I was honored to serve as faculty at the 2020 ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum in San Diego — a program of learning, networking, and solution-building with peers and top radiology business strategists. As the creator of a value-management program in my own practice, I’m a staunch advocate for value-based practices. I also understand that strategy is just one of many building blocks for a successful radiology program.
To be an efficient practice leader in the realm of radiology, you must first understand the economic and cultural factors driving change. The ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum connected me with fellow colleagues and business experts to collaborate and develop strategic solutions to address the changes coming down the pipeline. Together, we addressed several big-ticket items, including the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, recruitment, performance metrics, AI, physician well-being, clinical decision support, and dealing with adversity.
In one of the first few sessions of the program, Barbara F. Rubel, MBA, senior vice president of marketing and client services at MSN, LLC, and Nancy L. Fisher, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at CMS, covered the future of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Quality Payment Program in 2020. This year, the MIPS payment adjustments are expected to rise alongside
the increasingly vigorous requirements. As a result, cost will become a higher percentage of an eligible clinician’s composite performance score, and payment adjustments will be higher for strong performers — yet high scores will be more difficult to achieve. Rubel and Fisher urged attendees to use these changes as opportunities to work directly with facilities to manage patient costs.
In my breakout session, co-facilitated with Sheila S. Witous, MBA, we discussed desirable attributes of performance measures. Participants then worked in small groups to come up with one value metric and one business metric that are not used as performance measures currently but would be of value. The discussion among the participants was rich and energetic with several wonderful ideas generated.
To be an efficient practice leader in the realm of radiology, you must first understand the economic and cultural factors driving change.
As my co-faculty member Frank J. Lexa, MD, MBA, FACR, noted, “Teams are a key factor for success (or failure) in radiology.” It’s important that as we lead, we also reserve time for reflection — on what’s working and what’s not, who will help achieve the desired results, and if we have the expertise and resources we need to make it happen — all while being the first to recognize burnout in our groups and intervene.
If you’re a radiology leader looking to optimize your practice performance, I encourage you to equip yourself with management strategies tailored especially for the radiology environment. Take advantage of radiology-specific resources available through the ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum, and take the next step in ensuring success in your practice.