Finding the right provider can be a real pain, especially if we’re talking about certain specialized areas. Not only do you have to waste a lot of time scouting talent, but you also need to be quick when signing them to your business. What’s worse, you need to tackle another major problem along the way –credentialing.
The transition process during hiring is an especially tricky one. Clinics and hospitals need to make a tough decision when hiring specialists, choosing to sign a provider without verification or verifying a physician without signing a contract. Neither decision is the right one, as you’re exposed to certain business risks in both cases.
This is why it’s so important to have a good CVO system in place and to partner up with a reputable credentials verification organization. In this article, we talk about the process of provider onboarding and how you can benefit from CVO services.
What is provider onboarding?
Like in any other business, onboarding refers to a process of introducing new employees to the team. It’s a set of procedures during which a medical practitioner becomes a full-fledged member of your hospital’s staff. Here’s what provider onboarding commonly entails in the medical industry:
- Recruitment
- Contract signing and credentialing
- Delineating privileges
- Enrolling new staff members with payers
- Introducing providers to the team
- Introducing providers to medical facility’s procedures
Unfortunately, while onboarding is usually properly streamlined, it still takes some time because of credentialing. So, medical institutions have to sign a contract and start paying a salary for a few weeks or months before providers can see their first patients.
Why do companies prioritize onboarding?
There are several reasons why onboarding is such a big thing for every medical business:
1. Better impression on a provider
First off, fast and efficient onboarding is a sign of professionalism. It leaves a positive impression on the newly signed provider but also on all other stakeholders. As a result, this can improve future hiring efficiency and give you access to a larger pool of talent.
Fast onboarding is vital in cases where you start credentialing before signing a contract. As the provider is still not legally connected to your brand, he can jump ship at any time. In other words, you might start the expensive process of credentialing only to discover midway that a person signed up with another company.
2. Higher patient satisfaction
Efficient onboarding is crucial for top-tier medical professionals. Given that these medical professionals have so many offers on their table, they can pick and choose where to go. So, by messing up this initial step, you can lose an elite talent, which will reflect poorly on your clientele.
Staff quality is the most common reason why patients give advantage to one medical institution over another. Furthermore, by hiring only the best professionals, you can rest assured that new clients will always feel satisfied and will stay with your brand for a longer time.
In other words, simplifying the onboarding process will cause a ripple effect that will have a long-term impact on patient acquisition and retention.
3. Improved business results
Based on everything said so far, it becomes obvious that fast and efficient onboarding can have a major impact on your bottom line. The process can save you lots of money by reducing the waiting period between contract signing and the first day at work.
Furthermore, quick onboarding is vital for brands that have high employee turnover. While changing your staff is never a good thing, you can at least somewhat soften the blow through efficient onboarding. Faster onboarding also means that your patient will get faster access to medical professionals and that they won’t feel you’re understaffed.
What is CVO credentialing?
The best way to expedite your credentialing and, thus, onboarding is by paying for CVO services.
CVO is an acronym that stands for Credentials Verification Organization. Basically, you can outsource the process to these service providers, so you don’t have to hassle with it. These organizations have high-tech procedures that will ensure the highest precision and speed of verifying medical data.
During the credentialing process, the service provider will check the practitioner’s education, licenses, experience, training, malpractice insurance, and other relevant data. They have direct access to data from government sources, including colleges, licensing boards, and other institutions.
Most notably, a CVO can check a medical professional’s infraction history, including legal cases again the person and disbarment.
Is outsourcing credentialing a good idea?
Initially, medical providers were reluctant to outsource credentialing. However, as the times and technology change, it has become commonplace for clinics and hospitals to use an external provider to streamline the process. Here are a few things you need to check when hiring a CVO:
Expertise and experience
Although CVO credentialing is a somewhat new concept, some companies have shown a much better track record and have been there from the very start. So, the first you need to consider is the experience and expertise. You should also check their technology and processes and compare them to those of competitors.
Not only will an experienced provider make credentialing much faster, but they can avoid any legal trouble. For example, they can avoid common issues that might occur with Medicare and Medicaid. Because of that, you’re less likely to get exposed to hefty lawsuits.
Accreditation
Similar to medical institutions, CVOs are governed by US regulatory bodies. Their processes and methodology are scrutinized by the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) and the National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Organizations that have proper certificates from these regulatory bodies are eligible to provide credentialing services. During the accreditation process, service providers are checked for various aspects of credentialing, such as data management and security, and primarily source verification.
According to the current laws, these two governmental organizations should assess the provider’s performance and methodology every three years. Having valid certificates ensures the highest quality standards.
Design
Another thing you should pay attention to is the design. As every clinic and hospital has specific needs, you need to find a CVO that can create a program tailor-made for your business needs. Using proper technical solutions will ensure that your credentialing process is easy to modify and scalable.
