Online Exclusive: Clinic Management Models: Collaborating With Small Management Companies

Brossett Corp., Monroe, LA, provides turnkey management services for outpatient wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT clinics. Established in 1994, the company is an experienced provider of contracted wound and HBOT services with clients located across the country. What most healthcare providers do not realize that what makes Brossett Corp. one of the longest-standing, independently owned contract wound care and HBOT companies in the United States is the nature of the relationships that company officials are able to develop with clients. While independently owned, smaller management companies may be commonly referred to as “mom and pop” businesses, the staff members at Brossett Corp. embraces this distinction because they believe having a small corporate footprint by design allows for a degree of personal commitment that cannot be duplicated by larger, multilayered organizations.  This article will discuss the approach to business and management that wound care providers can expect when working with a management company that is not the size of a conglomerate.

History of Management Companies

In the 1990s there existed several small, privately owned contractors in the wound care field with a few larger companies competing for contracts. The major obstacle to “winning” a contract during that time was in helping facility administrators and providers to understand that wound care service involved more than having a nurse conducting dressing changes in an exam room and that HBOT was not “voodoo” medicine.

Today, things have changed. Most hospitals now offer organized wound care services, many of which include HBOT as part of a comprehensive treatment program. There are very few existing independently owned turnkey wound care management companies; several large companies with different philosophies now saturate the market.

Companies like Brossett Corp. are able to compete with the larger corporate conglomerates because it offers an alternative that is in stark contrast to what larger contractors provide.

Small Management Company Operation

Brossett Corp. does not charge a management fee like some management companies require. When hospital administration signs a contract with a company that charges a fee up front the hospital is committed to a payment before any wound care visit or HBOT treatment has occurred under that management company. These charges could reflect the support needed for a management company to cover its own overhead with the contracting hospital partner assuming a lot of the risk. Brossett Corp. charges only an equipment fee and a technician fee while assuming the majority of the risk. The company takes on additional risk by reimbursing hospital partners for HBOT denials.

Additionally, when head Brossett Corp. officials are invited to speak with hospital administrators to discuss services offered and contract specifics, these same individuals remain part of the conversations throughout the recruitment process — from planning to implementation — as well as when all aspects of daily business and clinical operational practices are established.

Another key concept to working with a smaller management company such as the Brossett Corp. is the limiting of the number of contracts entered into with partnering hospitals in order to maintain a more intimate level of commitment, involvement, and communication. For all existing partnerships, hospital administration, physician providers, and unit clinical staff have direct 24/7 access to the management company’s corporate leadership. This provides a level of accountability that can be difficult to find in today’s competitive business environment.

Relationship Between Management Company & Partner

Sales, mergers, and changes in corporate leadership are a constant in larger organizations, but the Brossett Corp. has employed the same owner and chief executive officer for more than 20 years.

Brossett Corp. provides personal, hands-on service to contract partners. Daily calls and frequent onsite visits by corporate and clinical staff are ongoing throughout the life of the contract. Hospital and unit staff, physicians, and administration are all included in visits in order to foster open communication.

Levels of services, including equipment and training, are provided by a small group of key experienced personnel and meet all established industry standards. Contract flexibility is another factor that distinguishes companied such as Brossett Corp. from larger contract entities. Rather than having boilerplate contracts, Brossett officials negotiate with hospital administrations to determine the best partnership options that work for all parties involved. No hospital or wound clinic is exactly alike, so having the ability to individualize a contract to meet needs is crucial in this industry.

When changes to protocol are necessary and do occur, it is much easier to work with a small number of Centers to incorporate new practices or make contract adjustments quickly.

Sarah Brossett is former chief operating officer of the Brossett Corp., Monroe, LA.

Editor’s Note: The following article is a first-person account of the operations that occur within one management company. The statements made within this article do not necessarily reflect the ideas or believes of those affiliated with Today’s Wound Clinic journal. This article was not subject to editorial board review.