
The healthcare industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technological advancements, shifting consumer expectations, and rising costs. This changing landscape requires healthcare organizations to adapt and innovate.
With the increasing demand for value-based care, healthcare providers are being held accountable for patient outcomes and cost control. According to recent data, 70% of healthcare executives believe that value-based care will be the dominant payment model within the next five years.
To stay competitive, healthcare organizations need to develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses these changes and priorities. A well-crafted healthcare strategy can help organizations improve patient satisfaction, reduce costs, and enhance quality of care.
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What We Do
We help healthcare leaders navigate the complex and ever-changing healthcare landscape. Our extensive experience across the full continuum of care is backed by a sophisticated and documented approach.
We offer strategic and financial consulting services that drive revenue and address strategic initiatives while delivering quality care for patients and meeting the specific needs of their community. Our healthcare consultants help guide strategies and financial plans with tangible steps to address complex decisions.
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We prioritize collaboration in every engagement, working alongside stakeholders at every level of an organization, including providers, clinicians, and administrators. This ensures that strategic changes are implemented smoothly.
Our services include strategic planning, transaction design and services, clinically integrated network (CIN) and physician alignment, change management, service line development, and models and governance. These services help organizations achieve provider alignment, improve value, efficiency, and quality.
We also help providers execute managed care strategies that position their organizations for long-term success. This involves managed care assessment and strategy development, contract modeling, managed care contract negotiations, and rate benchmarking.
Here are some of the specific services we offer in healthcare strategy consulting:
- Strategic Planning: Facilitating the strategic planning process and guiding agile, transformational thinking.
- Transaction Design & Services: Evaluating mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships.
- Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) & Physician Alignment: Unlocking an organization's full potential by achieving provider alignment and improving value, efficiency, and quality.
- Change Management: Developing the change capabilities and strategies that continuous performance and innovation require.
- Service Line Development: Driving results for internal and external stakeholders.
- Models & Governance: Designing operating models responsive to market dynamics.
- Managed Care Assessment & Strategy Development: Summarizing payor contract performance, highlighting potential risks and opportunities, and outlining a tailored contracting strategy.
- Contract Modeling: Providing a summary of an organization's current state financials and an overview of anticipated revenue impact.
- Managed Care Contract Negotiations: Supporting payor contract negotiations by developing proposals and negotiation strategies.
- Rate Benchmarking: Providing critical insights on negotiated payor rates and developing payor- and peer-specific benchmarks.
Our Partners
We're proud to partner with leading organizations in the healthcare industry, including the Johns Hopkins Hospital system and external partners like The Chartis Group and Huron Consulting Group. The Chartis Group has a team of over 600 leading healthcare advisors, physicians, data scientists, and more.
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Our partners bring real-world challenges to the table, allowing students to develop lasting solutions and gain valuable experience in the field. The Chartis Group helps healthcare organizations reposition themselves in response to industry changes and new competition.
We've had the pleasure of working with external partners like Nick Culbertson, SCEO and Co-founder of Protenus, who appreciate the insights and expertise students bring to the table. Protenus is a company that benefits from the students' research and recommendations.
Huron Consulting Group is another partner that brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, with employees based in 15 countries and a client base that includes over 450 health systems and hospitals. Huron helps clients with projects from strategy through execution, focusing on industries facing transformational change.
Our partners value the skills and knowledge students gain through our programs, such as marketing, operations, organizational management, feasibility, and competitor analysis. These skills are essential for addressing the complex challenges in the healthcare industry.
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Types of Firms
There are two main types of healthcare consulting firms: specialist firms and generalist firms with healthcare practices.
Specialist healthcare consulting firms focus on healthcare and often have smaller company sizes and tight-knit cultures. These firms usually work with one or both of the following: generalist firms with healthcare practices are traditional management or strategy consulting firms with dedicated healthcare consulting divisions and experts.
Generalist firms with healthcare practices, on the other hand, offer a diverse range of projects across various industries, including healthcare. For example, all MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) and the Big Four (KPMG, EY, PwC, Deloitte) have robust healthcare consulting practices.
