HCG
Hughes Consulting Group, LLC
Established 2004

Adding additional ancillary services to your practice can make a lot of sense, not only through increased quality of care, convenience and perception of the practice through the eyes of your patients, but also through comprehensive (one stop) service to your patients, more time available for you to see your patients, and additional contributions to your bottom line which will help to offset other areas which continue to erode that bottom line. Robust financial health allows a practice to better serve its patients by retaining the ability to employ top notch staff and a offer full range of products and services for patients.

Done right, your practice can enjoy the success of new ancillary services on many levels. Done poorly, they can increase stress, hurt morale and end up costing a lot of money with no return on investment. The challenge, however, is in knowing which ancillary services to add. At Hughes Consulting Group, we specialize in the evaluation and implementation of these services within your practice. We will help you determine if it makes sense to add a product or service, and if it does, help you to get it done right the first time.        Close

Compensation formulas are a highly sensitive issue in most group practices and often times difficult to change or implement. Changes in reimbursement, quality measures, workloads of individuals within the group and varying ages of group members make this issue difficult at best.

Philosophies range from everyone sharing equally in the proceeds of work done within the group to pure productivity formulas which reward performance based on individual performance. Most groups settle somewhere between the two extremes and there is no one solution that will fit every group.

At Hughes Consulting Group, we can help facilitate the conversations, provide many income distribution options and calculations, and help the group arrive at a solution that matches the philosophies and desired incentives of the group as a whole. Systems currently in place are often complex and no longer adequately address current market issues, desired incentives, or individual physician needs. As an objective outside party, we can provide options that are unbiased and void of the emotional issues that often cloud these discussions.        Close

Top-notch leadership of your practice is critical to long term success. We can help with this issue on a number of fronts. Whether you find yourself suddenly and unexpectedly without a leader, have someone in place who is struggling or are looking for a smooth transition from one leader to another, we can help.

We can provide interim leadership for your practice. We can also help you to evaluate someone who is currently in place and, if necessary provide mentoring services to help them succeed. If you find yourself without proper leadership (or will soon be in that situation), we will help launch a national search to find highly qualified candidates who are a proper fit for your practice needs and culture.

With over two decades of physician practice management expertise, Hughes Consulting Group can fill a void, help to manage a smooth transition from one leader to another, or look with you at someone who is already in place and help you determine options for addressing concerns. If you want it done right by someone with a successful track record, we are the group to call.        Close

Merging your practice with another group or selling it to another entity can result in a win-win situation when negotiated and implemented correctly. Conversely, poorly negotiated terms can result in win-lose or even lose-lose scenarios that will not withstand the test of time.

In one typical scenario, groups have been discussing a merger for a considerable period of time, believe they are generally compatible with one another, have some knowledge of each other’s practice systems and operations, but have not found a way to move beyond the concept of a merger to the reality of a merger.

Many groups focus on the negotiation stage and then assume that the implementation stage will go well. The biggest, and most common nightmare, is a poorly implemented billing and collections process resulting in short-term financial hardship for all parties involved when a new entity is created. Another common issue that occurs when bringing groups together is unmet expectations on the part of physicians and staff, which can occur for a variety of reasons.

We can help you work through the pre-merger assessment (why merge, potential barriers, next steps), planning/negotiation and management of the actual merger.

Whether you are thinking about combining forces with another group, have started the process and need professional guidance/ advice to keep it moving or have completed a merge that is now facing significant issues that are hampering its success, we are here to help. We have successfully assisted with and lead several practice combinations, assisted with groups that are struggling, and (sadly) assisted groups that have elected to throw in the towel and break apart. Whatever your needs, we will help you to get it right the first time (or THIS time if you have tried before and failed).        Close

In today's rapidly changing, complex environment, having a formal plan in place that everyone buys into is essential if the group is to reach its maximum potential. Most groups have some form of business plans and goals in place. The crucial elements in the process are assurances that the plans being implemented are the ones that make the most sense for the group at that particular moment in time, maximize the use of limited resources and have formal steps in place to ensure that acceptable progress is made on the goals that are selected.

It is important that everyone involved agree on the "big picture" and common direction and goals for the group. The lack of agreed on objectives and goals can splinter efforts and hinder the success of the organization. Everyone has their 'list' of things that could or should be done, but many times, everyone's lists may not be the same and no time is taken to organize them as a group due to busy schedules or differences in personalities.

Whether you are a sophisticated group with a strategic plan that needs to be fine tuned, have the need to finally put a formal strategic planning system in place, or just need a business plan that can be implemented in an organized fashion with accountabilities in place, we are here to help. At Hughes Consulting Group, we have the expertise to help regardless of your group size or current situation.        Close

Whether merging groups to begin a new chapter, leaving a larger group to start a new practice, acquiring another practice or adding new providers to your group the quality of the transition will affect your group for many years to come.

There are many “checklists” available online, but even the most comprehensive list cannot include everything needed to be successful. The key to your long term success is knowing and understanding the many details required for you to be successful and ensuring that each of the steps is completed correctly and in the proper order. Having a seasoned leader who has guided many others through this process will help to avoid the pitfalls that others have experienced saving you time, costly delays, income and long term success.

Whether you are a privately owned multi physician practice or part of a hospital owned medical group, we have a refined process that will ensure a successful practice start up.        Close