1. SECOND OPINION
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT & STRATEGIC SUPPORT
JAMES R. THOMAS, FACHE – PRESIDENT
843.609.5656 (C), 843.216.7266 (B/F)
JAMIE.THOMAS64@YAHOO.COM
Target: Hospital CEOs, Physician Groups, other healthcare managers
The expectations and measurements for performance in healthcare
management have accelerated over the last five years. Operational, clinical,
and strategic analytics have expanded and so the information flow to a
department manager, a nurse executive, or a CEO is plentiful, instructive,
and sometimes overwhelming. Certainly, the “analyst” element of any
organization is important. But with so many areas to measure, there is a
consistent sense of falling behind---not paying enough attention to
information that can improve my emergency room, improve the treatment
of sepsis, measure hand washing, track my primary care’s referrals, allow
my navigators or case managers or floor nurses to perform with CORE
measures or patient satisfaction, and on and on. The proliferation and
emphasis on analytics can inform a decision, but are simply tools. The
management of medical staffs, management teams, service lines, and
strategic moves are legacy skills that in fact continue to be essential to
your success.
So the issues and considerations for your organization have grown and
setting priorities is more challenging. Everything feels like a priority; but
time, energy, and resources are limited. My engagement is a confidential,
low profile process that provides an additional resource and perspective
on an issue or project, or more comprehensively on your strategies and
priorities. I can help simplify and clarify your approach---serve as one
more team member---give you a second opinion.
There are times, when you are facing a decision and would like another
perspective, or you would like someone to interview a physician group
that is experiencing internal issues that impact you, or you need additional
analytics around a project, or you want another perspective on the
competitive landscape, or you are simply searching for technical support
and need someone to recommend a resource.
The engagement is designed, defined and directed by you and might range
from one structured telephone conversation (a written report is provided
for all engagements), to the review of a project, to a more comprehensive

2. review of strategic/business plans that includes interviews with all key
stakeholders (medical staff, management, Board members)
My objective is to bring another perspective that can be one to one with
you. My intent is not to construct your plan or second-guess a direction,
but simply to provide a low cost means to simplify your thinking --around
a particular issue or around your overall priorities.
My experience is in large systems and rural settings, in both for profit and
not for profit organizations, in physician group practices, and in acute and
specialty hospitals. As importantly, I have developed a network of
individuals and organizations that can provide additional support when
required. My exposure to multiple settings gives me a range of approaches
and my management/operational experience gives me a view of what is
realistic and doable.
Subjects for discussion include:
• Service line strengthening and development
• Cost containment
• Medical staff issues, alignment, and development
• Management issues and team development
• Medical staff leadership and clinical excellence agenda
• Merger, acquisitions, affiliations
• Capital deployment, business plans
• Service excellence, patient experience
• Operational metrics
• Payer strategy
I would like to work with you to provide a measure of support and
another perspective to your issues and priorities.
Jamie Thomas, Second Opinion, LLC
SECOND OPINION: HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT & STRATEGIC SUPPORT