Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

TeamHealth

TeamHealth is an American physician services organization specializing in outsourced clinical staffing, practice management, and administrative services for hospitals and healthcare facilities, primarily in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, hospitalist care, and radiology.^[1]^[2] Founded in 1979 in Knoxville, Tennessee, by emergency physicians including Dr. Lynn Massingale, the company began as a local group managing emergency departments and expanded nationally to become one of the largest providers of such services, staffing over 3,300 sites across the United States.^[3]^[4] Acquired by private equity firm Blackstone in 2017, TeamHealth has been recognized for clinical quality initiatives and workplace rankings, including listings among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Becker's Top Places to Work in Healthcare.^[5]^[6]^[7] However, the company has faced significant controversies, including multiple lawsuits alleging fraudulent billing practices such as upcoding Medicare claims, issuing surprise bills to patients, and overcharging for unnecessary tests in emergency settings, which have drawn scrutiny over its role in escalating healthcare costs under private equity ownership.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Overview

Founding and Mission

TeamHealth originated in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1979 as Southeastern Emergency Physicians, established by a group of emergency medicine specialists led by co-founders Lynn Massingale, MD, and Randal Dabbs, MD, to address the challenges of staffing hospital emergency departments amid the nascent formal recognition of emergency medicine as a specialty.^[11]^[12]^[13] The initiative stemmed from physicians' direct experience with inconsistent coverage and operational disruptions in understaffed facilities, prompting a collaborative model for outsourced clinical staffing that emphasized physician autonomy and expertise.^[11]^[14] The founding mission focused on delivering reliable, high-quality emergency physician services to hospitals, aiming to enhance patient care outcomes and departmental stability through clinician-led teams rather than administrative or profit-driven imperatives.^[15]^[16] This physician-centric approach sought to foster professional environments that supported effective emergency medicine practice, prioritizing clinical reliability and team development over expansive revenue strategies in its initial phase.^[11]^[16] Over time, the organization transitioned from localized emergency department contracts to a wider framework of medical group outsourcing, maintaining an emphasis on operational efficiency and care quality derived from its origins in frontline physician collaboration.^[11]^[17] This evolution reflected a commitment to scaling physician services while rooted in the goal of mitigating staffing vulnerabilities without early reliance on aggressive financial tactics.^[16]

Corporate Structure and Ownership

TeamHealth operates as a general business corporation headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, utilizing a holding company structure with multiple subsidiaries to manage administrative, financial, and operational services across healthcare specialties.^[18] Key subsidiaries include entities such as Team Health, Inc. (Tennessee-based) and various limited liability companies like Anesthesix Holdings, LLC (Delaware-based), which support specialized functions without direct ownership of medical practices.^[19] This framework allows TeamHealth to provide management services to affiliated physician groups and hospitals, contracting for staffing and billing while avoiding direct engagement in the practice of medicine to comply with state corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) prohibitions that restrict non-physician entities from controlling clinical decisions or owning professional practices.^[20]^[21] In October 2016, TeamHealth announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by private equity funds affiliated with The Blackstone Group for $6.1 billion, including the assumption of debt, with the transaction closing in March 2017 and converting the company to private ownership.^[22]^[23] Co-investors included the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), and Korea National Pension Service (NPS).^[23] Under Blackstone's ownership, TeamHealth has maintained its subsidiary-based operations focused on scalable contract management, emphasizing revenue cycle services and clinician deployment without altering its core compliance with CPOM doctrines.^[24] As a privately held entity, detailed ownership stakes beyond Blackstone's controlling interest are not publicly disclosed.^[25]

Scale and Operations

TeamHealth operates a nationwide network of more than 19,000 affiliated physicians and advanced practice clinicians, who provide outsourced clinical services to over 2,500 healthcare facilities across the United States.^[1]^[26] The company's core operational focus encompasses emergency medicine, anesthesiology, hospital medicine, and high-acuity care, facilitating comprehensive staffing and management solutions tailored to acute care settings.^[1] Revenue is derived primarily from fixed-fee and percentage-of-collections contracts with hospitals and other providers for these outsourced services, enabling TeamHealth to handle over 28 million patient encounters each year.^[1]^[27] To enhance operational performance, TeamHealth utilizes proprietary analytics platforms, such as the Online Staffing Optimization (OSO) tool for real-time data capture and shift scheduling, and the Cognition system for monitoring quality metrics and clinical outcomes in emergency medicine programs.^[28]^[29] These technologies support evidence-based decision-making to optimize clinician deployment and facility throughput.^[30]

Historical Development

Early Years and Expansion (1979–1990s)

TeamHealth was founded in October 1979 in Knoxville, Tennessee, as Southeastern Emergency Physicians by physicians Lynn Massingale, MD, John Minchey, MD, and Randal Dabbs, MD, coinciding with the recognition of emergency medicine as the 23rd medical specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties.^[11] The group addressed hospitals' challenges in securing reliable 24/7 emergency department coverage, leveraging the founders' expertise to secure initial contracts with regional facilities in Tennessee, where physician shortages and inconsistent staffing often led to operational gaps.^[11] Early growth emphasized physician-led standardization of emergency care protocols to handle high patient volumes efficiently, establishing a hybrid staffing model that combined permanent placements with temporary locum tenens physicians to ensure continuity.^[11] This approach filled staffing voids amid rising demand from post-1960s Medicare expansions, which increased emergency visits without corresponding physician supply growth, allowing Southeastern to expand contracts organically within the Southeast by partnering directly with hospitals seeking dependable outsourced services.^[31] By the early 1990s, the organization had scaled through additional physician partnerships, such as John Staley, MD, joining in 1987, supporting further regional outreach.^[11] In 1994, Southeastern merged with three other physician groups, rebranding as TeamHealth and reaching 200 emergency physicians across 27 hospitals in four states, capitalizing on healthcare market consolidation and hospitals' shift toward specialized contract management for emergency departments.^[32] This expansion reflected demand for scalable, protocol-driven staffing amid 1990s trends in managed care and facility mergers, positioning TeamHealth as a key provider before broader national acquisitions.^[32]

Acquisitions and National Growth (2000s–2010s)

During the 2000s and early 2010s, TeamHealth expanded its service offerings beyond emergency medicine by acquiring regional physician groups specializing in anesthesiology, marking its initial entry into that sector. In January 2010, the company acquired Anesthetix Management LLC, a provider of comprehensive anesthesia services, which enabled TeamHealth to staff ambulatory surgery centers and hospital-based procedures nationwide.^[33] This move diversified its portfolio amid growing demand for outsourced anesthesia staffing, followed by the September 2011 acquisition of Anesthesia Services, Inc., operations, further strengthening its anesthesia division with additional regional practices.^[34] TeamHealth also entered the hospitalist services market through targeted acquisitions of inpatient physician groups, addressing hospital needs for coordinated acute care staffing. In November 2011, it acquired the operations of Integrity Hospitalists Group LLC, a Tennessee-based provider, expanding its footprint in hospital medicine.^[35] The company's most significant consolidation occurred in 2015 with the $1.6 billion acquisition of IPC Healthcare, Inc., a national leader in acute hospitalist and post-acute care, which integrated over 2,000 clinicians and bolstered TeamHealth's presence across acute and transitional care settings.^[31] These deals increased service diversity and national scale, with IPC's network enhancing coverage in underserved regions facing physician shortages.^[31] Amid the Affordable Care Act's implementation, which expanded insurance coverage and heightened hospital demands for physician staffing, TeamHealth scaled contracts with health systems to manage increased patient volumes under prevailing fee-for-service models.^[36] This period saw annual revenue growth of 22.1% through organic expansion and acquisitions, driven by volume-based care where outsourced clinicians improved operational efficiency for clients by reducing administrative burdens and ensuring 24/7 coverage.^[36] By the mid-2010s, these strategies positioned TeamHealth as a dominant national provider, contracting with over 3,000 facilities and emphasizing scalable staffing solutions.^[31]

Private Equity Era and Recent Milestones (2010s–2025)

In February 2017, TeamHealth was acquired by funds affiliated with The Blackstone Group LP, in partnership with co-investors CDPQ, PSP Investments, and NPS, for approximately $6.1 billion, converting the company from public to private ownership.^[37]^[24] This transaction, announced in October 2016, provided substantial capital resources that supported operational expansions and strategic initiatives amid a competitive healthcare staffing landscape.^[38] The private equity era facilitated TeamHealth's adaptation to evolving regulatory environments, particularly the No Surprises Act enacted in 2021 and effective January 1, 2022, which eliminated surprise billing for out-of-network emergency services by mandating patient protections and shifting disputes to independent resolution processes.^[39] TeamHealth engaged extensively in the Act's independent dispute resolution (IDR) arbitration, accounting for 54% of dispute lines initiated by providers in analyzed periods, reflecting efforts to negotiate fair reimbursements from insurers without direct patient billing.^[40] Key milestones included a December 2021 Nevada state court jury verdict awarding TeamHealth $2.65 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages against UnitedHealthcare for alleged underpayments on out-of-network emergency claims spanning 2010–2017.^[41]^[42] In June 2025, the Nevada Supreme Court overturned aspects of the verdict, ruling that insurers like UnitedHealthcare held no liability for out-of-network emergency reimbursements under implied contract or unjust enrichment theories, thereby limiting recovery options for providers in similar disputes.^[43]^[44] In August 2025, Ascension Wisconsin initially planned to outsource staffing for intensive care units at its Milwaukee-area hospitals to TeamHealth, aiming to address post-pandemic physician shortages through contracted services.^[45] Physicians expressed concerns over potential staffing reductions and increased reliance on remote monitoring, prompting opposition from medical staff and intervention by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who questioned the arrangement's implications for care quality.^[46]^[47] Ascension abandoned the plan on August 27, 2025, retaining in-house ICU staffing to mitigate risks to patient outcomes.^[48]

