Jill Toliver, FNP and Gretchen Moen, PNP Owners, Nurse Practitioners Mendota Health, Eagan, MN

How is your practice organized?

We have a collaborative partnership structured as a Professional Association C-Corp, which in Minnesota requires that the clinic owners also be practicing clinicians.

The two of us (Gretchen and Jill) share ownership and have hired another NP Rosze Barrington, ANP, to work with us full-time but she will not share ownership. We have also brought in a pediatrician and family physician to work one day a week. The physicians also do not have any ownership in Mendota Health.<.P>

We try to bring a collaborative approach to the whole practice...from appliance color choices to exam room layout. We hope to incorporate this same give and take approach to the practice as a whole.

Both Jill and Gretchen work full time. Rosze, the ANP and Jill, the FNP will share call and Gretchen the PNP will take pediatric calls. When calls become too numerous, then we will contract with a nursing triage service. Many insurance companies allow for after hours on-call billing.

The Office: We picked hours of operation based on the research firm's assessment from the focus groups. Participants wanted a.m. hours before 9, the ability to visit during their lunch break, or at the end of the day after work. Based on this, our hours are:
Mon. & Thurs.: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tues., Wed., & Fri.: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat.: 9 a.m. to noon

Administrative Oversight: We plan to each keep one day a week free for administrative-non patient care duties. Most administrative duties are contracted out. Other duties have been assigned to staff in broader categories such as: lead medical assistant and schedules, lab supervisor, supply coordinator, laundry and pharmaceuticals, and office supplies.

Hours per week devoted to care Gretchen will initially have 40 scheduled patient care hours; Jill-32 hours; Rosze- 24 hours; and the physicians 8 hours each per week.

Administration and Management: As co-owners of the practice we plan to keep one day a week free for administrative, non-patient care related work.

Besides ourselves, our team consists of have a fulltime LPN and receptionist, a part time pediatrician and family physician, three fulltime Medical Assistants and one part time Medical Assistant.