Management Services Organization (MSO)
Centralized management services to leverage resources efficiently
Summary: As healthcare shifts from fee-for-service to value-based care, a management services organization helps primary care practices more efficiently control, and gives access to, resources in their administrative and operational components.
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Managing the business of a primary care practice is all-encompassing. From human resources, payroll and benefits to accounts receivable, coding compliance, technology and more, a practice manager has to devote substantial time to the administrative and operational areas that support the clinical practice. While these areas are important to a well-functioning practice, they are not the focus; providing quality medical care is.
That’s where a management services organization (MSO) adds value. MSOs handle the nonmedical work involved in running a practice, freeing you to focus on your patients. Because of their purchasing power and cost efficiencies, they also offer a considerable competitive advantage for an independent practice.
Management Services Organization Basics
What is a management services organization?
An MSO takes your independent practice to the next level, improving quality and cost, economies of scale, incentives for network expansion and the possibility for multi-payer managed care arrangements. There are two basic approaches to an MSO. The first takes partial or full ownership of the practice. The second provides business services without taking ownership. You maintain 100% control of your practice. This is the approach taken by Vanguard Health Solutions.
Benefits of MSOs
At the most basic level, when you’re able to focus 100% on your patients, without diluting that focus to management and operations, it allows you to practice medicine at the top of your game. Add to that the MSO’s significant purchasing and negotiating power, and you’ll realize the benefits in the boost to your bottom line.
Benefits of partnering with an MSO include:
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Preferred pricing on supplies and services
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Leverage to reduce insurance premiums, including malpractice, corporate liability and employee benefits
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The introduction of talented professionals who find cost efficiencies in processes
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The ability to scale up your operations more easily
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The ability to compete on a level playing field with larger healthcare systems while remaining independent
Components of MSOs
With insurers tying reimbursement to quality outcomes, it is more important than ever to track performance and meet clinical goals. An MSO helps you to do so by setting up the infrastructure and the processes, and providing essential management functions. In keeping you on track, MSOs help you take advantage of bonuses and shared savings from insurers.
What services do healthcare MSOs provide?
We provide the following services for process improvement, implementation and practice transformation in value-based care.
Operations Management
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Risk coding
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Attribution management
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Auditing and financial management
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Payer contracting
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Technology facilitation
Quality Management
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Analytics
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Identifying gaps in care
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Metrics and dashboards
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Chronic care management
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Clinical guidelines and programming
Network Management
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Specialists
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Ancillary services
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Sub-acute facilities
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Care management workflows
High-Risk Management
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Transition of care
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Emergency department
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Acute care
Management Service Organizations in Your Practice
You have finite resources in your practice. Partnering with an MSO allows you to expand those resources. An MSO is part of a larger strategy to maintain your independence, improve profitability, and grow your practice in a highly competitive market. The MSO becomes the central infrastructure to support your population health efforts. It allows you to have access to services that you may otherwise be unable to provide.
Here are just some of the ways an MSO can impact your practice:
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Evaluate whether your providers are receiving actionable timely data on your highest-risk patients.
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Identify the support that you need from payers, and set up realistic parameters for value-based payment arrangements.
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Determine the metrics that are central to your success.
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Reduce duplication of efforts and increase efficiencies.
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Create optimum workflows.
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Enhance patient experience and engagement.
Why Engage Vanguard Health Solutions?
Vanguard Health Solutions (VHS) is an MSO designed to help independent primary care providers in New Jersey succeed in the delivery of value-based care. As primary care providers ourselves, we know the challenges facing an independent practice. We live them every day. We know what it takes to transform a practice to a population health focus. We’ve done it successfully for our own practice. With us by your side, you will feel less like you are building the plane as you fly it, and more like you are navigating the course toward success.
With thoughtful, thorough strategic planning, we help keep your primary care medical practice sustainable for the long term. Our MSO team brings hands-on experience in facilities and equipment, policies and procedures, office management, human resources, credentialing, and succession planning. We also bring the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that make the difference.
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An experienced team of medical practice administrators
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Tech-savvy leaders in medical informatics
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Like-minded primary care practitioners putting patients first
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HR professionals who are experts in recruitment/retention
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Proven track record
VHS offers the full spectrum of services to help independent practices create sustainable transformation, including:
Key Takeaways
As an MSO, VHS is your trusted partner in value-based care. Harness our population health management expertise and analytics dashboard, operations team, and CIN to help you achieve successful value-based care initiatives.
VHS will help your primary care medical practice:
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Maintain independence
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Improve quality metrics and outcomes
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Enhance patient experience and engagement
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Reduce cost of care
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Mitigate risk
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Develop stronger provider and payer relationships
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Access negotiated contracts with targeted payers
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Increase physician and employee satisfaction
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Monitor your own data analytics dashboard to drive action planning
Contact us to discover how we can help you advance primary care. Request an exploratory call with a Vanguard Health Solutions specialist today by calling 973.559.3701 or emailing info@vanguardhealthsolutions.com.
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