Business Model and Services

Core Clinical Services

TeamHealth specializes in providing contract-based staffing for hospital emergency departments, deploying emergency physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and support staff to manage high-volume patient influxes and acute presentations. This outsourcing model enables hospitals to maintain 24/7 coverage without internal recruitment challenges, with TeamHealth handling over 5,000 emergency medicine clinicians across more than 700 facilities as of recent operations.^[49] In emergency medicine, the company emphasizes evidence-based protocols integrated with proprietary tools like the Cognition platform for real-time staffing optimization and patient flow management, aiming to reduce door-to-doctor times and enhance throughput in high-acuity environments such as trauma centers.^[49] Anesthesiology services form another pillar, where TeamHealth supplies anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists to operating rooms and ambulatory surgery centers under long-term contracts, focusing on perioperative care efficiency. These teams implement LEAN-certified processes and opioid-sparing pathways to minimize adverse events and support surgical volume growth, with on-site medical directors overseeing compliance with national standards tailored to facility needs.^[50] Critical care operations involve intensivist-led teams for intensive care units, providing round-the-clock multidisciplinary rounding with nurses, pharmacists, and therapists to address sepsis, respiratory failure, and multi-organ dysfunction. Standardized protocols, blending Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines with hospital-specific adaptations, have been associated with measurable outcomes including reduced ICU length of stay by 0.5 to 1.0 days and fewer ventilator-dependent days in partnered sites.^[51] Across these specialties, delivery relies on a national clinician network for rapid deployment and retention strategies yielding 93% clinician stability, allowing hospitals to outsource clinical leadership while retaining operational control.^[2] While core staffing remains on-site, select integrations of remote monitoring tools occur in partnered ICUs to augment oversight, though telemedicine adoption varies by contract and regulatory context rather than as a uniform protocol.^[52]

Staffing and Contracting Practices

TeamHealth recruits board-certified physicians and advanced practice clinicians for a range of roles, including full-time positions and flexible locum tenens assignments, across specialties such as emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and hospitalist services.^[53]^[54] These opportunities emphasize professional development, administrative support, and deployment in diverse clinical settings to meet hospital needs.^[55] To address labor shortages, the company leverages data analytics for precise demand forecasting and staffing optimization. Its Online Staffing Optimization (OSO) platform provides real-time insights into emergency department volumes, patient acuity, and throughput, enabling administrators to schedule clinicians with matching skill sets during peak periods and seasonal variations.^[28] This approach has demonstrated efficiency gains, such as smoothing staffing across multi-hospital systems by modeling winter peaks and off-seasons.^[28] In hospital partnerships, TeamHealth employs outsourcing models where it handles recruitment, back-office operations, and risk management tools, allowing contracted providers to concentrate on clinical decisions amid administrative complexities.^[56] These contracts support scalability from urban to rural facilities, including telemedicine integrations that bolster coverage in underserved regions prone to workforce gaps.^[57] By deploying adaptable teams, TeamHealth contributes to sustained provider availability in areas with persistent shortages.^[57]

Billing and Revenue Strategies

TeamHealth generates revenue primarily through professional fees charged for clinical services provided by its contracted physicians and advanced practitioners, billed separately from the facility fees handled by hospitals. These professional fees cover emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and other specialties staffed under contract, allowing TeamHealth to negotiate rates directly with payers rather than relying solely on hospital reimbursements.^[58] This bifurcated billing structure—professional fees to insurers for provider work versus facility fees for hospital overhead—has enabled higher charge multiples compared to service costs, particularly in emergency settings where acuity drives coding levels.^[9] Prior to the No Surprises Act's implementation on January 1, 2022, TeamHealth frequently operated out-of-network with insurers, resulting in surprise billing exposures where patients received balance bills exceeding in-network rates. This out-of-network status served as leverage in negotiations, as evidenced by over 100,000 surprise bills issued in 2017 to secure elevated reimbursements from payers seeking to resolve patient complaints. Billing strategies emphasized high-acuity designations, such as trauma team activations, which justify elevated evaluation and management codes (e.g., CPT 99291 for critical care) tied to resource mobilization like additional personnel and diagnostics, aligning reimbursements with documented clinical intensity rather than routine visits.^[59]^[60] The No Surprises Act shifted dispute resolution from patients to payers via independent dispute resolution (IDR) arbitration for out-of-network emergency and air ambulance services, eliminating direct patient liability beyond in-network cost-sharing. Under this framework, TeamHealth and similar providers submit claims to federal IDR for baseball-style arbitration, where arbitrators select the final payment amount based on factors including the qualifying payment amount (QPA) and historical contracted rates, often resulting in awards exceeding QPAs but approximating prior out-of-network settlements. This reform reduced patient burdens while intensifying provider-insurer tensions, prompting TeamHealth to prioritize in-network contracting and IDR participation to sustain revenue streams amid moderated leverage from surprise billing.^[61]^[62]

Leadership and Governance

Key Executives and Their Backgrounds

Leif M. Murphy has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TeamHealth since September 2016, succeeding Michael D. Snow.^[63] With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, business development, and finance, Murphy previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at LifePoint Health from 2013 to 2016, where he oversaw financial strategy and operations for the hospital operator.^[64] Earlier roles include President and CEO of DSI Renal, Inc., a dialysis services provider, and Senior Vice President and Treasurer at CVS/Caremark, Inc., contributing to his focus on scaling healthcare services through financial and operational efficiencies.^[64] He holds a bachelor's degree from Furman University and an MBA from the College of William & Mary.^[64] Joseph T. "Jody" Crane, MD, MBA, has been Chief Medical Officer since May 1, 2019, overseeing clinical quality, safety, risk management, operations, and performance improvement initiatives.^[65] A board-certified emergency physician, Crane brings extensive clinical leadership experience, including prior roles in physician executive management and adjunct teaching in lean healthcare methodologies at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business.^[66] His appointment emphasized integrating medical expertise with operational strategies in a clinician-led model, despite the company's private equity ownership structure.^[65] In 2021, Modern Healthcare recognized Crane among the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for advancing value-based care and clinician support.^[67] Michael Wiechart serves as President and Chief Operating Officer, with over 33 years in healthcare management focused on strategic growth and service line expansion.^[68] His tenure at TeamHealth underscores operational expertise in managing large-scale physician staffing and contracting across emergency, hospitalist, and anesthesia services.^[69] The leadership also includes co-founders with deep clinical roots: Lynn Massingale, MD, as Chairman; James George, MD, JD, as Strategic Advisor with more than 30 years in emergency medicine; and Randal Dabbs, MD, as President of Practice Development, reflecting the company's origins in physician-led emergency services founded in 1979.^[69]^[70] This mix of financial, operational, and medical backgrounds supports TeamHealth's model of clinician governance within a corporate framework.^[69]

Strategic Direction and Innovations

TeamHealth has pursued a strategic shift toward value-based care models, exemplified by the launch of TeamACO in February 2024, an accountable care organization initiative targeting post-acute care for over 17,000 Medicare patients annually. This program emphasizes patient-centered approaches to reduce avoidable costs, achieving $15.8 million in savings for Medicare enrollees in its inaugural 2024 performance year and generating $6.1 million in shared savings for participants.^[71]^[72] The strategy aligns with broader reimbursement reforms by prioritizing outcomes over volume, including advocacy for payment structures that reflect actual care delivery costs in emergency and hospital settings.^[73] In quality improvement, leadership has driven empirical programs linking clinician performance to measurable outcomes, such as a 2016 hospital medicine pilot at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center that reduced congestive heart failure 30-day readmission rates from 16.39% through targeted interventions like enhanced discharge planning and follow-up protocols.^[74] Similar initiatives in contracted emergency departments have yielded lower overall readmission rates via standardized quality metrics, with one Louisiana hospital case reporting sustained improvements post-clinical integration efforts including scribe hiring and patient callback systems.^[75] These programs incorporate data-driven staffing adjustments to mitigate clinician burnout, focusing on skill mix optimization rather than expansion.^[76] Innovations under strategic oversight include the APEX patient experience program, introduced in 2025, which provides facility partners with mentoring and tools to enhance care continuity from emergency triage to discharge, aiming to boost satisfaction scores and operational efficiency.^[77] Complementary efforts in virtual care transformation support predictive resource allocation, though public data on AI-specific triage deployments remains limited, with emphasis instead on hybrid models integrating telehealth for high-acuity case management to reduce errors in overburdened ERs.^[78] These directions reflect a commitment to causal linkages between process reforms and outcomes, amid private equity influences post-2017 Blackstone acquisition that prioritize scalable excellence over traditional fee-for-service dependencies.^[5]

