2019 brought many changes that reshaped the strategies and operations of medical practices across the country.

<p>
  <em
    >A look ahead with Jodi Faustlin, Chief Executive Office for the Center for
    Primary Care.</em
  >
</p>

<p>
  2019 brought many changes that reshaped the strategies and operations of
  medical practices across the country. The healthcare industry saw a strong
  shift toward employed physician models, a rise in competition to recruit
  talented physicians, an increased reliance on advanced practice providers and
  a sharp spike in both turnover and burnout for providers. The fast pace of
  change over the last year is now set to continue into the next decade as
  medical groups and physician leaders prepare for the next round of changes.
</p>

<p>
  For Jodi Faustlin, Chief Executive Officer for the Center for Primary Care, a
  family and internal medicine network in Martinez, Ga., the changes in 2019
  brought the opportunity to evolve and grow. &ldquo;My organization began to
  seriously explore the ability to control the total cost of care while
  improving outcomes, utilizing the FTC definition of a Clinically Integrated
  Network,&rdquo; said Ms. Faustlin. &ldquo;We are continually assessing our
  strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to improve outcomes
  and reduce costs, listening to and learning from our patients, as well as the
  experiences of organizations that have met the FTC definition of a clinically
  integrated network as our roadmap.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
  In 2020, group practice leaders like Ms. Faustlin are focused on capitalizing
  on new opportunities and putting strategies in place to weather the storms
  already on the horizon. The most pressing issues going into the new year:
</p>

<h2>Patient Outcomes.</h2>

<p>
  As the healthcare industry becomes more transparent, the focus on patient
  outcomes continues.The questions now is, who is responsible for those outcomes
  and how the data should be tracked.
</p>

<p>
  &ldquo;The current trend is to hold healthcare providers accountable for
  patient outcomes, yet healthcare providers aren&#39;t able to control the
  actions and choices of the patients,&rdquo; said Ms. Faustlin. &ldquo;The
  system has implemented cost sharing through initiatives such as high
  deductible health insurance plans, higher premiums for smokers and incentives
  for improving health risk assessments to employees. However,
  maintainable reductions in expenditures and significantly improved health
  outcomes are yet to be seen.&rdquo;
</p>

<h2>Employment Models.</h2>

<p>
  In today&rsquo;s medical groups, more physicians are currently employees than
  owners, according to the American Medical Association. Nearly 50 percent of
  practicing physicians were employed in 2019, the highest mark in history. That
  number is expected to climb in 2020, with nine out of 10 medical residents
  preferring to join an organization with an employment model. In order to
  recruit and retain top talent, medical groups and health systems are
  identifying ways to create employment and partnership models that meet the
  needs of providers and patients.
</p>

<h2>Volume to Value.</h2>

<p>
  The industry move towards value-based care continues. To meet changing needs
  and expectations, organizations are looking for ways to meet the needs of
  their patient populations, to better provide communication regarding care, and
  to serve as true support systems in the community.
</p>

<p>
  &ldquo;To be best prepared for 2020, my organization will focus on improving
  customer service, both internally as co-workers serving each other, and to our
  external customers, whether that be our patients and their families, our
  vendors, or our healthcare partners in the community,&rdquo; said Ms.
  Faustlin.
</p>

<h2>Increased Competition.</h2>

<p>
  As patients demand greater access to information and simpler ways to navigate
  their own care, the healthcare industry continues to become more competitive.
  In addition to competition from other medical groups and health systems,
  traditional providers are seeing increasing competition from newer players in
  urgent care centers and retail clinics. To stay ahead of the curve, successful
  medical groups are streamlining their scheduling and follow-up processes,
  creating scheduling options that support patients and adopting processes that
  simplify paperwork and billing.
</p>

<p>
  Thank you to Jodi Faustlin for taking the time to share her insights. Cejka
  Search is proud to have partnered with the Center for Primary Care in the
  national search in which Ms. Faustlin was engaged for her Chief Executive
  Officer role in 2019.
</p>

<p>
  As you prepare your operations, your team and your strategic plan for the new
  year, it is important to stay ahead of the trends and challenges facing the
  healthcare industry. The leaders at Cejka Search have expertise to support
  your goals and guide your team toward a successful 2020 and beyond. Click here
  to connect.<br />  
</p>


Physician Group Leadership 2020