Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin (OIW), an independent orthopedic group, recently contracted McKesson to implement new technology and revenue cycle management services in order to make it more competitive and improve finances.

Continuing reimbursement cuts and increased regulatory and compliance challenges have led more and more independent physicians groups to search for alternate employment models, Pat Leonard, president of McKesson Business Performance Services, told HCB News. Some have chosen to become employed by hospitals and health systems and others are remaining independent.

"Those who want to remain independent are looking for a partner who can help them succeed financially, navigate the complexities of the market, grow their practice, and prepare for the transition to value-based care, wrote Leonard.

OIW is contracting McKesson for complete revenue cycle services including provider enrollment and credentialing, clinical documentation assistance, coding, claims management, denial management, compliance, and business intelligence reporting. McKesson is also going to replace OIW's outdated technology with a proprietary billing platform, which will enable electronic claims submission and electronic interfaces with hospital data feeds.

OIW will also be implementing McKesson's business intelligence reporting, which is called McKesson Practice Focus. It provides daily, weekly and monthly snapshots and the capability to view transaction-level information on every patient, procedure, physician and payor.

"Physicians want to take care of their communities but are finding it harder and harder to keep up with the regulatory and business side of their practices," said Leonard. "To better serve these communities, the practice needs to remain financially viable."

OIW is a 14-physician group affiliated with three hospitals in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It treats a broad range of orthopedic injuries and carries out more than 280,000 procedures and visits per year.

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