Legal and Regulatory Issues

Major Litigations with Insurers

In April 2019, affiliates of TeamHealth, including Fremont Emergency Services, initiated a lawsuit in Nevada state court against UnitedHealthcare and its affiliates, alleging systematic underpayments for out-of-network emergency physician services on over 11,000 claims totaling approximately $10.5 million.^[79]^[80] TeamHealth contended that UnitedHealthcare breached an implied-in-fact contract by reimbursing at artificially low rates—often a multiple of Medicare fees—through mechanisms like the "Shared Savings" program, which purportedly allowed the insurer to retain a portion of potential reimbursements as internal savings, thereby undercompensating providers for services mandated under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).^[81]^[82] UnitedHealthcare defended the payments as reasonable and market-based, arguing no explicit or implied contract required higher reimbursements beyond Medicare benchmarks plus a fair markup, and that TeamHealth's billed charges were inflated relative to actual costs.^[83] On November 29, 2021, a Nevada jury found UnitedHealthcare liable on claims of breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, and intentional interference, awarding TeamHealth $2.65 million in compensatory damages plus $60 million in punitive damages for conduct deemed oppressive, fraudulent, or malicious.^[42]^[84]^[44] UnitedHealthcare appealed, maintaining that the verdict lacked evidentiary support for an enforceable obligation and that punitive damages were excessive. In a related 2022 arbitration in Florida, a three-judge panel ruled in favor of a TeamHealth affiliate, awarding $10.8 million for underpayments on similar out-of-network emergency claims against UnitedHealthcare, reinforcing TeamHealth's position that historical payment patterns established a contractual expectation for fair value.^[85]^[86] However, on June 12, 2025, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed the 2021 jury verdict in UnitedHealthCare Insurance Company v. Fremont Emergency Services, vacating the punitive damages award—prohibited under Nevada law for unjust enrichment claims—and finding insufficient evidence of an implied contract or liability for the underpayments, thereby absolving UnitedHealthcare of responsibility for the disputed reimbursements.^[43]^[87]^[44] These cases highlight ongoing tensions over "reasonable" out-of-network rates pre-No Surprises Act, with TeamHealth pursuing recovery based on provider-side interpretations of fairness and insurers prioritizing cost containment via standardized benchmarks.

Patient-Focused Disputes and Overbilling Claims

In late 2019, TeamHealth drew public scrutiny for escalating debt collection lawsuits against patients, particularly low-income individuals, following its 2017 acquisition by the Blackstone Group. Court records indicate the firm filed approximately 700 such lawsuits in Nashville alone during 2019, a sharp rise from 120 in 2018, often targeting uninsured or underinsured patients for emergency services rendered through affiliated practices like Southeastern Emergency Physicians.^[88] These actions included pursuing judgments for bills that exceeded amounts collectible under applicable state charity care or debt limits, exacerbating medical debt burdens.^[32] Responding to investigative reporting, TeamHealth announced in December 2019 a policy shift to cease all patient lawsuits for medical debt and discontinue use of external collection agencies, while pledging expanded financial assistance and discounts for uninsured patients.^[89] A subsequent class-action complaint filed in July 2020 by Justice Catalyst Law Firm alleged TeamHealth systematically billed patients for sums beyond legal collection thresholds in multiple states, including cases qualifying for free care, thereby contributing to widespread medical debt crises; the suit sought to represent affected individuals but focused on recovery of excess charges rather than service denial.^[90] In March 2022, the Louisiana Municipal Risk Management Agency initiated a proposed class-action lawsuit against TeamHealth, accusing the firm of overbilling self-funded employers through upcoding—billing for higher-level services than documented or provided—in 81% of reviewed claims, including nine out of 11 specific instances examined, with total disputed amounts reaching into millions for emergency care.^[91] The suit claimed these practices inflated costs passed to employers and ultimately patients via higher premiums or deductibles. However, a federal judge dismissed the case in November 2022, citing insufficient evidence to support the overbilling allegations on a class-wide basis.^[92] A June 2023 whistleblower lawsuit filed by two emergency physicians against HCA Healthcare and TeamHealth alleged overcharging at Mission Health facilities in North Carolina through unnecessary trauma activations and associated tests, such as CT scans, blood draws, urinalysis, and laboratory analyses, which purportedly boosted bills by triggering higher reimbursement codes without clinical justification.^[93] The plaintiffs claimed these protocols prioritized revenue over medical necessity, affecting patient out-of-pocket costs, though the suit proceeded under the False Claims Act primarily targeting government payers indirectly impacted by elevated charges. In January 2024, a federal judge denied TeamHealth's motions to dismiss or stay the related Buncombe County claims, allowing allegations of over $5 million in unjust enrichment to advance, but no final adjudication of fraud has occurred.^[94] TeamHealth has maintained that its emergency care protocols, including trauma alerts and diagnostic testing, adhere to evidence-based standards for rapid assessment and risk mitigation in high-acuity settings, where erring toward comprehensive evaluation prevents adverse outcomes. Outcomes in cases like the Louisiana dismissal underscore evidentiary hurdles in establishing intentional overbilling absent documentation of substandard care, with courts rejecting broad fraud inferences in favor of case-specific reviews. No systemic pattern of patient harm from unnecessary services has been upheld in resolved patient-focused disputes, though ongoing litigation highlights persistent scrutiny of billing alignments with documented medical needs.^[92]

Staffing and Corporate Practice of Medicine Challenges

In December 2021, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Physician Group (AAEM-PG) filed a lawsuit against Envision Healthcare in California Superior Court, alleging violations of the state's corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) doctrine through the misuse of a "friendly PC" model, where non-physician entities exert undue control over clinical decisions despite nominal physician ownership.^[95] Similar accusations have targeted TeamHealth in court filings across states including California, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee, claiming that private equity-backed staffing firms like TeamHealth engage in illegal corporate interference by dictating physician schedules, resource allocation, and treatment protocols via management contracts that undermine physician autonomy.^[96] These suits argue that such models conflict with CPOM laws in over 30 states, which prohibit non-physicians from owning or controlling medical practices to prevent profit motives from overriding patient care standards.^[97] Accusations of profit-driven staffing shortcuts have intensified scrutiny, with critics alleging that PE-backed models prioritize cost-cutting over adequate personnel, such as through understaffing emergency departments or over-relying on remote monitoring. In August 2025, Ascension Wisconsin's initial plan to outsource ICU physician staffing to TeamHealth drew opposition from local physicians, who warned of reduced on-site staffing levels and increased dependence on electronic ICUs (e-ICUs), potentially compromising real-time critical care decisions in favor of lower-cost virtual oversight.^[47] U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin echoed these concerns in a letter to Ascension, highlighting risks to patient safety from outsourcing to a PE-backed firm amid broader post-pandemic staffing shortages.^[46] The plan was abandoned days before implementation following public and regulatory pressure, illustrating reactive challenges rather than systemic overhauls.^[98] TeamHealth has defended its practices as compliant arm's-length arrangements, where management services support physicians without direct control over clinical judgments, allowing focus on patient care while adhering to state laws.^[96] No widespread bans on such PE-backed staffing models have been enacted, though ongoing Senate probes into private equity's role in healthcare staffing continue to examine potential conflicts with CPOM doctrines and their effects on physician independence.^[24] These challenges reflect tensions between scalable staffing solutions and regulatory safeguards, with empirical outcomes varying by jurisdiction and contract specifics.

