Issue/opportunity

A $3B regional health system had acquired multiple physician groups, resulting in inconsistent referral patterns, siloed scheduling, and misaligned compensation models that rewarded volume over value. Leakage exceeded $80M annually, primarily in cardiology and oncology.

Approach & outcomes

• Conducted referral flow and payer-mix analysis across 400+ employed and affiliated physicians.
• Redesigned compensation to reward downstream specialty contribution and in-system referrals.
• Established shared governance between primary care and specialty leadership.
• Implemented CRM-enabled referral management and transparency dashboards.

Results

• 22% increase in in-system specialty referrals within nine months.
• $18M annualized revenue retention from reduced leakage.
• Improved access times and physician satisfaction through transparent scheduling and co-location