Dr. Mike Merrill

Consulting Solutions

Hospital leadership training. Do your physicians understand the degree to which their small behaviors impact their team and work environment? Do they trust and respect the people around them? When relationships are strengthened, it is easier to open a feedback channel to powerful physicians to allow them to reflect and become better leaders and better people. After all, the qualities that make a good leader are the qualities that make a good person; honesty, modesty, caring for others, and taking the long view are examples.

Rural hospital medical strategy review. What unusual aspects of your situation provide revenue opportunities? Are there untapped opportunities to collaborate with your medical staff? Are there opportunities to improve the culture of the medical staff, and hospital overall? Does you board fully appreciate your situation? What partnerships with other organizations might be useful?

"Reasonableness" assessment of value-based contracting. Are your metrics meaningful? Are reporting requirements reasonable and well-defined? Is there a reasonable chance of success? How will providers integrate this project into their workflow? Are you reasonably protected from risk? Value-based contracts provide unprecedented opportunities for revenue sharing, system reconfiguration, and quality improvement. However, they bring unnecessary risk when they are created without adequate sensitivity to clinical operations.