Controversies and Stakeholder Perspectives

Criticisms of Private Equity Influence

Private equity ownership of TeamHealth, acquired by Blackstone in a $7.1 billion leveraged buyout in 2017, has faced scrutiny for incentivizing practices that elevate costs and prioritize investor payouts over sustainable care delivery.^[9] Critics argue that the debt-laden structure compels aggressive revenue extraction, as evidenced by TeamHealth's role in surprise billing, where out-of-network charges from PE-backed staffing firms like TeamHealth averaged 3.4 times Medicare rates in emergency settings prior to the 2022 No Surprises Act.^[9] ^[99] A June 2020 ProPublica investigation revealed TeamHealth billing multiples above the cost of emergency services, with markups funneling profits to private equity backers rather than reinvesting in clinical resources or physician compensation; for example, basic ER visits saw charges inflated to generate returns exceeding 20% annually for investors, while doctor pay was simultaneously reduced.^[9] ^[100] This pattern aligns with broader empirical findings on PE in healthcare, where acquisitions correlate with 10-32% higher charges to payers and patients, often without corresponding quality improvements.^[101] ^[102] In May 2022, multiple lawsuits in Tennessee federal court accused TeamHealth of "cartel-like" coordination in billing practices, alleging centralized upcoding, price-fixing across affiliated practices, and systematic deception of insurers to inflate reimbursements by tens of millions; plaintiffs, including local governments and self-insured employers, claimed this drove emergency care costs up by coordinating uniform high-rate submissions that evaded competitive pricing.^[14] ^[103] These claims built on prior settlements, such as TeamHealth's $65 million False Claims Act payout in 2017 for improper upcoding of emergency visits.^[104] Quality metrics under PE influence have also raised concerns, with studies linking such ownership to elevated patient mortality risks in acquired facilities—up 25% in some nursing home analyses—and diminished safety outcomes, as short-term profit horizons favor volume over preventive measures.^[105] For TeamHealth specifically, ER staffing pressures have been tied to higher charge amounts per visit, contributing to pre-reform surprise bills averaging $1,000+ per incident for affected patients.^[9] ^[106] Physician reports highlight operational strains from PE-driven models, including high patient throughput demands and reliance on locum tenens contracts that foster instability and burnout; emergency providers under firms like TeamHealth have cited volume targets pushing 20-30% above sustainable levels, correlating with turnover rates exceeding 15% annually in affected departments.^[32] ^[100] These dynamics, per frontline accounts in investigative coverage, undermine long-term care quality by eroding workforce retention amid investor-focused metrics.^[14]

Defenses and Industry Context

Private equity investment in firms like TeamHealth has facilitated the scaling of emergency department staffing to address persistent physician shortages, particularly in rural areas where independent practices often lack the resources to sustain operations. Emergency physician shortages have intensified in rural U.S. communities, with many emergency rooms operating without consistent attending physician coverage, exacerbating access challenges as older physicians retire and recruitment proves difficult.^[107]^[108] TeamHealth, acquired by Blackstone in 2016, now staffs nearly twice as many emergency departments as its closest competitors, enabling coverage in fragmented markets that smaller entities cannot viably serve due to high capital requirements for recruitment, training, and technology deployment.^[109] This model counters criticisms of private equity by providing stable staffing solutions amid industry-wide labor constraints, where rural hospitals face closure risks without external support.^[110] TeamHealth's billing practices occur against a backdrop of insurer behaviors that courts have ruled constitute systematic underpayment, highlighting asymmetric leverage favoring payers over providers in reimbursement disputes. In December 2021, TeamHealth secured a $60 million judgment against UnitedHealthcare for underpaying claims, with the court finding the insurer's denial programs withheld legitimate reimbursements for emergency services.^[41] Similarly, in 2020, an Arkansas jury awarded TeamHealth $9.4 million against Centene Corporation for reimbursing only a fraction of billed amounts through tactics like delayed processing and arbitrary reductions, despite evidence of fair market rates for emergency care.^[111]^[112] These rulings underscore that provider billing aggressiveness often responds to payers' documented strategies to minimize outlays, rather than unilateral overcharging, as insurers hold greater negotiating power through network controls and payment algorithms. Operational data from TeamHealth-managed emergency departments demonstrate efficiencies and quality metrics comparable to or exceeding industry benchmarks, refuting claims of diminished care under scaled models. Implementations have yielded a 46% reduction in door-to-provider times (from 84 to 45 minutes) and a 16% rise in patient satisfaction scores within six months at select sites.^[113] Other cases show 85% decreases in patients leaving without being seen and 65% faster door-to-doctor times, alongside improved throughput that enhances overall access without compromising safety standards.^[114] These outcomes, achieved through standardized protocols and analytics platforms like Cognition, indicate that large-scale staffing integrates advanced operational tools to maintain high performance amid staffing pressures.^[115]

Balanced Assessment of Billing Practices

Prior to the enactment of the No Surprises Act on January 1, 2022, out-of-network billing rates demanded by emergency care providers, including those affiliated with TeamHealth, commonly exceeded Medicare benchmarks by factors of 2 to 5 times, as documented in analyses of surprise billing episodes where providers leveraged non-negotiated access to patients.^[116] Providers justified these elevated rates as essential to offset fixed costs associated with mandatory 24/7 staffing and facility readiness, independent of payer mix or volume predictability.^[40] Detractors, including patient advocacy groups and some insurers, highlighted the resultant patient exposure to balance billing, with average emergency surprise bills reported at $627 to over $1,200 per incident in pre-reform data.^[117] Following implementation of the No Surprises Act's independent dispute resolution (IDR) mechanism, emergency service providers won 86% of arbitrated cases in 2023, securing mean awards 2.7 times the qualifying payment amount (QPA)—a benchmark typically aligned with in-network commercial rates of 140% to 196% of Medicare physician fees.^[118]^[119] This provider-favorable pattern, observed across thousands of disputes, including those involving private equity-backed groups like TeamHealth, indicates that arbitrators often prioritize billed charges and service complexity over QPAs, potentially redressing pre-Act insurer tendencies to reimburse below market-viable levels for unpredictable emergency encounters.^[120] By shielding patients from balance billing while channeling negotiations to payers, the process has empirically shifted leverage, with provider victories correlating to higher-than-Medicare recoveries without evidence of systemic arbitrator bias toward any single firm.^[62] Allegations of fraudulent billing against TeamHealth, such as upcoding mid-level provider services or inflating critical care claims, appear in ongoing civil suits filed by insurers and localities since 2020, but these remain unadjudicated as intentional deceit, with no Department of Justice settlements confirming widespread violations akin to proven schemes in unrelated hospitalist cases.^[121] Such practices, while aggressive, conform to fee-for-service dynamics in a fragmented payer environment, where initial high bills serve as anchors for downstream haggling amid opaque contracting and variable regional cost structures, absent standardized national rates.^[122] Empirical reimbursement trends thus reflect structural incentives rather than isolated malfeasance, with commercial payers historically paying 1.4 to 2 times Medicare for physician services overall, underscoring negotiation disparities over outright impropriety.^[123]

Impact on Healthcare Delivery

Contributions to Physician Staffing

TeamHealth has addressed persistent physician shortages in emergency departments by delivering outsourced staffing to approximately 3,300 acute and post-acute facilities across 47 states, facilitating reliable 24/7 coverage that local practices often could not sustain independently.^[36] ^[124] This scale enables hospitals to maintain operational continuity amid workforce gaps, particularly in rural and understaffed regions where recruitment challenges exacerbate diversion risks.^[125] Implementation of standardized protocols, including QuickPass triage and Team Triage models, has reduced care delivery variability and improved key throughput metrics, such as door-to-clinician times, with documented reductions of up to 53% in partnered facilities.^[126] ^[127] These data-driven approaches prioritize rapid patient assessment, contributing to fewer diversion episodes by enhancing departmental capacity and flow without relying on ad hoc scheduling.^[128] In specialties like anesthesiology, TeamHealth supports staffing across hundreds of practices in 19 states, providing consistent access in high-demand surgical and procedural settings where solo or small-group models prove unsustainable due to volume and on-call requirements.^[129] This extends to integrated services in obstetrics and hospital medicine, bolstering neonatology-adjacent care through OB hospitalist programs that ensure round-the-clock specialist availability for high-risk deliveries.^[130] Overall, these contributions have empirically expanded workforce capacity, with case-specific outcomes demonstrating sustained reductions in operational bottlenecks.^[131]

Effects on Costs and Access

TeamHealth's involvement in emergency department staffing has been associated with elevated charges for professional services, contributing to higher overall costs in emergency care. Investigative reporting revealed that at select facilities, TeamHealth's prices exceeded those of 95% of comparable providers and reached eight to nine times Medicare reimbursement levels, driven by billing practices that mark up routine procedures.^[9] Private equity ownership, as in TeamHealth's case following its 2017 acquisition by Blackstone, correlates with negotiated higher payment rates from insurers, yielding an average 11% increase in reimbursements post-acquisition across similar entities.^[102] These dynamics indirectly elevate insurance premiums, as unresolved billing disputes with payers like UnitedHealthcare have prompted claims of systematic overpayments exceeding $100 million.^[132] Offsetting factors include operational efficiencies from standardized processes and value-based care initiatives. TeamHealth's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model, TeamACO, generated $15.8 million in avoidable Medicare cost reductions in 2024 through shared savings of $6.1 million, emphasizing reduced unnecessary utilization.^[71] Such programs align incentives toward lower per-episode expenditures, though their scale remains limited relative to TeamHealth's broader fee-for-service operations across 2,500+ facilities.^[1] On access, TeamHealth's extensive hospital contracts facilitate physician staffing in underserved and rural emergency departments, supporting care delivery for uninsured and underinsured patients who rely on these venues.^[49] This model sustains service availability amid physician shortages and retirements, with private equity consolidation reducing the failure rate of fragmented small practices that might otherwise collapse.^[133] However, aggressive collection practices, including lawsuits against low-income patients and barriers to charity care, have constrained financial access for vulnerable populations.^[32] Post-acquisition workforce shifts, such as increased physician turnover in private equity-backed groups, further risk long-term staffing stability and equitable access.^[134]

