Daniel J. Ramsey has been named chief operating officer (COO) for the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS).
Ramsey joined the health system Monday, Jan. 12, in this newly-created role.
"Dan brings a strong background in medical group leadership, physician/hospital integration, network building and managed care experience," said Dr. Susan Turney, MCHS chief executive officer (CEO). "His skills will be invaluable in moving our health system forward at such a critical time in health care. We're tasked to make the best decisions for our patients and communities and Dan's experience will provide solutions."
Three factors attracted Ramsey to MCHS.
"Coming from a large multi-specialty group management background, I've been intrigued by health
systems, health care in general and three major ingredients – multispecialty groups, hospital system relationships and a payor strategy," he said. "Multispecialty group practices are closest to the work of medicine and in the past few years, the three-pronged approach has changed. Today, No. 1 is a strong multispecialty physician group that's efficient and well managed. That comes about with culture and time, like the Clinic soon observing its 100th anniversary.
"The second most important is payer strategy. Owning an insurance program is the strongest play
today with national health care reform through the Accountable Care Act. A handful of groups with experience, like Marshfield Clinic with Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., are much better positioned to accept risk and transfer from fee-for-service to capitation."
MCHS, he added, is looking at population health, improving outcomes and addressing patient needs for the future. "Keeping people healthy is key," he said, "and this is an exciting time for health care and this system."
In this role, the COO supports the CEO to address strategic organizational issues; provide strong, effective leadership strategic insight and ensure best performance of organizational function; develop operating objectives, organizational structure and staffing requirements; provide fiscal oversight; and participate in developing and preparing budgets and plans.
Ramsey has experience in strategic and operational planning, clinical care, growth and expansion,
working with medical education and residencies, incorporating technology into medical practice, physician recruitment, expanding referral bases, in-house lab services and process improvement.
He most recently was COO for Presbyterian Medical Group, Presbyterian Health Services, Albuquerque, New Mexico. That system has more than 700 providers representing 44 specialties with over 100 locations and a large primary-care referral base. The system has more than 1.5 million patient visits annually; integration with its health plan with more than 400,000 members; and 11 patient centered medical homes.
He was CEO of Utica Park Clinic, Ardent Health Services, Tulsa, Oklahoma, an integrated delivery model of 210 providers in multiple groups working in conjunction with six owned hospitals, 34 locations and an active primary care base of 210,000 patients with about 600,000 physician visits annually.
Ramsey has further extensive health care experience, along with Midwest roots that include having been executive vice president/CEO of Prevea Health, Green Bay, and earning undergraduate, master of arts in hospital and health care administration and master of business administration degrees from the University of Iowa.
This native of Waterloo, Iowa, is a member of Medical Group Management Association and American College of Group Practice Administrators.
