Outsourcing issues for nurse practitioner practices

When nurse practitioners are expected to assume management roles beyond their usual clinical responsibilities, their clinical talents are typically underleveraged and they are usually unprepared for the complexities of office management. Outsourcing the performance and management of a clinic setting can be a viable alternative that maximizes time, money, and talent. In addition to accessing niche talents such as personnel management, insurance contracting, and billing and collections, these service agreements provide for a steady supply of support staff regardless of sick/vacation time or employee turnover. In exchange for these talents and stability in the workforce, expect long-term contracted compensation rates to be 10% more than your existing combined salary and benefits level. Creating a thoughtful "request for proposal" sets the tone for a structured vendor-evaluation process and provides the framework for appropriate contract elements including management structure, service levels, disaster recovery plans, and payment terms.