Methodist Physicians Clinic's strategic plan starts with recruiting the best providers

This message from Todd Grages, president and CEO of Methodist Physicians Clinic, is the last in a series of Leadership Updates that will profile the strategic plans for each of Methodist Health System’s clinical affiliates. 

Methodist Physicians Clinic (MPC) has been an integral part of the health system since 1952. Now, with more than 30 clinic locations, nearly 500 providers and more than 20 specialties, MPC continues to be the largest locally owned not-for-profit group practice in Nebraska. 

Physician recruitment success

Having timely access to care is the driving force behind our provider recruitment. It has been and always will be our top priority. I’m sure it’s not surprising, but more and more people are coming to Methodist for their care – as evidenced by over 65,000 urgent care visits in 2023. 

We opened two new urgent care locations – Papillion and downtown Omaha – and they have contributed significantly to those numbers. Our urgent care locations are the gateway to our health system. When a person has an immediate health care need, they’re likely utilizing one of our many urgent care sites. Following their visit, many transition their care to one of our primary care providers for the long term. In 2023, MPC reported a total patient panel size of 326,000, resulting in total patient encounters topping 818,500. Of that, 86,000 were new patient encounters.

Another strength is our specialists – providers who our primary care team can refer to when more specialized care is needed. We are continually looking for more specialty areas to add to our MPC family in an effort to continue to meet the needs of all patients.

Planning for 2024-2026

As I noted earlier, provider recruitment never stops for us. In 2024 alone, we expect to add over 30 new providers, and that number could increase. Methodist has a tremendous culture and mission, which make us an attractive place to provide care. Our physician-led practice model is somewhat unique, and because of that, our physician satisfaction numbers are at or above the 95^th percentile nationally each year – a mark we have hit for 13 consecutive years.

Happy physicians lead to happy patients, and that’s at the core of what we strive for with every visit. Our providers work hard to develop relationships with patients who trust us with their care. There’s a level of trust that comes with caring for someone, and our patient experience scores reflect that. This will always be a component of our strategic plan.

Our other focus areas include:

• Continually exploring clinic sites and expansion
• Enhancing our outreach efforts in the communities we serve
• Leveraging community resources and partnerships to address behavioral health challenges and other social determinants of health
• Implementing new care models to improve the health of patients with chronic ailments

The gateway to the health system

For many, the patient experience at Methodist starts at our clinics. A registration team member is often the first face they see, and we want that to be a pleasant encounter. From the waiting room to the exam room and the interactions with our providers, it all needs to reflect our culture and our mission. We all work together to take care of patients. We want to make sure the experience we provide is one of the best in the nation.

I’ve been in my role since 2005. As I round to all of our clinics and make it a point to connect with our staff members and providers, there’s always one common message: They love being part of Methodist. They take pride in what they do, and they’re honored to be part of a health system that cares for our patients as one team. Methodist is a special place, and employees and patients alike want to be a part of who we are and what we do.

We should never be satisfied with what we’ve accomplished. There’s so much more this organization can do. Together we can make a tremendous impact to the patients we serve for decades to come.