Finance and Operations

Financial and operational consultation services assess organization-wide operations at the department level of selected health care organizations participating in the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program to establish strategic priorities. Consultation services:

• Identify performance improvement opportunities that increased financial stability and operational efficiency.
• Assess historical and potential demand for clinical services.
• Identify opportunities to address clinical service line gaps.
• Evaluate reimbursement and cash flow with emphasis on selected service lines.
• Provide industry-accepted best practice recommendations.
• Consider organization-specific options to effectively respond to a rapidly changing health care market that includes new payment and delivery care models and population health management.
• Develop action plans to implement best practices and adopt strategic initiatives.
• Provide the Board of directors, executive leadership, and management teams with education on the Future of Rural Healthcare and Payment System Transformation to support sustainability.

Consultation services are comprehensive and assessments include:

• Profit and loss financial analysis.
• Service area and market share analysis.
• Provider complement assessment for primary and specialty care with consideration to provider needs and alignment.
• Inpatient, ancillary, and emergency department service reviews.
• 340B Drug Pricing Program analysis.
• Staffing Benchmark Analysis.
• Human Resources review.
• Revenue cycle and management accounting review.
• Cost report assessment.
• Organizational leadership and governance review.
• Service area rationalization and population health management review.

Program staff guide leaders through the consultation process, and assist hospital and clinics teams to:

• Address organizational-specific financial and operational questions.
• Align community health needs with available services.
• Promote value to the community to build greater awareness of local services.
• Review and update action plans to further assist leaders with the implementing process.
• Provide Implementation Technical Assistance services.

Health care organizations receive a full assessment in Year 1 of the three-year participation cycle. Coaching calls are held in Year 2 to support leaders with implementation. A reassessment is provided in Year 3 to guide leaders with the next steps for ongoing performance improvements.

Implementation Technical Assistance services may be requested to support the execution of action plans, implementation of best practices, and adoption of evidence-based models following the completion of assessments.