Veralon Views Blog

The Veralon Views blog is an extension of our partnership with leaders who are transforming the healthcare industry. Here, we share expert perspectives from our nationally recognized senior consulting team on issues that are key to the success of your organization.

Key Takeaways from the 2023 AHA Leadership Summit, featuring Bill Gassen, Judy Rich, and Jamie Orlikoff

by Amanda Kueh, Chief Content Strategist

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Three years after the introduction of a pandemic that left the world forever changed, American healthcare continues to wrestle with its ripple effects. Veralon VB-E (formerly IPROTEAN) was proud to host a panel discussion on the Top 3 Headwinds Facing Healthcare Today at the 2023 AHA Leadership Summit in Seattle. The education session covered three of the […]

Determining Compensation for Super-Specialized Physicians: What to Consider

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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Before the early 20th century, there were virtually no physician specialists in the United States. Today, the list of physician specialties continues to expand as medical knowledge grows with new discoveries and advancements in technology. Now, healthcare leaders must consider: How does this super-specialization affect physician compensation? Specialization and Sub-Specialization Historically, physicians were generalists, but […]

Don’t Forget the Second Wave of WRVU Changes

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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The First Wave 2021 was the big year for WRVU changes associated with CMS’s extensive and far-reaching updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The changes, designed to ultimately be budget neutral, restructured reimbursement to increase payments to cognitive specialists (such as primary care and other medical specialties) and reduce reimbursement to procedure-based specialists. […]

Why is Kaiser/Geisinger Such a Big Deal?

by John Harris, Managing Director
and Danielle Bangs, Principal

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A colleague asked, “Why is the Kaiser/Geisinger announcement such a big deal? There have been a lot of mega mergers.” An excellent question. This was more than just a $95B insurer/health system acquiring a $7B one. Here’s why: Kaiser Permanente has long been recognized as an iconic leader in value-based care, but they have largely […]

IPROTEAN is now part of Veralon

We are thrilled to announce that IPROTEAN, the health care industry’s top virtual board education company, has been acquired by Veralon Partners Inc. (Veralon), a leading national health care consulting firm specializing in strategy, M&A, financial planning, business valuation and provider compensation. This continues to be a time of rapid change and evolution in the […]

Should You Revisit Your Funds Flow Model?

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director
Margot Berg, Manager

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Given the financial realities, it is imperative that Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) have a funds flow model that is equitable, rules-based, and aligned with the goals of the institution at large. Review this checklist of criteria to determine whether your institution should consider revisiting its funds flow model. Review this checklist of criteria to determine […]

Building a Community Physician Network for Your AMC: 5 Things to Consider

by Rudd Kierstead, Principal

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Academic medical centers’ survival increasingly depends on strong relations with community physicians. More AMCs are developing their own community physician enterprises with the goal of supporting the tripartite mission of academic medicine. Even as AMC-led health systems consider new relationships with large independent physician practices and emerging practice aggregators, they must have a sound model […]

Assigning Proxy wRVUs for Physician Activity: Pros and Cons

by Richard Chasinoff, Director
and Monica Nuñez, Manager

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As hospitals and health systems continue to evaluate how they compensate physicians, some have expanded upon their work relative value unit (wRVU) based compensation models to include activities for which wRVUs may not currently be assigned. We are seeing this trend applied to administrative activities—such as attendance and participation in committee meetings—and clinical activities that […]

Designing a Laborist Compensation Model: Key Considerations

by Richard Chasinoff, Director
and Monica Nuñez,, Manager

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Laborist models continue to gain traction as hospitals seek ways to improve patient safety and professional satisfaction and respond to the national OBGYN shortage. But there are two aspects of the laborist model that hospital leaders often grapple with: reimbursement and compensation. Many hospitals are shifting from “traditional” management of labor and delivery where each […]