The Infrastructure Advantage
How Partnerships Can Expand Your Organization’s Capacity
By KFMC Health Improvement Partners
For a smaller health care organization, pursuing a federal contract or complex health care project can raise an important question: Do we have the infrastructure to take this on?
The answer does not always have to be yes on your own.
Organizations can expand their capacity by partnering with an experienced organization that already has federal contracting systems, financial processes, stakeholder relationships and health care expertise in place.
KFMC Health Improvement Partners has spent decades working within federal and state health care programs. That experience allows KFMC to provide infrastructure and expertise that can help partners pursue opportunities they may not be equipped to manage independently.
What infrastructure does an organization need for federal health care work?
Federal health care work often requires administrative, financial and operational infrastructure in addition to subject-matter expertise.
Depending on the opportunity, an organization may need:
- Federal contracting and financial systems
- Staff familiar with federal requirements
- Project management and reporting capabilities
- Data and technical expertise
- Provider or participant recruitment capabilities
- Relationships with health care organizations, agencies and community stakeholders
Developing those capabilities internally can take considerable time and resources.
KFMC already has many of these systems and capabilities in place because of its history of federal and state health care work. That infrastructure can complement the specialized expertise a smaller organization brings to a project.
The goal is not to ask a partner to become something it is not. It is to understand what the organization already does well, identify what is missing and determine how KFMC can help fill those gaps.
Can a smaller organization pursue federal health care contracts?
Yes. A smaller organization does not necessarily need to build every federal contracting capability internally before pursuing an opportunity.
A smaller organization may have highly specialized knowledge or technical expertise that makes it a strong fit for a federal project but lack the contracting, financial or administrative structure needed to pursue or manage the work independently.
An experienced partner can provide those complementary capabilities.
KFMC’s federal contracting experience means many of those systems do not have to be created from the ground up each time a new opportunity arises.
That can expand what both organizations are able to accomplish.
Capacity is not always about hiring more people or building another system. Sometimes it comes from connecting organizations with infrastructure and experience that already exist.
Why do relationships matter when managing health care projects?
Established relationships can be just as important as administrative systems when a health care project requires participation from providers, agencies or communities.
KFMC has built relationships with health care organizations, providers, state agencies and other stakeholders through decades of work, particularly throughout Kansas.
Those connections can be valuable when a project depends on identifying, reaching or recruiting the right participants.
For example, an organization from outside Kansas may have the technical expertise necessary for a project but lack relationships with the providers or communities it needs to reach.
KFMC may already understand those organizations, communities and stakeholders.
That knowledge comes from years of working alongside them, not simply maintaining a contact list.
Strong relationships can help organizations bring the right people together, recruit participants and build the collaboration needed to move a project forward.
How can an experienced health care partner prevent problems?
An experienced partner can help organizations identify decisions, risks and operational questions earlier, before they become expensive or difficult to change.
When one state’s Medicaid agency implemented managed care for the first time, KFMC helped the agency think through how systems, processes and relationships with managed care organizations should be established.
The value was not simply understanding managed care.
KFMC could draw from experience with other health care systems and help leaders consider decisions that could affect the program later.
That outside perspective can be particularly valuable when an organization is implementing a program or process for the first time.
Internal teams naturally know their organization and immediate needs best. An experienced partner can bring a broader view based on challenges and approaches it has seen elsewhere.
The goal is to ask important questions early rather than discovering a year or two later that a process could have been structured differently.
Does every organization need the same consulting support?
No. Effective health care consulting should be based on the organization’s goals, existing capabilities and specific gaps.
Some organizations may need help navigating federal contracting requirements. Others may already have administrative systems but need help engaging stakeholders, analyzing data, providing technical assistance or navigating a particular area of health care delivery.
KFMC’s advisory and consulting services are designed around those differences.
There is no single package every organization needs.
The starting point is understanding what the organization is trying to accomplish and what capabilities it already has.
From there, KFMC can help determine where its experience, infrastructure, relationships or technical expertise can add value.
It is part of KFMC’s no-wrong-door approach. Organizations do not need to know which KFMC service or line of business they need before starting the conversation.
The first question is simpler: What are you trying to accomplish?
How can partnerships increase an organization’s capacity?
Partnerships increase capacity by allowing organizations to combine complementary strengths rather than building every capability internally.
KFMC brings experience developed through decades of federal and state health care work, established contracting and financial systems, and relationships across Kansas and beyond.
A partner may bring specialized expertise, technology, research capabilities or other experience.
Together, those strengths can create capacity neither organization would have in quite the same way on its own.
For organizations considering federal health care opportunities or other complex projects, the question does not always have to be: Can we build everything required to do this?
A better question may be: Who already has the pieces we need?
Frequently asked questions about health care contracting and partnerships
What is federal contracting infrastructure?
Federal contracting infrastructure includes the administrative, financial, compliance, project management and reporting systems an organization may need to pursue and successfully manage federally funded work.
Can an organization partner with KFMC on a federal health care opportunity?
KFMC works with organizations whose expertise and capabilities complement its own. Depending on the opportunity, KFMC may provide federal contracting experience, administrative infrastructure, stakeholder relationships, technical expertise or other support.
Does KFMC only work with organizations in Kansas?
No. Although KFMC has deep relationships and experience throughout Kansas, its work includes federal and state health care programs and projects beyond Kansas.
What types of organizations can benefit from this kind of partnership?
Organizations with strong subject-matter or technical expertise but limited federal contracting infrastructure, stakeholder relationships or health care program experience may benefit from partnering with an organization that already has those capabilities.
When should an organization consider bringing in a partner?
Ideally, organizations should consider potential partners early, when they are evaluating an opportunity or planning a new initiative. Early collaboration can help identify infrastructure needs, potential gaps and issues that may be more difficult to address later.
Considering a new funding opportunity? Let’s talk about how KFMC can help your organization build the capacity to make it happen. Contact us today.
