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Academic Department Assessment |
Academic medical center departments are challenged by some of the same issues faced by other healthcare organizations—and some that are uniquely their own. Clinical programs must respond to market and strategic pressures. Physician compensation and incentives must be structured to support every aspect of the medical center mission. The department needs an objective framework for considering program development and funding requests.
These are not simple things to achieve in an academic environment where physicians have multiple responsibilities and are typically compensated from many different sources within the department, medical school and hospital.
DGA Partners helps academic medical center departments perform an independent assessment of departmental performance that respects the concerns and sensitivities of all stakeholders. We also determine how well physician compensation aligns with the department’s mission. Our assessment includes:
- Interviewing key physicians, medical school and hospital stakeholders
- Analyzing operational data (productivity, compensation, work flow, capacity) and financial data (program support, direct and indirect expenses)
- Determining market and strategic pressures
We also combine compensation information from the faculty practice plan with that of the medical school, grant funding, and other sources, to create an integrated picture of compensation, physician-by-physician. This allows us to:
- Benchmark total physician compensation and its components to relevant fair market values
- Identify inconsistencies in sources and uses of physician compensation
- Identify or develop incentives consistent with the needs of the enterprise
Results may include recommendations for strategy, compensation modifications and changes in organizational and operational structure.
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