Operations Planning for Group Medical Practice Paper

Physician’s Practice Management

Assignment 2: Operations Planning for a Group Medical Practice

Imagine that a group of physicians who are planning to open a single-specialty group practice has hired you as a consultant. Your job is to advise the physicians in creating a business plan that includes management strategies that will help ensure their success. The physicians have stipulated that the plan must promote medical excellence and limit their exposure to risks associated with the practice of medicine and the operational functions of the practice. In addition, they are aware that a public health emergency or natural disaster could have had a significant impact on their practice, and want to include a strategy for emergency preparedness as part of their plan so that they will be able to manage their patients and help serve the community as needed.

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you: (Title page and reference page not included in total pages)

  • Compare and contrast the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Next, analyze the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.
  • Recommend a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Support your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.
  • According to the text (page 368), some of the main areas of risk exposure for a group practice include: property (general liability and safety), technology, and financial practices. Determine one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories and propose a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Support your analysis with a real-life example.
  • Determine the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Next, suggest a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Provide a rationale for your response.
  • Use at least three (3) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource.
  • Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
    • Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
    • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
    • Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Evaluate the role of physicians as practice administrators and determine the administrative challenges facing today’s practice managers.
  • Examine ways in which health service administrators can help physicians prepare for disasters and facilitate recovery.
  • Apply benchmarking techniques for financial and operational efficiency.
  • Examine the legal and risk management issues affecting today’s physician practices.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in physician’s practice management.
  • Write clearly and concisely about physician’s practice management using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Assignment 2: Operations Planning for a Group Medical Practice

Criteria

Unacceptable

Below 70% F

Fair

70-79% C

Proficient

80-89% B

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. Compare and contrast the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Next, analyze the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.

Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.

Partially compared and contrasted the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Partially analyzed the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.

Satisfactorily compared and contrasted the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Satisfactorily analyzed the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.

Thoroughly compared and contrasted the two (2) main levels (i.e., internal comparison and external comparison) of financial benchmarking. Thoroughly analyzed the strategic purpose of each level of benchmarking and specify the overall importance of benchmarking as a financial planning tool for a medical practice.

2. Recommend a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Support your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.
Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely recommended a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Did not submit or incompletely supported your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.

Partially recommended a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Partiallysupported your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.

Satisfactorily recommended a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Satisfactorilysupported your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.

Thoroughly recommended a Health Information Technology (HIT) system that includes an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the new practice to implement. Thoroughly supported your recommendation by determining three (3) main benefits of having this type of system for the practice.

3. According to the text (page 368), some of the main areas of risk exposure for a group practice include: property (general liability and safety), technology, and financial practices. Determine one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories and propose a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Support your analysis with a real-life example.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely determined one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories; did not submit or incompletely proposed a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Did not submit or incompletely supported your analysis with a real-life example.

Partially determined one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories; partially proposed a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Partially supported your analysis with a real- life example.

Satisfactorily determined one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories; satisfactorily proposed a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Satisfactorily supported your analysis with a real- life example.

Thoroughly determined one (1) specific hazard associated with one (1) of these risk categories; thoroughly proposed a strategy to mitigate the impact this risk could have on the practice. Thoroughly supported your analysis with a real- life example.

4. Determine the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Next, suggest a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Provide a rationale for your response.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely determined the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Did not submit or incompletely suggested a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response.

Partially determined the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Partially suggested a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Partially provided a rationale for your response.

Satisfactorily determined the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Satisfactorily suggested a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response.

Thoroughly determined the main functions of the practice that will need to remain operational before, during, and / or after a natural disaster or public health emergency. Thoroughly suggested a strategy that the practice should take to maintain communication with employees and patients, secure patient and financial records, and ensure that resources will available to care for patients during a disaster or emergency. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response.

5. 3 references

Weight: 5%

No references provided.

Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

6. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting

Weight: 5%

Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

7. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and reference

Weight: 5%

Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.

In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.

Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.

In-text citations and references are error free or almost error free and consistently formatted correctly in APA style.

8. Information Literacy / Integration of Sources

Weight: 5%

Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.

Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

9. Clarity and Coherence of Writing

Weight: 5%

Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.