Systemic Role in Emergency Care

TeamHealth holds a dominant position in outsourced emergency department (ED) staffing, managing physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners across approximately 570 U.S. EDs as of March 2024, making it the largest firm in the sector.^[135] This scale, estimated at around 8-10% of national EDs, allows hospitals to outsource recruitment, credentialing, and administrative burdens, enabling them to prioritize facility infrastructure and core operations amid chronic physician shortages driven by factors such as geographic maldistribution and burnout.^[136] ^[137] Outsourcing models like TeamHealth's emerged as a market response to regulatory mandates under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986, which requires 24/7 ED availability regardless of payment, coupled with stagnant Medicare reimbursements that squeeze hospital margins and incentivize cost-sharing through large-scale contractors capable of spreading fixed costs.^[138] During the COVID-19 pandemic, TeamHealth demonstrated systemic resilience by redeploying clinicians from low-demand to high-need areas via task forces and a grid-based system, while distributing over $2.5 million in personal protective equipment to frontline staff by early 2021.^[139] ^[140] Such national networks facilitated rapid surge capacity, contrasting with fragmented local staffing that struggled with supply chain disruptions and volume spikes, though overall ED consolidation trends amplified private equity's role in one-quarter of U.S. ERs.^[141] However, TeamHealth's private equity backing—shared with peers controlling up to 40% of ED oversight—has prompted antitrust scrutiny, including a 2024 Senate inquiry into whether concentrated staffing elevates patient safety risks during mass casualty events or delays care through profit-driven scheduling.^[142] ^[143] Empirical data on quality outcomes remains mixed, with consolidation potentially enhancing efficiency via standardized protocols but risking reduced competition that could inflate costs without corresponding access gains.^[144] ^[145] TeamHealth's model underscores a broader causal dynamic in emergency care: regulatory uncompensated care burdens and reimbursement disparities foster vertical integration for viability, yet reforms targeting equitable payer adjustments—rather than prohibiting outsourcing—would better address shortages without curtailing scale-driven adaptations.^[138] ^[146] This approach aligns with evidence that consolidation mitigates insolvency risks for under-resourced hospitals while necessitating oversight to curb monopolistic pricing.^[147]

