Dr. Colin Saldanha has been practicing medicine for over 35 years. With a background in internal and family medicine, his multidimensional practice includes numerous complex care elements, including pharmacology management, diabetes, mental health, and senior care. Dr. Saldanha also runs a large travel medicine practice in Mississauga, Ontario, where he helps patients with immunization risk management related to their travel destinations. Dr. Saldanha shared some of his experiences as a FHO physician, including advice and consideration for doctors evaluating the FHO model.
DoctorCare: Tell us why you switched to the FHO model.
Dr. Saldanha: The primary impetus for joining a FHO group was to streamline my practice. I would be getting more support from the government, and I would be able to focus more on preventative care, which was very important to me. I would also have a fixed group of people working with me, which would enable me to grow my relationships with patients. I didn’t want the perception of my practice to be like a walk-in clinic or transient. By signing up as a registered patient to the group, my patients would understand that I was there for them. Of course, the monetary and business management aspect was also very attractive.
DoctorCare: Let’s discuss in more detail the monetary and practice management aspects that drew you to an FHO group model.
Dr. Saldanha: The consistency of revenue was a key piece in the decision. The other, I think, overlooked part of FHO group practice is the opportunity to work with a group. I could meet with the other physicians regularly to talk about clinical management issues and operational issues and learn more about how they manage their practices. In addition to the free flow of information that was transmitted – having after-hours coverage also helped build relationships with patients and colleagues. If my patient comes in after hours and sees another physician from our group, I can get the feedback from that visit where I wouldn’t get reports from a walk-in clinic. It helps build trust and improve patient care.
DoctorCare: What prompted the transition to DoctorCare to manage billings?
Dr. Saldanha: When our group made the decision to transition, DoctorCare really seemed to understand how GPs operate and the challenges we face. As a busy physician, I didn’t have time to deal with the business aspect of the practice. Our previous manager was a one-person show, and didn’t really understand the challenges of implementing the “what you should do.” DoctorCare could go beyond telling us what we should do and support us in making changes that would benefit my practice and the group as a whole.
DoctorCare: What have been some of the biggest changes since switching to DoctorCare?
Dr. Saldanha: The most significant impacts have been on Outside Use and Access Bonus. Outside Use was a huge issue when we moved to DoctorCare. They gave us tools and tips, from how to have a conversation with patients to posters for our office. The roster management support has helped us significantly reduce our Outside Use and increase our bonuses. They are excellent at sharing the rationale for derostering certain patients and don’t blindly expect you to do it just because they tell you to.
They also deeply understand the codes we were missing, such as congestive heart failure, smoking cessation, and diabetic assessments. DoctorCare gave me tools to help with the assessments and bill those codes.
We often under-bill because we are so focused on the care of our patients. The billing piece becomes secondary, but DoctorCare took that on and responsibly.
DoctorCare: If you were to give any advice to doctors considering a FHO model, what would you tell them?
Dr. Saldanha: I think the most important thing to understand is the FHO model helps you practice better medicine because you have the time to concentrate on those that need your care the most. Working in a FHO is working in a non-threatening relationship. No one is going to take your patient; that patient is a member of the group. You have a group of colleagues with whom you get to share information, so you don’t feel like you are alone in your practice.
Also, find a partner who can help with group and billing management. Family practices have become so burdensome, but this is our calling. We enjoy delivering the medical aspects, but those administrative elements have become overwhelming. DoctorCare is a partner in this process for me. They have supported the practice aspect—delivery of quality service—and taken over managing the billing aspects. DoctorCare brings services to us so that we don’t have to do the work to hunt around. They deliver on our expectations and have our trust.
FHO Group Billing and Management Support from DoctorCare
While the FHO structure is the most popular payment model within family medicine, it can also be the most complicated. With DoctorCare’s expertise, you can transition into an existing practice with fewer growing pains and a faster ramp-up time than starting your own practice. We will walk you through some of the key questions and considerations you should have when evaluating whether to start a FHO practice.
Doctors transitioning to a FHO model with DoctorCare see an average 18% income increase. With our help, you will learn how to increase your revenue in the FHO model without disrupting your current practice.
Are you interested in transitioning to a FHO or exploring group FHO billing and management services? Email us at info@doctorcare.ca to get started!