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Managed Care
Managed care is a type of healthcare delivery system that focuses on managing the cost and quality of care. It involves contracting with payors to provide care to patients, and can be a complex and challenging process for healthcare leaders.
Our team has experience helping providers navigate risk-based models, including alternative payment models (APMs) such as bundled payments and episodes of care. We can help you build a framework for effective care management and mitigate downside risk.
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Managed care involves executing strategies that position organizations for long-term success, including managed care assessment and strategy development, contract modeling, and managed care contract negotiations. Our consultants can help you develop proposals and negotiation strategies, perform financial modeling, and draft or exchange payor communications.
To thrive in the current healthcare reimbursement environment, it's essential to have a clear understanding of payor contract performance and potential risks and opportunities. Our professionals can help you summarize payor contract performance and outline a tailored contracting strategy that aligns with organizational objectives.
Here are some key services our team offers in managed care:
- Managed Care Assessment & Strategy Development: We help summarize payor contract performance, highlight potential risks and opportunities, and outline a tailored contracting strategy.
- Contract Modeling: We provide a summary of your organization’s current state financials along with an overview of anticipated revenue impact from proposed changes to rates, reimbursement structure, or contract language.
- Managed Care Contract Negotiations: Our experienced consultants can help support payor contract negotiations by assisting you in developing proposals and negotiation strategies.
- Rate Benchmarking: We provide your organization with critical insights on how your negotiated payor rates stack up against peers within a defined market.
Clearview Partners
Clearview Partners is a boutique consulting firm that specializes in life sciences strategy. They focus on delivering insights in four core areas: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and diagnostics.
One of the notable things about Clearview is that over half of their consultants hold a life sciences Ph.D. This level of expertise is impressive and likely valuable to clients.
Clearview operates primarily in three major cities: Boston, New York, and San Francisco.
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Generalist Firms
Generalist firms are a great option for those interested in healthcare consulting. These firms, such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, have robust healthcare consulting practices and often have a diverse range of projects.
They can include healthcare cost optimization for clinics, due diligence for private equity firms, and even projects in other industries like mining. This variety is one of the main attractions of working for a generalist consulting firm.
If you end up loving healthcare consulting, you may be able to specialize in that field at the generalist firm, or join another specialist healthcare consulting firm. Specialist firms are usually boutique firms with smaller company sizes and tight-knit cultures.
Here are some examples of generalist firms with strong healthcare practices:
Working for a generalist firm can provide a great balance between exposure to healthcare consulting and experience in other industries.
Career Opportunities
After gaining experience in healthcare strategy consulting, you'll have a solid foundation to pursue various career opportunities. You can leverage your expertise to move into a healthcare organization, such as a hospital, insurance company, or pharmaceutical firm, where you'll set the company's strategic direction and make informed decisions.
In addition to industry roles, you can also explore opportunities in government, private equity or venture capital, non-profit, or education and training. For example, you could shape healthcare public policy at government agencies like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Food and Drug Administration.
Here are some potential career paths to consider:
- Healthcare management or corporate strategy in hospitals, insurance, or pharmaceutical companies
- Government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Food and Drug Administration
- Private equity or venture capital, analyzing healthcare investments or working in operations to help portfolio companies grow
- Non-profit organizations focused on improving healthcare access or addressing public health issues
- Academia, teaching or researching healthcare-related topics and becoming an expert in your research area
Case Interview Insights
Case interviews are a crucial part of the consulting hiring process, with McKinsey, BCG, and Bain using them to assess candidates' problem-solving skills.
The case interview typically lasts around 30-60 minutes and involves a mock business scenario presented by the interviewer.
Most case interviews follow a similar structure, starting with an introduction, followed by a problem presentation, and then a discussion of possible solutions.
A key aspect of case interviews is the use of behavioral questions, which aim to understand how candidates have handled similar situations in the past.
