Reliant Medical Group: Team approach to advancement

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By Christina P. O'neill

Patients undergoing treatment at Reliant Medical Group experience a seamless process in which their records are shared across the provider network. What they don't see – but benefit from – is a comprehensive education and training program that has resulted in staff retention and longevity.

Reliant Medical Group's nearly 2,500 employees have the opportunity to advance their skills as they choose.

Medical assistants who aspire to become nurses can attend school while working for Reliant, taking advantage of shadowing programs and tuition reimbursement, according to Chief Human Resources Officer Joseph Ricciardi.

“We're happy to keep them in the family,” said Linda Coccola, vice president of marketing and communications. “We generally have a lot of (staff) longevity here,” which provides continuity for both patients and the medical group.

Reliant has adopted the lean process since 2009, a manufacturing concept it has adapted as its patient care improvement system, which seeks to close gaps in process, eliminate waste and add value with the participation of staff and physicians unified by electronic medical records (EMR).

“That continuity is really important to make sure we understand the patient,” said Coccola.

The medical group's annual review program includes an electronic performance review system with continual followup.

Internal training programs range from leadership development and team-building to development of computer skills. In external programs, managers support employees' development by funding workshops, seminars and conferences at the manager's discretion. Conference attendees are expected to share what they've learned.

Employees working more than 30 hours a week receive 100-percent education reimbursement, up to $3,000 per year, contingent on a passing grade of B- or above. Part-time employees also receive help on education costs.

The Reliant Management Development Academy, now in its fourth year, offers new-manager and supervisor training and orientation, targeting mid-level managers to feed Reliant's leadership succession needs.

Each staff cohort, comprised of both physicians and non-physicians, attends a 10-month program, meeting monthly offsite. Graduating students in each cohort deliver a tangible work-related project with the potential to be implemented across the organization, Ricciardi said.

“The health care business side has changed a lot because of the Affordable Care Act,” Coccola said. “More and more health care providers are responsible for quality and the cost of care. Now, there is so much more accountability around the business of care. The more we train people about the changing industry, the more able they are to adapt to change.”