The MedSynergies Blog

Stories That Interested Us This Week, January 27

medsynergies — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:14:55 +0000

Every Friday, The MedSynergies Blog will feature news stories related to hospital-physician alignment, health care finance, health care IT and other topics of interest to our clients and us. Here are this week’s top links:

Boost Marketing, Training Programs to Recruit Physicians
January 26, FierceHealthcare

Healthcare Not a Focus of Obama’s State of the Union Address
January 25, Healthcare Finance News

HealthGrades Names Top 10 Cities for Hospital Care
January 24, Healthcare Finance News

CHW Changes Name, Ends Board’s Affiliation with Catholic Church
January 24, California Healthline

Practice Management Companies Look to ACOs for Growth
January 23, American Medical News

MedSynergies Names Frank Marshall President

medsynergies — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:11:40 +0000

After more than 10 years as chief operating officer at MedSynergies Inc., the leading provider of hospital-physician alignment solutions, Frank Marshall has been named president of the company. J.R. Thomas, chief executive officer of MedSynergies, made the announcement, also expanding the executive team to accommodate the needs of the company’s growth over the past year.

“Frank has demonstrated great ability in managing MedSynergies’ day-to-day business operations for more than a decade as COO,” said Thomas. “This experience, and his talent working with existing and prospective clients, makes him the natural choice to serve as president of our growing company. The board of directors and I were pleased to make this appointment.”

Marshall, who will retain his COO title, will help steer MedSynergies at a monumental time. Last year, the company nearly doubled its workforce and further expanded its national client roster, becoming one of the fastest growing private healthcare companies. As president, Marshall will further cultivate his solid relationships with clients and prospects, while continuing to oversee operations for MedSynergies.

Prior to joining MedSynergies, Marshall was vice president of planning and control at The Associates Financial Services Company, Inc., where he was responsible for financial analysis, financial reporting and accounting. He holds a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Stories That Interested Us This Week, January 20

medsynergies — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:44:57 +0000

The New Era of Accountability - video
January 18, H&HN Daily

Bringing the Romance Back to Hospital-Physician Partnerships
January 18, Healthcare Finance News

Hospitals Buying Physicians: 13 Recent Transactions
January 17, Becker’s Hospital Review

M&A Interest Still Strong
January 17, HealthLeaders Media

Thomson Reuters Names Top 15 Health Systems
January 17, Healthcare Finance News

Physician Innovators Among Those Advising on Health Delivery Reforms
January 16, American Medical News

9 Things Healthcare Organizations Should Do Now to Prepare for ICD-10
January 11, Becker’s Hospital Review

Stories That Interested Us This Week, January 13

medsynergies — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:57:07 +0000

William F. Jessee Talks Physician-Hospital Alignment
January 12, HealthLeaders Media

10 ‘Must-do’ Strategies for Hospitals This Year
January 11, Hospital Impact

What’s the Cure for Hospital CEO Burnout?
January 11, H&HN Daily

Hospitals Latching Onto Physician Staff With Pay, Employment
January 10, FierceHealthcare

Economy Puts Damper on National Healthcare Spending Growth
January 10, Healthcare Finance News

5 Nuggets of Wisdom from CFOs
January 9, HealthLeaders Media

Hospitals Employing 32% More Physicians
January 9, FierceHealthcare

PSR Extends Relationship with MedSynergies

medsynergies — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:44:38 +0000

PSR, LLC, a national leader in providing outsourced management and business support services for physicians and medical practices, has negotiated a three-year renewal with MedSynergies Inc. on behalf of two physician groups. MedSynergies, the leading provider of hospital-physician alignment solutions, will be delivering physician billing services.

Extending a relationship established in 2010, the agreement allows MedSynergies to continue supplying full revenue cycle services to optimize business returns for more than 80 PSR-managed providers. MedSynergies will also be providing business analytics and verification of benefits.

“Revenue cycle services from MedSynergies include the tools and expertise to manage the complete revenue cycle from data creation through claim submission, payment processing and accounts receivable,” said Jamie Dye, senior vice president of development for MedSynergies. “MedSynergies couples these services with verification of benefits, which is a crucial first step in managing the revenue cycle for practices.”

Working with providers that include Raleigh-Durham Medical Group and El Paso Clinics, PSR strives to relieve its physicians from the burden of dealing with day-to-day business operational issues. As a physician practice management organization, PSR is dedicated to meeting the business needs of physicians with tailored solutions that ultimately leave physicians in charge of their own practices.

