Long-distance medicine, examined up close

As a top-ranked U.S. healthcare institution, The University of Kansas Health System has long been at the forefront of quaternary-care clinical innovation. Twenty-five years ago, it began piloting a number of specialized telemedicine services, which evolved separately to serve patients across the state. Now the health system wanted to build a consolidated telemedicine organization, one equal to its legacy of high-level clinical care. KPMG was asked to help make it happen.

KPMG assessed the operations of the health system in granular detail, designed an ideal-state operational and technical model, then brought the vision to life. Today, with new infrastructure in place for a financially and operationally sustainable program, the health system is positioned to deliver a consistent telemedicine patient experience, through expanded channels, for years to come.

KPMG helped The University of Kansas Health System design and launch an integrated clinical, technical, and administrative operating model for its enterprise-wide telemedicine program. Specific benefits include:

• a financially sustainable business model established, with new reimbursement strategies developed and an ROI framework in place for future-planning purposes

• a consistent health system telemedicine patient experience, supported by standardized workflows and credentialed training administered to more than 300 system-wide clinicians and administrative staff

• prototypes launched for four clinical service lines across two care settings: in-patient stroke neurology, in-patient psychiatry, ambulatory and in-patient oncology

• increased visibility and financial credibility for the telemedicine as a distinct function within the health system

• best practice vendor selection and vendor management protocols in place to support the health system as it puts into place its underlying technology platform.

KPMG helped the The University of Kansas Health System leadership team realize its vision of an operationally integrated telemedicine function, through assessment, business case development, design, implementation, and training. KPMG:

• designed target-state operating model, including clinical workflows and protocols, technical requirements, ROI and performance-metrics, and governance to determine future investments

• assessed every clinical, administrative, technical, and financial dimension of current telemedicine operation, to identify gaps and opportunities, against best practice standards

• built a fact- and ROI-based business case for establishment of a telemedicine program—aligned with the health system strategy, premised upon pragmatic solutions, and geared to tangible results

• supplied implementation playbook for rapid deployment of additional clinical service lines and clinical sites

• collaborated closely with stakeholders, including executive, clinician, and administrative staff teams during the unfolding of the project.

Visionary leadership teams need strong business cases to power ambitious agendas

At The University of Kansas Health System, our mandate included helping leadership shape a strong, fact- and ROI-based case for investment and change. The subsequent stakeholder management process was based directly on sustaining buy-in for the business case.

Leading nonprofit and government entities value relevant commercial-sector best practices

They appreciate innovation and leading industry insight, tailored to their mission, and attuned to the expectations of the constituencies they serve.

Process and technology changes contain inherent organizational challenges

Our experience and multidisciplinary approach give us a 360-degree, systems perspective that helps clients anticipate and address predictable impacts on organization and culture.