Allow time to start a specialist network
Allow time to start a specialist network
Here’s how one works
If you would like a physician networking organization like Specialty Care, LLC, in your city, start working on it now, advises Robert P. Driscoll, MD, president of the Scituate, MA-based physician organization.
"Be the first one in your region. Don’t be afraid to be the leader," Driscoll says.
It took about 18 months for Specialty Care’s steering committee to come up with the organization plan, recruit the initial members, and get the organization up and running. The organization started operation in June.
All members were required to make a capital donation to provide funds to get the organization started.
Specialty Care’s steering committee began its recruitment efforts by deciding on the medical specialties that would be included, then talking to physicians in the region who practice in those specialties.
"Most of the specialties are in the surgical area, but we have an eye toward adding other medical specialties," Driscoll says. At present, Specialty Care operates with no paid staff members. All the officers and committee chairs are volunteers.
Specialty Care is organized in a two-tier system, Driscoll says.
The members are divided into "pods" or subgroups that are aligned along the specialties represented. Within each pod is a group of managers and three officers. Each pod sends two representatives to the Specialty Care organization meetings.
The umbrella organization has a president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer as officers.
Each pod has subcommittees that deal with issues facing those physicians. For instance, the general and vascular surgery pod has developed subcommittees on quality improvement and utilization management, credentialing, and contracting.
The Specialty Care umbrella organization negotiates contracts with the primary care or managed care organizations. Reimbursement in the area is mostly discounted fee for service.
The group has hired a public relations firm to publicize the new organization to the public through newspapers and periodicals. Members are marketing themselves to primary care organizations through direct discussions and are planning a marketing campaign with managed care organizations.
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