Trust, Quality and Autonomy are Key Elements of a Successful Partnership
The additional stressors of the pandemic layered over the everyday stress of running a medical practice have pushed the level of physician burnout even higher. The Physicians Foundation annual Survey of America’s Physicians has been tracking the burnout metric for several years. The recent COVID-19 Edition survey found 58% of physicians often feel burned out. This is a significant increase over the 40% reported in the 2018 survey.
As new variants continue to emerge, the financial fallout, staffing issues and shifting safety mandates have led even more dermatologists to consider partnership opportunities. While there are many benefits of affiliating with a larger organization, choosing the right partner is paramount.
Trust, Quality and Autonomy
Physicians work hard to gain the trust of their patients through delivering the highest-quality care possible. QualDerm understands the precarious nature of trust, and works together with our physician partners to enhance their practices while keeping their individual cultures intact.
The organization’s commitment to maintaining physician autonomy ensures that patient care remains our affiliated practices’ top priority. This commitment translates into patient confidence. A network-wide survey of more than 7,000 patients found that 97% believe QualDerm-affiliated practices’ staffs care about their health and safety.
What’s more, physicians serve as leaders throughout all levels of QualDerm. Each region has its own Joint Operating Committee, physicians sit on the board of directors, and only physicians have voting privileges on the QualDerm Quality Council. The QualDerm model was designed to ensure physicians have a strong voice in the organization to guide the policies that affect patients, providers and practices’ staffs.
QualDerm’s dedication to quality extends to all aspects of the organization. We hire experienced professionals in every department, offer generous employee benefits, and purchase medical supplies chosen by the affiliated practices’ staffs. According to one of our physician partners, “It takes an overwhelming amount of time, energy and expertise to manage a practice. I’m happy to be working with professionals who know what needs to be done and the best way to do it. I know QualDerm will do things right.”
True PartnershipSM for Mutual Success
Peace of mind does not automatically come with partnership. It comes when the physician can trust that the organization will deliver on its promises and shares their vision for the practice’s future. By looking at an organization’s track record, as well as with whom they affiliate, a physician can gauge if a partnership will be a good cultural fit and the likelihood of long-term success.
The Skin Surgery Center in North Carolina was QualDerm’s first practice partner. When asked why he and his partner chose QualDerm, John Albertini, MD, said, “We wanted a partner that was interested in our opinions and gave us the ability to lead our growth. QualDerm represents high-quality dermatology in a partnership model. It’s not just about selling out and making a buck. It’s about working together and addressing future challenges in a quality way.” Today, The Skin Surgery Center has grown to include 22 practice locations.
QualDerm understands that each affiliated practice is unique. Our partnership agreements are flexible, and we work with each affiliated practice to meet their needs. For example, we have helped practices recruit new general dermatologists to better serve their regions’ growing populations. While in other practices, we added service lines and increased marketing efforts to grow patient awareness and access. At the core of QualDerm’s model is the belief that when high-caliber physicians work together with highly-experienced healthcare business professions mutual success will follow.
Find out more about how QualDerm partnerships bring physicians peace of mind.
Contact us to learn more about partnership opportunities or to discuss selling your practice.