In December, The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) issued a report entitled The Future of Healthcare Quality which highlights a variety of recommendations for the new administration. This report points out an urgent need to create a better system for capturing quality data, with a recommendation to move to a digital quality measurement system. Such a system, the committee believes, has the potential to reduce the reporting burden while improving care.
The healthcare industry has had its collective eye on the future for years – with various starts and stops in the effort to move to a quality-focused, value-based system. Granted, it is a behemoth task to guide hundreds of thousands of providers who care for millions of patients covered by a multitude of payers toward a single goal.
Intentional Focus
Success rarely happens by accident. Deliberately setting and continuously working toward goals is key. From day one, QualDerm set its sights on becoming the partner of choice to high-caliber, patient-centric dermatology practices. To do that, the leadership team understood that the highest standards of quality had to permeate throughout the entire organization. As the organization has grown, its focus on quality has not waivered. In fact, the bar has continuously been raised.
Physicians have always held leadership positions throughout the QualDerm organization. A physician sits on the board of directors and each region has its own Joint Operating Committee. Several years ago, QualDerm launched a physician-led Quality Council to help further its quality mission. The Council, in which only physicians hold voting privileges, leads numerous initiatives to enhance quality at all levels of the organization. Along with QualDerm’s Chief Medical Officer, the Council was also instrumental in helping QualDerm and its affiliated practices successfully navigate the COVID pandemic.
This focus on quality also guides QualDerm’s growth strategy. Since its inception, the organization has expanded to include 50 affiliated practice locations across 9 states. Current physician partners are heavily involved in evaluating potential new partners before a partnership offer is extended. This ensures new partner practices’ cultures properly align with QualDerm’s mission and vision.
Joint Success
The measure of what constitutes a quality partnership can vary from physician to physician. While one dermatologist may seek an opportunity to aggressively grow their practice, another might be more interested in lessening practice management burdens.
Because QualDerm’s model is flexible, each partnership is built to meet the needs of the physician partner. Besides the commitment to quality and clinical autonomy, the commonality among each QualDerm partnership is a goal of mutual success. QualDerm believes patient care should not be sacrificed for profit. In fact, by keeping its focus on quality, QualDerm and its affiliated practices continue to thrive and are well positioned for long-term success.
Learn more about how QualDerm’s focus on quality can benefit your practice.
Contact us to find out about partnership opportunities or to discuss selling your practice.