Like other health systems, Essentia Health has grown as several smaller organizations came together to form a large integrated health system. This growth benefits the communities we serve with greater access to services and specialty care, along with a greater ability to navigate challenges like workforce development and declining reimbursement. But this growth also brings complex differences that need to be thoughtfully managed to achieve standardization, without disadvantaging individual colleagues.

For example, a compensation system with a productivity component based on RVUs may work well for Family Practice APPs but might not work as effectively for APPs in specialties like surgery. Our challenge is to create a system that works well for everyone and ensures we can continue providing high-quality care to our patients (i.e., providing incentives, rewarding performance, etc.).

As we have acknowledged, while our goal is to create a single standardized model, the process is not easy. The good news is we are already piloting a new compensation model in the East Market.