Converting the physician practice into a revenue cycle champion.

Hospital and health system leaders face challenges in employing physicians, but if they take the time to engage with each of their employed or affiliated physician practices, they can convert them into financial assets. There is no simple solution for physician alignment. Achieving successful hospital-physician alignment requires time, but the immediacy of alignment or aggregation due to payment and technological requirements shortens the time available to build the foundation of a truly functional hospital-physician relationship. Despite their differences, hospitals and physicians should be aligning on the topic of revenue cycle because it provides the firm financial foundation and cash flow to support important endeavors, such as purchasing technology, hiring and retaining specialists and support staff, and expanding services.