Physician Contract & Compensation Administrator (Medical Center- onsite)

This position is onsite in the Medical Center area.

At Houston Methodist, the Physician Contracting & Compensation Administrator (DPCCA) position is responsible for the strategic development, evaluation and administration of all physician compensation models for new and existing primary care, specialty, and surgical providers. The position will conduct complex analytical work to include modeling, forecasting, reconciliation, and auditing of multi-variate compensation components. Compensation models must be market-competitive, sustainable, fiscally sound, and fully compliant with regulatory guidance. Incumbent will serve as the subject matter expert with regards to provider compensation architecture to include variable compensation components, financial modeling of proposed plans (i.e., "what if scenarios"), and on-going monitoring of existing plans. The incumbent will manage Fair Market Value (FMV) evaluation and analysis and conduct regular compensation reviews with the Physician Organization executive team and entity CEO's. The DPCCA will advise key stakeholders of emerging strategic issues concerning primary care and specialty physician compensation, work relative value unit (WRVU) methodology, and incentive compensation opportunities. Individual will liaise with legal, entity CEO's, Academic Chairman/Chief's as well as Administrators.

The DCPAA position responsibilities include overseeing the activities of the department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also ensures training, monitoring and operations initiatives are implemented which secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Directs, develops and implements strategic and operational/high level projects and processes either through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.

• Oversees management of and ensures development for staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service and cost effectiveness. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees.

• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators: action readiness score, tier level.

• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes.

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.

• Works collaboratively with all hospital leadership to evaluate physician practices for potential SPG and PCG employment. Serves as a liaison with Administrators in the process of reviewing and making recommendations on customized strategies for physician compensation.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees department operations, designated projects, schedules and activities as needed to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.

• Analyzes and reviews business and compensation data, including provider performance impact, budget/financial resources, and utilization across business lines, and make logical, business and date-driven conclusions and recommendations that support the mission and goals of a not-for-profit health system.

• Engages in physician contract negotiations as required. Works with legal counsel to develop all employment agreements.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines. Responsible for staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/ licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.

• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the department workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.

• Responsible for employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., licensure/certification compliance, focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).

• Ensures all compensation plans are well documented with clear information and instruction regarding payment formulas, timing and other relevant information to support accurate and timely administration of each compensation model.

• Works directly with third party consultant to ensure physician compensation is within market and fair for the services provided.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops and manages department operational and capital budgets, approvals, and ongoing maintenance of the department(s), ensuring operation in a cost-effective manner. Proactively identifies and plans for capital needs related to current equipment and future department projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.

• Creates department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.

• Works with finance staff to establish appropriate budget; plans and organizes areas of responsibility to accomplish operational and strategic objectives and does so within budget.

• Establishes and monitors all physician compensation and contractual relationship to ensure they are within market standards and monitors organizational impacts.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department, entity or system operations by leading unit projects and/or other department/ system-directed activities. Proactively leads task forces and committees. May represent HM at assigned community or professional organization meetings.

• Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.

• Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and IDP.

• Proactively advises legal and executive leadership on physician compensation programs that support the changing needs and strategic objectives of Houston Methodist.

• Maintain market awareness of emerging trends in physician reimbursement and use as a guide for evolving provider compensation models; stays abreast of regulatory compliance statues to include: Stark self-referral law, the federal anti-kickback statute, IRS regulations concerning tax-exempt organizations, fair market and commercial reasonableness.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Master's in Business Administration (MBA) or related Master's degree required

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Seven years experience in healthcare with five years primary focus on physician contracting and/or compensation.

• Three years in management experience in healthcare required