Matthew Bates
About the Author
Matthew Bates
Latest Work
What have we agreed to? Cutting the knot with AI
In ancient Greek legend, the Gordian knot was a knot of extreme complexity that tied an oxcart to a post. Whoever could untie the knot was destined to become the ruler of Asia. By a popular account, when Alexander III of Macedonia (later Alexander the Great) was challenged to untie the knot, he came up…
Service-line strategies require reevaluating in light of operational realities
The many operational and financial headwinds that are buffeting health systems should prompt leadership teams to revisit the strategic direction, goals and performance of their service lines and clinical programs. Health systems are facing significant — and likely permanent — structural shifts in operating costs, staffing and options for where many procedures can be delivered.…
Time to take a fresh look at affiliation options for physicians and health systems
As the healthcare marketplace continues to evolve, posing new challenges and creating new opportunities, so too will affiliation models continue evolve in ways that can best meet current and future needs of healthcare providers. In this environment, health systems and physician practices — both independent and employed — could benefit from taking a fresh look…
Preparing for risk-based contracting and value-based healthcare presents challenges and opportunities
The traditional economics of care delivery in a fee-for-service payment model are placing providers and insurers alike at increasing risk of being unable to fulfill their mission and purpose. Yet many organizations are ill-equipped to succeed in a reimbursement environment defined by provider organizations taking on meaningful downside risk. In a roundtable discussion, Kaufman Hall…
The metrics that matter in today’s physician enterprise
Advanced practice providers now represent about two-fifths of the physician enterprise workforce. New metrics are required to reflect this and other transformative changes within the physician enterprise.
Leveraging APPs is key to improving a health system’s provider enterprise
Although physicians have historically constituted the vast majority of a health system’s providers, advanced practice providers (APPs) are growing in number and importance throughout healthcare, to the point that what traditionally has been referred to as a health system's physician enterprise is now more aptly called its provider enterprise.
Operationalizing value-based primary care: lessons from the field
The primary care physician’s office has a pivotal role to play in efforts of hospitals, payers and other healthcare stakeholders to transition healthcare payment to arrangements that reward providers for the value of the care they provide. However, to successfully execute a value-based primary care model, organizations should be mindful of the all-too-common pitfalls that they may encounter along the way.
Omicron, swelling expenses characterize end of another challenging year for hospitals, physician groups
The nation’s hospitals, health systems and physician groups closed the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic amid ballooning expenses exacerbated by nationwide labor shortages and global supply chain challenges.
Omicron, swelling expenses characterize end of another challenging year for hospitals, physician groups
The nation’s hospitals, health systems and physician groups closed the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic amid ballooning expenses exacerbated by nationwide labor shortages and global supply chain challenges.
When real estate is part of a physician affiliation strategy, ‘renters or owners’ is a key consideration
When health systems consider using real estate as an incentive in a physician affiliation strategy, they must decide early whether to create physician owners or renters. Strategic considerations will differ significantly depending on the path chosen.