Emory Healthcare Network, Georgia’s largest clinically integrated network, is aiming to improve the efficiency of its credentialing process across 11 hospitals and 490 provider locations. The credentialing process ensures that physicians are properly vetted and authorized to provide care.

Emory Healthcare wants to reduce the total time from when a provider begins onboarding to when they are able to treat patients. We are focusing on streamlining provider entry and initial credentialing, where the most significant inefficiencies occur, due to communication gaps and the heavy workload on credentialing specialists.

Our team has identified three opportunities to improve the credentialing process. First, by analyzing the time it takes providers to open and complete applications, we see an opportunity to enhance communication. After revising the email template to include clear deadlines and updating the MSOW application’s user interface to require more fields, we reduced the credentialing application process time by 49.3%. 

Second, to minimize variation in processing times across specialists, we aimed to build a more reliable and standardized credentialing experience for both specialists and providers. To support this, we created a Standardized Operating Procedure (SOP) that outlines internal deadlines, recommended task sequences, communication templates, and escalation protocols. This SOP is paired with an Excel tool that standardizes how specialists track credentialing progress.

Finally, the current system of tracking cases individually limits team visibility. We developed two dashboards to improve visibility and reduce manual work. One dashboard focuses on providing credentialing sub-process times, while the other tracks credentialing applications. Together, they give the team the insights needed to make faster, more informed decisions.