“In renewing with MedSynergies, PSR is benefiting from real expertise in revenue management, and we are able to blanket our client practices with the operational support they need to improve business performance, so the physicians can focus on patient care,” said David Singley, CEO of PSR. “Physician practices hire PSR to provide business support infrastructure including accounting, IT, HR, payroll and contracting, among others. We also assist physicians in selecting billing companies, and in this case MedSynergies was a great match.”

PSR will also tap MedSynergies’ business analytics, a powerful reporting package to help providers identify potential workflow improvements. The tool helps measure the performance of each payer with customized reporting, allowing the practice to identify specific areas to optimize process efficiency and reimbursement.

Stories That Interested Us This Week, January 6

medsynergies — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:56:09 +0000

Hospital Statistics Chart Rise in Physician Employment
January 6, H&HN Daily

6 Overarching Trends for Healthcare in 2012
January 6, Becker’s Hospital Review

4 Vital Issues for Physicians in 2012
January 5, Healthleaders Media

Population Health Pays Off
January 5, HealthLeaders Media

Rural Physician Recruitment with a Twist
January 4, HealthLeaders Media

13 Recent Hospital Mergers & Acquisitions
January 3, Becker’s Hospital Review

EMR Implementation: An Opportunity to Strengthen Physician Relationships
January 3, Becker’s Hospital Review

Stories That Interested Us This Week, December 30

medsynergies — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:59:04 +0000

The Provider Will See You Now
December 29, New York Times Well Blog

Survey: 55% of Payors Plan to Participate in ACOs over Next 3 Years
December 28, Becker’s Hospital Review

Medical Home Model Reduces Kids’ Doctor and ER Visits
December 28, Healthcare Finance News

Top 10 Health IT Predictions for 2012
December 28, InformationWeek

Top 12 Healthcare Buzzwords for 2012
December 27, HealthLeaders Media

Survey: 70% of Physicians Plan to Work Longer until Retiring
December 27, Becker’s Hospital Review

Hospital Pays $118,000 in Patient Bills for Christmas
December 24, KTVB

Stories That Interested Us This Week, December 23

medsynergies — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:19 +0000

5 Hospital Trends to Watch in 2012
December 22, Becker’s Hospital Review

Hospital M&A Outlook 2012: 5 Key Trends
December 21, Becker’s Hospital Review

States Retaining More Physicians
December 21, Fierce Healthcare

8 Keys to Help Physician Practices Track Financial Performance
December 21, Healthcare Finance Newsday

3 Ways to Cut Down on Hospital Readmissions
December 20, Fierce Healthcare

More Than 30 Organizations to Test New Healthcare Model for Seniors
December 19, The Washington Post

Top 5 States with the Highest and Lowest Number of Active Physicians
December 19, Becker’s Hospital Review

HL 20: 20 People Who Make Healthcare Better – 2011
December 13, HealthLeaders

Stories That Interested Us This Week, December 16

medsynergies — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:42:56 +0000

Hospitals Hire Former Medical Sales People to Get Physician Referrals
December 14, Healthcare Finance News

Hospital M&As Continue Apace in 2011
December 14, HealthLeaders

100-year Old Physician Maintains Practice
December 14, FiercePracticeManagement

Physician-owned Hospital Rules Relax with House Bill
December 14, FierceHealthcare

18 Recent Hospital Mergers & Acquisitions
December 12, Becker’s Hospital Review

Practice Development for Your Employed Physicians: A 2012 Physician Relations’ Strategy
December 12, Becker’s Hospital Review

6 Ways to Reduce Physician Turnover
December 12, HealthLeaders

Stories That Interested Us This Week, December 9

medsynergies — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:21:39 +0000

Hospitals Buying Physicians: 15 Recent Transactions
December 9, Becker’s Hospital Review

5 Biggest Issues Facing Doctors in 2012
December 8, Healthcare Finance News

The Cornerstones of Successful Medical Group Acquisitions
December 8, H&HN Daily

IPC The Hospitalist Company Acquires South Florida Practice
December 8, HealthLeaders

Nudging Physicians Toward Team-Based Care
December 8, HealthLeaders

8 Tips for Physician Recruitment
December 7, Healthcare Finance News

11 Leading Health System CEOs Share Top Goals for 2012
December 7, Becker’s Hospital Review

Leapfrog Names Top Hospitals
December 6, Healthcare Finance News

The Unhappy Physician: Why Hospitals Need to Take Morale Seriously
December 5, Becker’s Hospital Review