Practice News

Webinar outlines keys to physician payment models

Physicians can learn about key concepts of new budget-based payment systems in an archived webinar hosted by the AMA.

In this 30-minute webinar, two authors of the AMA's "Evaluating and Negotiating Emerging Payment Options" physician manual discuss how the new payment models differ from the traditional fee-for-service model. The authors explain the significant financial risks and rewards tied to budget-based payment systems and identify issues physicians should consider before making the transition.

A brief introductory webinar also walks through the AMA's manual and how it can help physicians evaluate, negotiate and manage budget-based payment systems, including payment bundling, pay-for-performance, withholds and risk pools, capitation, and shared savings.

Group practice members advance health care quality

Two medical groups in the AMA group practice membership program recently have been recognized with national awards for their work to improve health care quality.

On April 15, the Henry Ford Hospital System received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest honor for innovation and performance excellence, presented by the White House. The award honors the "no harm" campaign the group began three years ago, achieving a 31 percent reduction in harm and a 12 percent reduction in mortality rates.

"The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is a symbol of the highest standards of excellence, and we are extremely proud and humbled to have been selected," Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting said in a news release.

The Virginia Mason Medical Center was honored in March with its second Medical Group Preeminence Award given by the American Medical Group Association. The award recognizes contributions to health care quality improvement, exceptional leadership, innovation and vision, effective health care delivery practices and structure, and outstanding contributions to the local community.

"It is a great honor for our team to be recognized by their colleagues for their commitment to our patients, and for their innovation and determination in establishing benchmarks in care for all of us to meet and exceed," Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD, said in a news release.

Both medical groups are members of the AMA group practice membership program, which offers special membership discounts and practice support. AMA members are particularly well positioned to be leaders in health care quality and innovation with access to information from the AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement® and resources on implementing payment and delivery model reforms.

The AMA offers special programs for groups. Contact Alyce Christensen of the AMA at (312) 464-5298 for additional information.