A Better Model for Cardiovascular Care Delivery Exists

The barriers are real but manageable with the right infrastructure behind you. Payer contracting, billing operations, technology, and recruiting are the four things that make independent practice feel out of reach for most hospital employed cardiologists. The Heart Network provides all four, which means you're stepping into an operational platform rather than building one from scratch. Most physicians are surprised by how achievable the transition is once the infrastructure question is answered.

Yes, and in many cases that's the preferred path. Health systems that recognize the shift toward ambulatory cardiovascular care delivery are increasingly open to structured transitions that maintain physician alignment while reducing the cost of employment. The Heart Network has experience navigating these conversations and can work with both parties to structure an arrangement that makes sense for everyone involved.

Your existing payer contracting relationships are evaluated during the assessment phase. In most cases, The Heart Network's CIN membership supplements rather than replaces existing contracts, adding value-based care agreements, shared savings programs, and quality incentive payments on top of your current fee-for-service arrangements. Where gaps exist, we work to close them quickly.

It depends on the complexity of your current employment arrangement and what infrastructure needs to be put in place. CIN membership and payer contract access can typically be activated within 30–60 days of agreement. Technology implementation and revenue cycle management go-live follow in the 60–90 day window. For physician network transitions involving a health system, the timeline is discussed openly during the assessment phase.

That's where most of our conversations start. A first conversation with The Heart Network is confidential and carries no commitment. We'll tell you what we offer, what we don't, and whether your situation is one we can help with. Many of the cardiologists and health systems we work with spent months in early conversations before deciding to move forward, and we're comfortable with that pace.