Incorporating Physician Practices into Hospital Risk Management Programs

​The trend toward hospital acquisition of physician practices has continued to accelerate since 2008 despite the fact that a majority of physicians do not view it as positive for their profession, said speakers on a September 27, 2016, panel at the annual conference of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management in Orlando, Florida. Panelists included Kevin Kelly, MPH, president and chief executive officer, MRM Group; Diane Bouffard, RN, MHA, CPHQ, vice president, consulting services, MRM Group; Bruce Whitmore, senior consultant, global captive and healthcare practices, Willis Towers Watson; and Peter Perdik, MD, AdvantageCare Physicians New York. Not only has hospital ownership of physician practices grown, but the mix of providers is expected to continue to change in the coming decade, with significant numbers of advanced practice nurses and physician assistants working in hospital-affiliated practices, speakers said. These changes require risk managers to find new strategies to manage risks. Whitmore noted that physicians accustomed to working in small practices likely have little experience with risk management, and little motivating them to participate in risk management activities other than fear of being sued.