Joseph W. Mitlyng, MBA, FACMPE

Mitlyng Associates Inc. is headed by Joseph W. Mitlyng, a nationally known leader in medical practice management and hospital-physician relationships:

He brings to this work an unusual combination of extensive, successful experience as both a healthcare executive and as a consultant.

He has 19 years experience with nationally known medical groups, where he developed a reputation as an effective executive in working with both physicians and hospital leadership.

He brings 18 years consulting experience in top management organization and performance improvement – both within and outside of healthcare – where his focus is on the success of both the organization and the individuals involved.

He has contributed to thinking in the field with articles on the hospital-physician relationship: “It Takes More Than Money – Keys to Success in Leading and Managing Physician Groups” and on leadership: “Leaders as Combat Fighter Pilots.” He co-authored a textbook: Leadership for the Future with Austin Ross, FACHE, FACMPE and Frederick J. Wenzel, FACMPE, published by Health Administration Press in 2002. His most recent article is "A New Tool for Hospital/Physician Strategic Alignment: The Subsidiary Physician Corporation," published by the Physician Executive Journal in 2008.

Mitlyng Associates was formed in 1994. Clients have included hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and physician groups. Consulting services have included the areas of governance, leadership, and management of physician groups and physician-hospital organizations; operations improvement; compensation; and improving managed care performance. Mr. Mitlyng has also served as an interim executive with hands on, line management responsibility for financial turnarounds.

From April, 2001 to March, 2003, he was the Interim President and CEO of Affiliated Physicians Group, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. He was directly responsible for the financial turnaround of this physician group. The turnaround was accomplished with leadership and governance changes, physician compensation system change, physician turnover and practice changes, reductions in costs, and improved revenue cycle performance. Development of a strategic relationship between the hospital and the physicians was the key to the success of this engagement.

All of this change – to a “Private Practice with Supportive Infrastructure” – was accomplished without media publicity. The group’s performance has continued to improve since the transition to permanent leadership; it is a major contributor to the success of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

In 1999, he led the development of a multi-specialty group for the University of Louisville Medical School. This engagement involved developing a strategic relationship between the Department Chairs, the Hospital CEO and the Dean of the Medical School.

Other engagements have involved the development of strategic relationships between a hospital and its employed physician group; between a hospital and its independent physicians and medical groups; and between a hospital, its PHO and payers.

From 1986 to 1994, Mr. Mitlyng was Executive Vice President and COO, Park Nicollet Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN. Park Nicollet had had losses of $2-3 million per year in 1983 to 1985. In the next eight years, the leadership team increased net worth from $3 million to $33 million while restoring competitive salaries, rebuilding facilities, and upgrading equipment. Accomplishments included developing a partnership relationship with our primary hospital in Radiology, Cardiology/Cardiovascular Surgery, and Ambulatory Surgery. After some challenges in rebasing the relationship with the major payer that represented 60% of revenue, we also built a partnership relationship with our payers in contract negotiations and in managing the cost of care.

From 1975 to 1986, he was Associate Director, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, WI. Marshfield Clinic and St. Joseph’s Hospital are co-located and have some shared operations. Mr. Mitlyng was responsible for clinic operations and had clinic responsibility for the shared operations.

From 1970 to 1975, following his military experience, he began his career in management consulting -- working with Booz-Allen & Hamilton and two consulting firms started by former Booz Allen officers. Consulting experience with Booz-Allen was in the area of top management organization engagements. From 1967 to 1969, he was an officer in the United States Army.

Mr. Mitlyng is a Past President of the Medical Group Management Association. He was the first member of the Park Nicollet Board who was not a physician. He was a board member of MedCenter Health Plan at the time MedCenters merged with Group Health to form HealthPartners, the largest HMO in the Twin Cities area. He was also a member of the HealthSystem Minnesota Board, the parent of Park Nicollet and Methodist Hospital which was formed at the time of the merger between Park Nicollet and Methodist Hospital.

Mr. Mitlyng has a Masters in Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a Bachelors in Mathematics from Carleton College.