References

[1]
TeamHealth: Home
TeamHealth is an innovative healthcare industry leader founded and led by physicians. We are proud to advance exceptional clinical quality and uncompromised ...Contact Us · TeamHealth Jobs · About Us · Leadership
[2]
ED and Hospital-Based Staffing Services - TeamHealth
TeamHealth has been partnering with hospitals for over 40 years to provide clinical staffing and practice management.Missing: company | Show results with:company<|separator|>
[3]
Our Story: TeamHealth Founders
Oct 25, 2021 · Learn more about our foundations in local emergency medicine and our growth to a leading national physician group from TeamHealth founders.Missing: company | Show results with:company
[4]
TeamHealth History: Founding, Timeline, and Milestones - Zippia
TeamHealth was founded in Knoxville in 1979 by Doctor Lynn Massingale. 1981. Doctor Randal Dabbs, co-founder, began working with Southeastern Emergency ...
[5]
TeamHealth to be Acquired by Blackstone
About TeamHealth. At TeamHealth (NYSE: TMH), our purpose is to perfect physicians' ability to practice medicine, every day, in everything we do.
[6]
TeamHealth Named to FORTUNE Magazine's List of “World's Most ...
TeamHealth, a leading physician services organization, was named among “The World's Most Admired Companies” by FORTUNE Magazine.
[7]
TeamHealth Repeats Recognition as a “Top Place to Work in ...
TeamHealth, the leading physician practice in the U.S., is named among the “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare” by Becker's Hospital Review.Missing: company | Show results with:company
[8]
USA v. Team Finance, No. 22-40707 (5th Cir. 2023) - Justia Law
Aug 31, 2023 · Two former TeamHealth employees (together, the “Relators”) alleged that TeamHealth routinely billed for nonexistent doctor examinations and ...Missing: controversies | Show results with:controversies<|separator|>
[9]
How Rich Investors, Not Doctors, Profit From Marking Up ER Bills
Jun 12, 2020 · TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare have poured millions into political ads attacking surprise billing legislation. The companies have said they ...Missing: controversies | Show results with:controversies
[10]
Tennessee-based TeamHealth overcharged ER patients for ...
Nov 1, 2021 · Tennessee-based TeamHealth overcharged ER patients for earaches, strep throat and pregnancy tests, according to $100M lawsuit. By Blake Farmer.
[11]
TeamHealth Recalls its Roots in EM and its Evolution Over Time
In 1979, the year when emergency medicine became the 23rd recognized medical specialty, TeamHealth was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.Missing: founding | Show results with:founding
[12]
Lynn Massingale, MD - TeamHealth
Since co-founding the predecessor of TeamHealth in 1979, he lead the company as the chairman and CEO until 2008, when he assumed his current role in which ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
[13]
TeamHealth co-founder has always worked in the trenches
Aug 17, 2019 · Dr. Randal Dabbs, co-founder and current president of TeamHealth, has been named the Lifetime Achievement Award winner in this year's Health Care Heroes awards ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
[14]
Tennessee health billing firm accused in court of "cartel-like" behavior
May 9, 2022 · TeamHealth's accusers say the Knoxville-based corporation is intentionally fleecing patients, shortchanging doctors, deceiving insurers and driving up the cost ...
[15]
Jobs with TeamHealth | NEJM CareerCenter
TeamHealth was founded by physicians in 1979 and has continued to provide high-quality management, staffing, and support services to our client hospitals ...
[16]
The Long and Winding Road of TeamHealth - Page 2 of 3 - ACEP Now
Sep 25, 2018 · We grew because we thought we could do a better job and wanted to support the practice of emergency medicine, much like our early mission in ...Missing: statement | Show results with:statement
[17]
Visionary of Acute Care at Scale | Lynn Massingale - Ivy Clinicians
May 19, 2022 · In 1994, Southeastern merged with a radiology group and changed its name to TeamHealth. Massingale aimed to merge with groups that had strengths ...
[18]
Team Health Company Profile - Office Locations, Competitors ...
... subsidiaries and more at Craft ... and 22 others. LocationsView all. 1 location detected. Knoxville, TN HQ. United States. 265 Brookview Centre Way #400. Team ...
[19]
List of Subsidiaries - SEC.gov
Some subsidiaries include Team Finance, LLC (DE), Team Health, Inc. (TN), Anesthesix Holdings, LLC (DE), and Anesthesix Management, LLC (DE).Missing: headquarters | Show results with:headquarters
[20]
BLOG: Corporate practice of medicine prohibitions - Healio
Jul 11, 2023 · Under Texas CPOM law, unlicensed business owners (like TeamHealth and Quantum) are not permitted to engage in the practice of medicine. This ...
[21]
The Corporate Backdoor to Medicine: How MSOs Are Reshaping ...
Apr 28, 2025 · Strengthen state prohibitions against the corporate practice of medicine by preventing corporate investors from using MSOs to gain functional ...
[22]
Blackstone Buys TeamHealth for $6.1 Billion - Fortune
Oct 31, 2016 · TeamHealth Holdings (TMH) said on Monday it agreed to be bought by private equity firm Blackstone Group in a deal valued at about $6.1 billion.
[23]
Completes Previously Announced Transaction with Blackstone
TeamHealth completes previously announced transaction with Blackstone, CDPQ, PSP Investments and NPS and becomes a private company.Missing: structure ownership
[24]
[PDF] United States Senate
Apr 1, 2024 · In 2017, Blackstone acquired TeamHealth for $6.1 billion.13 TeamHealth employs approximately 15,000 clinicians throughout the U.S. in practices ...
[25]
Blackstone acquires $6.1bn Team Health - Private Equity International
Nov 1, 2016 · Blackstone has acquired healthcare staffing company Team Health in a $6.1 billion deal, reuniting the private equity firm with the company ...Missing: structure | Show results with:structure
[26]
Becker's Hospital Review Names TeamHealth Among “150 Great ...
Team Health Holdings Inc., one of the nation's largest providers of outsourced physician staffing solutions for hospitals, was named among “150 Great Places ...
[27]
Team Health Holdings, Inc. - SEC.gov
Net revenues consists of fee for service revenue, contract revenue and other revenue. The Company's net revenues are principally derived from the provision of ...Missing: scale | Show results with:scale
[28]
TeamHealth OSO Value Advantage | Solving ED Staffing Challenges
TeamHealth's Online Staffing Optimization (OSO) solution helps administrators and service-line leaders capture and analyze data in real time.Missing: driven shift
[29]
Enhancing Emergency Medicine Performance | TeamHealth
Mar 15, 2023 · Cognition is TeamHealth's proprietary clinical analytics platform that helps emergency medicine (EM) leaders optimize staffing and clinical ...Missing: shift scheduling metrics
[30]
Performance Improvement in a High-Volume EM Setting - TeamHealth
Jun 25, 2024 · Complicating these challenges is a patient volume that rates this facility as one of the busiest EDs in the nation. What these impressive ...
[31]
EX-99.1 - SEC.gov
Sep 30, 2015 · Since its inception in 1979, TeamHealth has focused primarily ... Founded approximately 20 years ago in the early 1990s, the field of ...
[32]
A Private Equity-Owned Doctors' Group Sued Poor Patients ... - NPR
Nov 27, 2019 · The lawsuit from Southeastern was just a small part of Brooks' debt, but learning that TeamHealth won't pursue her case was good news, she said.
[33]
TeamHealth Expands Into Anesthesia Market With Acquisition of ...
Jan 8, 2010 · TeamHealth (NYSE: TMH) announced today the acquisition of Anesthetix Management LLC (Anesthetix), a nationally recognized provider of comprehensive ...
[34]
TeamHealth Grows Anesthesia Division with Acquisition of ...
Sep 8, 2011 · Team Health Holdings, Inc. (TeamHealth) (NYSE: TMH) today announced the acquisition of the operations of Anesthesia Services, Inc. (Anesthesia Services).Missing: entry | Show results with:entry
[35]
Business Spotlight - The Hospitalist
Nov 30, 2011 · Knoxville, Tenn.-based TeamHealth Holdings Inc. has announced the acquisition of the operations of Integrity Hospitalists Group LLC (IHG).
[36]
EX-99.1 - SEC.gov
TeamHealth estimates that the annual sizes of each market are $12 billion, $12 billion, and $15 billion, respectively. According to the American Hospital ...
[37]
TeamHealth Completes Previously Announced Transaction with ...
Feb 6, 2017 · TeamHealth Completes Previously Announced Transaction with Blackstone, CDPQ, PSP Investments and NPS and Becomes a Private Company. News ...
[38]
Blackstone to buy TeamHealth for $6.1 billion | Reuters
Oct 31, 2016 · TeamHealth Holdings Inc <TMH.N> on Monday said private equity firm Blackstone Group LP <BX.N> would buy it for $6.1 billion, in a deal meant ...
[39]
Surprise Medical Billing Protections - TeamHealth
You are protected from balance billing. In these cases, you shouldn't be charged more than your plan's copayments, coinsurance and/or deductible.Missing: adaptation | Show results with:adaptation
[40]
EM Bigs' Big Bets on No Surprises Act Arbitration
Jan 9, 2025 · “TeamHealth accounted for 54% of dispute lines. Other PE-backed provider organizations that accounted for dispute lines are SCP Health (28% of ...
[41]
TeamHealth wins $60 mln in underpayment suit against ... - Reuters
Dec 8, 2021 · A jury in Nevada state court on Tuesday ordered UnitedHealthcare Inc to pay physician outsourcing company TeamHealth Inc $60 million in ...
[42]
UnitedHealthcare to appeal after jury awards TeamHealth $60M in ...
Nov 30, 2021 · The jury awarded TeamHealth $2.65 million in initial compensatory damages, and is considering additional punitive damages to be determined in ...
[43]
UnitedHealthcare not liable for out-of-network ER underpayments ...
Jun 17, 2025 · The Nevada Supreme Court handed down a key decision on June 12, 2025, resolving a multiyear dispute between UnitedHealthcare and emergency care provider ...
[44]
UNITEDHEALTHCARE INSURANCE COMPANY, A CONNECTICUT ...
Jun 12, 2025 · The jury awarded TeamHealth $2,650,512 in compensatory damages, along with an additional $60 million in punitive damages. Additionally, the ...
[45]
Ascension Wisconsin to outsource ICU staffing - BizTimes
Aug 19, 2025 · Ascension Wisconsin will outsource staffing of its hospital intensive care units to TeamHealth, a physician staffing firm based in Tennessee, ...
[46]
Baldwin Presses Ascension on Decision to Outsource Staffing of ...
Aug 15, 2025 · I write to you regarding Ascension Wisconsin's plans to outsource staffing of Milwaukee-area intensive care units to TeamHealth, a private ...Missing: Act | Show results with:Act
[47]
Doctors raise concerns over Ascension Wisconsin ICU outsourcing ...
Aug 11, 2025 · Physicians fear TeamHealth will reduce staffing levels, potentially jeopardizing patient care and increasing reliance on electronic ICUs.
[48]
Ascension Wisconsin cancels controversial physician outsourcing plan
Aug 27, 2025 · Ascension Wisconsin will not move forward with a controversial plan to outsource some of its intensive care unit doctors.
[49]
Emergency Medicine Services | Improving ED Efficiency - TeamHealth