According to McKinsey, 90% of the evaluation is based on the candidate's problem-solving skills, with the remaining 10% focused on their fit with the company culture.
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Top Job Tips
To land your dream job in a competitive field, you need to stand out from the crowd. Be clear about your interest in healthcare consulting, including your "why?" - is it to make a difference in the industry or do you have a personal connection to the field?
Articulating your reason for wanting to work in healthcare consulting is crucial. This is because it shows your passion and commitment to the field, making you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.
Your unique "why" can be what sets you apart from others, so don't be afraid to share it. Whether it's a personal story or a professional goal, make sure to communicate it effectively in your job applications and interviews.
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Stay Updated with Industry News
Staying updated with industry news is crucial for healthcare strategy consulting. Most firms publish articles and content about their research and select projects.
Following healthcare news helps you understand the latest developments and trends. This knowledge can inform your consulting decisions and keep you ahead of the curve.
Reading industry publications and websites is a great way to stay informed. You can also attend conferences and events to network with other professionals and learn about new ideas.
By staying up to date with industry news, you can identify opportunities and challenges in the healthcare landscape. This insight can help you develop effective strategies for your clients.
Learning and Growth
In this course, you'll analyze data to form creative and manageable solutions to complex, unstructured situations. This will help you develop a unique approach to problem-solving.
You'll gain exposure to real-world challenges and health care organizations, allowing you to apply your knowledge in practical ways. This hands-on experience will help you learn and grow as a consultant.
As a student in this program, you'll learn about and synthesize strategic concepts, and apply leadership skills to teamwork. You'll know when to lead and when to follow, making you a valuable asset to any team.
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Some of the key learning outcomes of this program include:
- Analyzing data to form creative and manageable solutions
- Linking theory to practice by applying “tools” to problem-solving situations
- Applying leadership skills to teamwork
- Learning about and synthesizing strategic concepts
- Delivering recommendations to project sponsors
- Gaining exposure to real-world challenges and health care organizations
By participating in this program, you'll gain the necessary insight and experience to further your career capabilities and recognize your worth and value as a new budding consultant.
What EY Parthenon Can Do
As a healthcare organization, you're likely facing numerous challenges in today's rapidly changing industry. EY Parthenon can help you tackle these challenges and achieve lasting organizational strength.
Their teams work with healthcare leaders across the ecosystem to develop and drive strategies and solutions. They adopt an investor mindset and collaborate with CEOs, boards, private equity firms, and government entities to shape the future of healthcare.
EY Parthenon's unique strategy, transactions, and value creation solutions work in practice, not just on paper. They help health entities execute short-term projects and multi-year strategic programs, from new operating models to creating new ventures.
Their analysis and tested methodologies are customized for payers, providers, and health services organizations. They use a whole enterprise lens to open transformative possibilities for health organizations.
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Here are some specific services EY Parthenon offers:
• ServiceDescriptionCorporate and Growth StrategyDevelops strategies that propel future growth, including new operating models and go-to-market strategies.M&A and DivestmentHelps organizations analyze and advise on markets, potential targets, and related strategic actions.Value CreationIdentifies and unlocks value in healthcare, including shoring up finances, decreasing cost of care, and enhancing patient experiences.
By working with EY Parthenon, you can gain a deeper understanding of your organization's strengths and weaknesses, and develop a strategic plan to achieve your goals.
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An Overview
Healthcare strategy consulting is a specialized field that helps healthcare organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals.
By analyzing market trends and competitor activity, healthcare strategy consultants can identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
A well-designed healthcare strategy can lead to increased revenue, improved patient outcomes, and enhanced market share.
According to a recent study, 80% of healthcare organizations that implemented a strategic plan saw significant improvements in their financial performance.
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Healthcare strategy consultants use data analysis and market research to identify areas for improvement and develop targeted solutions.
By streamlining operations and improving efficiency, healthcare organizations can reduce costs and allocate resources more effectively.
A survey of healthcare executives found that 75% of organizations that invested in strategic planning reported improved operational efficiency.
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