Making alliances that produce peace of mind and solutions to medical practice concerns
As a doctor, you have vowed to provide your patients with the best care available based on your ability and judgment. But who looks out for you?
The Central Florida Physician’s Alliance is one answer to that question, as they have organized and supported hundreds of physicians in Central Florida since launching in 1987. The CFPA is a network of physicians and healthcare professionals who work together to improve healthcare in Central Florida— both for doctors and patients. “It’s the largest network of independent physicians in Central Florida,” explains Director Jorge Fonseca, with over 190 independent physicians— from allergists to urologists and everything in between— getting the best of both worlds: the freedom of an independent practice coupled with the administrative support of the alliance. It’s a win-win for all involved: the patient, the physician, and the community where both doctor and patient live and work.
The mission and end-goal of the alliance is to “promote high-quality, innovative and patient-focused healthcare,” but physicians and other healthcare professionals benefit from the alliance just as much as patients do and the Central Florida community. “Once they join CFPA,” says Fonseca, “we— the administrative side— will support the physicians . . . with insurance companies, with CMAs for credentialing, and we make sure that all their staff gets all their regulatory training . . . so the physicians don’t have to worry about any of those things. They can just focus on practicing medicine.” Doctors get the support of a large medical group without losing any of the freedoms associated with a private practice. In essence, the CFPA handles administrative functions while members simply practice medicine. “The physician can concentrate on the patient, so that he or she can provide better care,” states Fonseca, and thus, the mission of the CFPA is successful. “We provide them with peace of mind,” Fonseca sums up, and that alone makes it a pretty good deal.
Administrative support isn’t the only perk for members, either. The Alliance’s Board of Directors is made up of physician members, and there is a monthly meeting for members to get together and work on the big issues in healthcare in Central Florida. Fonseca describes, “All of our members are welcome to come to this meeting and discuss issues that affect their practice, and we try to come up with solutions.”
There are also opportunities for members to network with one another to form professional relationships with fellow physicians and other healthcare providers, thus building a community of independent physicians all focused on patient care. For physicians operating stand-alone independent practices, the CFPA assists with the referral process. It’s a boon to both primary care physicians and the 100 or so specialists on CFPA’s member roster. “All of our specialists are board-certified,” Fonseca continues. “Our primary care doctors know that when they need a physician specialist, they can count on a really highly qualified physician to take care of their patients if he or she is a CFPA member.” It’s another peace of mind issue. “Our primary care doctors don’t have to worry about sending patients to another group where they don’t know the physicians; all of our physicians are local, so they all get to know each other.” Most importantly, being a part of the Central Florida Physician’s Alliance benefits both the patient and the physician, all while fulfilling the alliance’s credo of improving the quality and cost of healthcare in Central Florida.
CREDIT
by ERIKA ALDRICH