TeamHealth's emergency medicine services provides innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes and ensure our clients' success.Missing: statement early
[50]
Anesthesia Services | Transforming O.R. Performance | TeamHealth
### Summary of TeamHealth’s Anesthesiology Services
[51]
Critical Care - ICU Physician Staffing Services - TeamHealth
Critical care practice management services. TeamHealth provides round-the-clock ICU physician staffing and department management.Missing: neonatology | Show results with:neonatology
[52]
[PDF] Telemedicine Documentation Guidance during the COVID-19 ...
May 7, 2020 · The purpose of this document is to provide clinicians with guidance documenting telemedicine and telecommunication services to.Missing: eICU protocols
[53]
Find Physician Careers With TeamHealth
Join TeamHealth and see why our physicians love the work they do. Search for physician jobs by specialty or location and apply today.
[54]
Job Search | Browse Our Job Listings - TeamHealth
Search and apply on TeamHealth for jobs hiring now. Find a job using our Job Search platform and upload your resume.
[55]
TeamHealth Physician Job Placement Services
On our team, you'll get full-time administrative support, clinical support, risk management resources, education, leadership training, advancement opportunities ...Missing: staffing | Show results with:staffing
[56]
Choosing a Physician Services Model for Your Hospital - TeamHealth
Jun 2, 2022 · Dan Wilbanks shares insights into what hospital executives should consider when choosing a physician services model.Missing: indemnification | Show results with:indemnification
[57]
Rural Healthcare Telemedicine - TeamHealth
Nov 18, 2021 · Dr. Jon Pangia explains telemedicine, such as TeamHealth VirtualCare, is a solution for rural communities facing barriers to healthcare.
[58]
[PDF] FAQ's | TeamHealth
This bill is for the provider portion of your visit. You may receive a separate bill from a facility or other healthcare providers such as radiology, labs, ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[59]
TeamHealth sent thousands of surprise medical bills in 2017 - Axios
Dec 5, 2019 · Physician staffing firm TeamHealth sent thousands of surprise medical bills to patients in 2017, a strategy used to obtain higher payment rates from insurers.
[60]
Trauma Activation Fees—A Fair Approach to Reimburse Costs or a ...
Jan 24, 2023 · They reported the median (IQR) tier 1 trauma activation fee as $9500 ($5601-$17 805), with substantial variability in fees ranging from $1000 to ...Missing: TeamHealth | Show results with:TeamHealth
[61]
No Surprises: Understand your rights against surprise medical bills
Jan 3, 2022 · The No Surprises Act protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills.
[62]
A first look at outcomes under the No Surprises Act arbitration process
Mar 27, 2024 · Decisions appear closer to the amounts insurers historically paid for out-of-network care. These outcomes reflect the fact that providers are ...
[63]
TeamHealth Announces Leadership Transition
TeamHealth announced the appointment of Leif Murphy as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Murphy succeeded Michael D. Snow.
[64]
Leif M. Murphy - TeamHealth
Leif M. Murphy. Chief Executive Officer. As a proven leader with 20+ years of experience in healthcare operations, business development and finance, ...Missing: current | Show results with:current
[65]
TeamHealth Names Joseph T. “Jody” Crane, M.D., Chief Medical ...
Jun 4, 2019 · TeamHealth announced the appointment of Dr. Joseph T. “Jody” Crane, M.D., MBA, as the company's chief medical officer effective May 1, 2019.
[66]
Jody Crane - Haslam College of Business
Adjunct Professor, Lean for Healthcare and Chief Medical Officer, TEAMHealth. Phone 540-287-4186. Email cranej@utk.edu. Program: Physician Executive MBA ...
[67]
Dr. Jody Crane recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 ...
Jun 21, 2021 · Jody Crane, MD, MBA, TeamHealth Chief Medical Officer, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical ...
[68]
Michael Wiechart - TeamHealth
Michael Wiechart. President; Chief Operating Officer. With over 33 years of healthcare experience, Michael brings a wealth of strategic growth, ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[69]
Leadership - TeamHealth
At TeamHealth, seasoned physicians and top business minds share a passion for exceptional patient care, quality, and innovation.
[70]
James George, MD - TeamHealth
James George, MD. Co-Founder; Strategic Advisor to the President and CEO. With more than 30 years of experience in emergency medicine and leadership, ...
[71]
TeamACO Saves $15.8M for Medicare Enrollees in 2024
Sep 3, 2025 · In its inaugural year, TeamACO reduced avoidable Medicare costs by $15.8 million in 2024, earning $6.1 million in shared savings.
[72]
TeamHealth Launches TeamACO - Healthcare Innovation
Feb 2, 2024 · TeamHealth launches TeamACO, revolutionizing post-acute care for 17000+ patients with innovative, patient-centered healthcare approaches.
[73]
[PDF] Responding to the Evolution of Value-Based Care Models
Jan 15, 2025 · TeamHealth's long-standing history in hospital-based care means we have pre-built solutions and resources to evolve alongside the industry – ...
[74]
[PDF] Case Study: - TeamHealth
When the pilot program began, ARMC's CHF readmission rate was 16.39%, a rate high enough to cost the medical center millions of dollars in lost reimbursement ...
[75]
Clinical Integration: Louisiana Hospital - TeamHealth
Some of the new initiatives include hiring Scribes and implementing a Patient Call Back program. Results. Metrics are better than ever – readmit rates have ...
[76]
Building High-Value Hospital Medicine Programs - TeamHealth
These programs aim to lower costs through improvements in hospital medicine productivity and skill mix while optimizing clinical quality, patient experience, ...Missing: AI | Show results with:AI
[77]
Meet APEX, our innovative patient experience program designed to ...
Jun 24, 2025 · Our innovative patient experience program designed to help our facility partners enhance care at every step. Through hands-on mentoring, expert guidance, and ...Missing: direction AI
[78]
Lawrence Hum, MD - TeamHealth
Dr. Lawrence Hum serves as president of TeamHealth Care Transformation and Innovation. Dr. Hum leads TeamHealth's growth and strategic initiatives.
[79]
Miami-based Lash & Goldberg Secures $62.5 million victory in ...
Lash & Goldberg LLP is pleased to announce that its clients won a $62.65 million jury verdict after 15 days of trial in Nevada. Three TeamHealth affiliated ...Missing: award | Show results with:award
[80]
[PDF] UNITED HEALTHCARE INS. CO. VS. FREMONT EMERGENCY ...
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that TeamHealth, a group of emergency service providers were not able to recover damages under an implied contract or the ...
[81]
United's John Haben Says TeamHealth Emergency Department
Nov 3, 2021 · Haben went on to state that the “Shared Savings” initiative that he was directly involved with, made more than $1 billion annually during his ...
[82]
In Nevada, Jury Finds Against United Healthcare's Efforts To ...
Nov 30, 2021 · On November 29, 2021, a jury in Nevada found United Healthcare liable for underpaying TeamHealth, a nationwide provider of emergency medical ...
[83]
UnitedHealthcare underpaid TeamHealth provides - Nevada jury
Nov 30, 2021 · A jury in Nevada state court has found that UnitedHealthcare Inc underpaid affiliates of physician outsourcing company TeamHealth Inc, ...Missing: award | Show results with:award
[84]
Jury: UnitedHealth must pay TeamHealth $60M in damages in ...
Dec 8, 2021 · A Nevada jury has awarded TeamHealth $60 million in punitive damages as part of an ongoing legal spat between the physician staffing firm ...
[85]
Florida panel hands TeamHealth a win in battle with UnitedHealth
Dec 1, 2022 · A panel of judges in Florida ruled this week that UnitedHealthcare must pay TeamHealth $10.8 million for underpayments.
[86]
UnitedHealthcare loses lawsuit to TeamHealth — again
Dec 2, 2022 · UnitedHealthcare is suing TeamHealth over allegations TeamHealth refuses to join its networks, and billed the payer more then $100 million in fraudulent claims.Missing: 2019 Savings
[87]
UnitedHealthCare Insurance Company v. Fremont Emergency ...
The jury awarded TeamHealth $2,650,512 in compensatory damages, along with ... TeamHealth's lawsuit. We are also not convinced the recent cases ...
[88]
It's Not Just Hospitals That Are Quick To Sue Patients Who Can't Pay
Feb 19, 2020 · According to court records obtained by WPLN, the firm filed about 700 lawsuits against patients in Nashville in 2019. That's up from 120 in 2018 ...
[89]
Private equity-owned physicians group says it will stop suing ...
Dec 2, 2019 · Amid media scrutiny, a private equity-owned physicians group said it will no longer sue patients over unpaid medical debt and won't pursue ...
[90]
Justice Catalyst Law Files Class Action Against TeamHealth Over ...
Jul 14, 2020 · This lawsuit alleges that TeamHealth contributes to the medical debt crisis by billing more than it can legally collect in court.Missing: controversies | Show results with:controversies
[91]
TeamHealth hit with employer proposed class-action
Mar 22, 2022 · TeamHealth allegedly overbilled the Louisiana Municipal Risk Management Agency in nine out of 11 claims, according to the lawsuit.
[92]
Judge tosses billing lawsuit against TeamHealth - Modern Healthcare
Nov 18, 2022 · The Louisiana Municipal Risk Management Agency sued TeamHealth, alleging the physician staffing firm overcharged for services.Missing: overbilling | Show results with:overbilling
[93]
HCA Healthcare Intentionally Overcharged Patients, Lawsuit Alleges
Jun 20, 2023 · HCA Healthcare and TeamHealth have intentionally run up patient costs with medically unnecessary trauma alerts and added tests, such as CT scans ...
[94]
HCA Healthcare contractor TeamHealth lawsuit by Buncombe ...
Jan 17, 2024 · A federal judge denied motions to dismiss, strike and stay by TeamHealth in a fraudulent overbilling lawsuit brought by Buncombe County.Missing: trauma alert CT scans
[95]
[Case Brief] AAEM-PG v. Envision Healthcare: Corporate Practice of ...
Aug 15, 2023 · In its complaint, AAEM-PG asks the court to declare that Envision's misuse of the friendly PC model is illegal under California's CPOM statutes, ...
[96]
ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal, Seek to Ban ...
Dec 27, 2022 · Court filings in multiple states, including California, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee, have called out Envision and TeamHealth for allegedly ...
[97]
ED doctors call private equity staffing practices illegal and seek to ...
Jan 5, 2023 · Thirty-three states plus the District of Columbia have rules on their books against the so-called corporate practice of medicine. But over the ...
[98]
Ascension WI reverses plans on ICU staffing, will not use TeamHealth
Aug 27, 2025 · Ascension Wisconsin reverses course, no longer plans to outsource ICU doctors to TeamHealth · Ascension Wisconsin previously planned to outsource ...
[99]
Private Equity is the Driving Force Behind Surprise Medical Billing
Oct 15, 2021 · A 2020 legislative “fix” for surprise billing left gaps and loopholes that may allow private equity-backed companies to charge higher bills.Missing: ownership | Show results with:ownership
