend time and resources ensuring that patient care remains the highest quality possible.

"We meet with physicians and review several hundred care plans, analyzing clinical trials and data. With cancer treatment, you're talking about a long experience, so we make sure that all services are available," said Coplon.

OrthoMemphis has implemented additional concrete measurements to gauge quality. The practice has a dedicated marketing director who helps determine what the practice is doing right and where improvement is needed.

"One thing we do, which is pretty standard in the retail industry, is that we have mystery shoppers who visit the practice," explained Beasley, who added that OrthoMemphis has instituted a formal feedback process similar to those established in hospital settings that are designed to capture patient comments.

Equally important, according to Beasley, is recognizing and rewarding staff.

"Our staff not only receives a base compensation, but also receives an annual bonus based on how the practice performs throughout the year," he said.

Technology is another key to successful practice management.

"Our physicians have been extremely supportive and have partnered with management," said Beasley. "We have automated medical records to the point that it's hard to find a piece of paper. If a patient interacts with the office, all the information is captured electronically.

OrthoMemphis has instituted digital X-rays, which has led to shorter waiting times. Beasley understands that one of the greatest measurements of practice efficiency from a patient's perspective is the length of time spent in the office.

"I don't want to wait, so why should we expect someone else to wait?" asked Beasley.

The practice has also recently installed a sophisticated telephone system that focuses on limiting the endless string of options and directing a caller to a person as quickly as possible.

"This is important because the phone system is the second most criticized area of physician practice," explained Beasley. "We also have a standard on returning calls within a specific amount of time."

Above all else, Beasley believes it is important to remember that patients always have choices.

"We know that they have a choice as to who they choose," he said. "We appreciate them choosing us. It's through training and awareness that we succeed."

At OrthoMemphis, Beasley believes that senior management and physicians have established a fair working arrangement that allows each to fully operate. Beasley added, with a laugh, "We tell our physicians that we'll stay out of the operating room if they'll stay out of the operations."

Practices like The West Clinic also have to manage change among growing patient numbers.

"We had over 100,000 patient visits last year and approximately 500,000 phone calls," noted Coplon.

Moving into 2007, Coplon predicts further growth and change in specialty services at The West Clinic.

"We have 15 specific quality initiatives underway that include work on both national and international levels," he said.

Coplon added that practice leaders need to be increasingly competent at all levels, especially in those eight competency areas outlined by the Medical Group Management Association.





January 2007

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