[100]
Medical Staffing Companies Cut Doctors' Pay While Spending ...
Apr 20, 2020 · TeamHealth and Envision have spent millions on ads meant to pressure politicians working on legislation to cap out-of-network costs for Americans.Missing: reimbursement reforms
[101]
Private Equity Investments in Health Care May Increase Costs and ...
Jul 21, 2023 · Private equity investment was most closely associated with increases in costs for payers and patients, in some cases, as high as 32 percent.
[102]
Evidence On Private Equity Suggests That Containing Costs And ...
Apr 29, 2024 · A study of hospitals acquired by PE from 2005 to 2017 found that, on average, PE acquisition increased total charges per inpatient day by $407 ( ...<|separator|>
[103]
Health billing company draws ire from insurers over 'cartel-like ...
May 13, 2022 · Knoxville-based emergency services provider TeamHealth is accused of price-fixing, upcoding, legal intimidation and fraud.
[104]
Team Health Holdings, Inc. and IPC Healthcare, Inc.
Sep 30, 2025 · A major U.S. hospital service provider, TeamHealth Holdings, as successor in interest to IPC Healthcare Inc., f/k/a IPC The Hospitalists Inc.
[105]
On Patient Safety: The Danger of Private Equity Involvement in ...
Apr 24, 2024 · Studies focused on patient safety raise alarm, and constraints should be placed on further private equity investment in healthcare delivery.Missing: TeamHealth criticisms NPR<|separator|>
[106]
Baby, That Bill Is High: Private Equity 'Gambit' Squeezes Excessive ...
one of the country's dominant ER staffing companies — is owned by private equity firm Blackstone and has faced criticism from ...
[107]
Emergency Physician Shortages Worsening in Rural U.S. | ABPS
Rural communities have experienced ER staffing shortages for several years now, and the problem is expected to worsen as a generation of rural doctors retires.
[108]
Experts say rural emergency rooms are increasingly run without ...
Aug 14, 2025 · But in the Dakotas, more than half of emergency departments were running without 24/7 attending physician staffing. In Montana it was 46%, the ...
[109]
State of the Emergency Medicine Employer Market - September 2024
Sep 2, 2024 · TeamHealth staffs the emergency clinicians at almost twice as many emergency departments as its main competitors, US Acute Care Solutions and ...
[110]
Emergency Care in Rural Areas
Rural emergency care is complex and challenging. Today, a quarter of rural hospitals are at high risk of closing and more than 350 rural hospitals across 40 ...
[111]
Jury rules Centene underpaid TeamHealth physicians in Arkansas ...
Aug 21, 2020 · TeamHealth's tactic lately has been turning to the courts to argue its emergency physicians have been underpaid by insurers. The staffing ...
[112]
TeamHealth Emergency Physician Group Wins $9.4 Million ...
Aug 19, 2020 · A six-person jury on Tuesday awarded a $9.4 million verdict on behalf of Southeastern Emergency Physicians, LLC, an affiliate of TeamHealth Inc.
[113]
[PDF] CASE STUDY: Metrics - TeamHealth
Our goal was to create a new, patient-centered flow model to achieve the operational goals of: a door-to-provider time of 45 minutes or less, an overall length ...Missing: encounters | Show results with:encounters
[114]
[PDF] Case Study: Metrics - TeamHealth
Emergency Medicine. Results. □ 85% reduction in LWOTS, from 4.5% to just 0.7%. □ 65% reduction in door-to-doctor time, from 60 minutes to 21 minutes. □ 28 ...Missing: outcomes | Show results with:outcomes
[115]
Advanced Clinical Analytics for Emergency Departments | Cognition
Cognition is a clinical analytics platform that creates an efficient, balanced approach to clinical operations in the emergency department.
[116]
Comparison of Estimated No Surprises Act Qualifying Payment ... - NIH
Sep 16, 2022 · This cross-sectional study compares in-network and out-of-network payments with qualifying payment amount estimates to assess potential implications of the No ...
[117]
[PDF] Surprise! Out-of-Network Billing for Emergency Care in the United ...
In contrast, hospitals that contract with TeamHealth have an average out-of-network billing rate of 13%. 2 Physicians who staff hospital EDs are not necessarily ...
[118]
No Surprises Act independent dispute resolution outcomes for ...
Oct 17, 2024 · Providers won 86% of cases, with mean decisions 2.7 times the QPA. Private equity-backed providers won more often and higher monetary awards ...
[119]
Commercial reimbursement benchmarking 2025 - Milliman
Jul 24, 2025 · We estimate 2025 commercial reimbursement for medical services to be approximately 196% of fully loaded Medicare FFS rates.``percentage Of Medicare Ffs... · Comparison To Other... · Benchmarking Commercial...
[120]
No Surprises Act independent dispute resolution outcomes for ...
Oct 17, 2024 · Providers won most of the No Surprises Act arbitration cases for emergency services in 2023, and a small number of provider–insurer dyads account for the ...Abstract · Introduction · Results · Discussion
[121]
Healthcare Service Provider to Pay $60 Million to Settle Medicare ...
Feb 6, 2017 · The government contended that IPC knowingly and systematically encouraged false billings by its hospitalists, who are medical professionals ...Missing: evidence | Show results with:evidence
[122]
The performance of the federal independent dispute resolution ...
May 29, 2025 · In the first quarter of 2023, providers won 68% of disputes, but by the first quarter of 2024, they prevailed in 85% of disputes. Nearly two in ...
[123]
Commercial reimbursement benchmarking - Milliman
Nov 20, 2023 · We estimate 2023 commercial reimbursement for medical services to be approximately 188% of fully loaded Medicare FFS rates.
[124]
This Doctors Group Is Owned by a Private Equity Firm ... - ProPublica
Nov 27, 2019 · TeamHealth is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. In 2017, Blackstone acquired TeamHealth and its subsidiary Southeastern in a ...Missing: structure | Show results with:structure<|separator|>
[125]
The Long and Winding Road of TeamHealth - ACEP Now
Sep 25, 2018 · John Staley, MD, became a partner in 1987. Our goals were quite simple—to work with area hospitals to find a better way to care for patients ...
[126]
5 Tactics Proven to Boost ED Patient Flow & Outcomes - TeamHealth
Sep 5, 2018 · QuickPass improves patient flow, decreases door-to-doctor time and improves the patient experience and satisfaction. It is to be used any time ...
[127]
[PDF] Improving Emergency Department Throughput and Patient Flow ...
Working collaboratively, TeamHealth and the hospital implemented an ED throughput improvement initiative. Spearheaded by David Johnson, MD, facility medical.
[128]
Hospital Sees Reduced LOS and Improved Performance | TeamHealth
The hospital's LOS was higher than desired, hovering around 6.2 days on average. In addition, the emergency department (ED) had seen several diversion periods ...
[129]
Anesthesiologist Jobs | Anesthesia Practice Management Company
Our anesthesiology teams deliver care to thousands of patients in different clinical settings across hundreds of practices in 19 states.Missing: neonatology | Show results with:neonatology
[130]
[PDF] OB-ED Establishment Improves Hospital Core Measures - TeamHealth
An assessment by the TeamHealth OB experts revealed the need for an OB hospitalist program to meet coverage and staffing challenges and the value of ...
[131]
[PDF] 5 TACTICS TO IMPROVE ED FLOW & OUTCOMES - TeamHealth
The Team Triage tactic alternative is intended to reduce overall LOS, door-to-provider times, and door-to-pain-control times. In this tactic, the RN and ...
[132]
TeamHealth fires back at UnitedHealth - Modern Healthcare
Nov 2, 2021 · In its suit, UnitedHealthcare alleged TeamHealth deliberately and systematically tricked the insurer into paying more than $100 million in ...
[133]
How Does Private Equity Affect the Delivery of Quality Care? | ACS
Jun 10, 2025 · PE investment into the healthcare sector can result in positive changes regarding workforce shortages, increased access to resources, and enhanced patient care.Missing: inflation TeamHealth
[134]
Physician Turnover Increased In Private Equity–Acquired Physician ...
Mar 3, 2025 · Findings highlight how PE acquisitions of physician practices are reshaping physician employment and workforce stability. As PE expands its ...
[135]
State of the US Emergency Medicine Employer Market - March 2024
Mar 11, 2024 · Of the 419 US residency training sites, TeamHealth manages the attending physicians, PAs and nurse practitioners at 41 EDs (9.8%) and Envision ...
[136]
What Happens When Private Equity Takes Over an Emergency Room
Mar 28, 2024 · ... staffing agencies in the country. TeamHealth now staffs nearly 500 emergency departments across the U.S., or 8.6% of the country's ERs, and ...
[137]
Emergency Physician Employer Market Share and Concentration by ...
Aug 4, 2025 · Private equity investment in health care has drawn much scrutiny due to concerns that its business model incentivizes a focus on short-term ...Abstract · Introduction · Main Results<|separator|>
[138]
Corporate Control of Emergency Departments: Dangers from the ...
Two corporate entities were involved, PeaceHealth St Joseph's Medical Center in Washington State, and TeamHealth, a national emergency department (ED) contract ...
[139]
Deploying Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
TeamHealth redeployed clinicians from areas with less demand to areas with immediate need using a systematic approach, task forces, and a grid system.
[140]
One year of TeamHealth's COVID-19 response
In all, TeamHealth gathered and shipped more than $2.5 million worth of N95 respirators, face shields, gowns and other supplies to frontline clinicians.
[141]
ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to ...
Dec 22, 2022 · Private equity-backed staffing companies manage a quarter of the nation's emergency rooms, according to a Raleigh, North Carolina-based doctor ...Missing: scaling | Show results with:scaling
[142]
Senate investigating whether ER care has been harmed by growing ...
Apr 1, 2024 · A Senate committee has asked three major private-equity firms for information on how they run or staff hospital emergency departments.Missing: scaling | Show results with:scaling
[143]
Peters Seeks Information About Private Equity Run Emergency ...
Apr 1, 2024 · Publicly available information suggests that private equity-owned physician staffing groups operate nearly one-third of all emergency ...Missing: scaling ER
[144]
Measuring private equity penetration and consolidation in ...
Jul 10, 2023 · In this study, we construct a novel dataset identifying the ownership structure of anesthesia and emergency medicine physician groups to document trends in ...
[145]
[PDF] Private Equity and Competition in Physician Practice Markets
Jul 10, 2023 · Several studies have documented acquisitions of physician practices by private equity firms, often measuring penetration as the share of ...
[146]
[PDF] HEALTH CARE CONSOLIDATION Published Estimates of the Extent ...
Sep 22, 2025 · House Report 117-403 includes a provision for GAO to study the extent health care consolidation is taking place across Medicare and Medicaid.<|control11|><|separator|>
[147]
https://kff.org/health-costs/ten-things-to-know-about-consolidation-in-health-care-provider-markets/