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Healthcare

The 90-Day Problem: Why Slow Physician Onboarding Is Costing Healthcare Organizations Millions

14 December

Published Date

12 min

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1.9k

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Deepak-Raghavan

Deepak Raghavan

Author

The 90-Day Problem: Why Slow Physician Onboarding Is Costing Healthcare Organizations Millions

Every day a physician sits idle, your organization loses $250,000–$400,000 in unrealized revenue. Yet across the U.S., hospitals still take 90–120 days to credential and onboard doctors—a delay that drains millions, limits patient access, and slows strategic growth. Physician onboarding doesn’t have to be this slow. With ServiceNow automation implemented by TechEarnest, healthcare organizations are now reducing onboarding time to 30–45 days, recovering revenue faster and improving physician experience from day one.

The Real Cost of Delayed Onboarding

A single delay compounds across clinical, operational, and financial areas.

1. Direct Revenue Loss

A specialist generates $250,000–$400,000 per month.

A 90-day delay = $750,000 to $1.2 million in deferred revenue per physician.

2. Patient Access Bottlenecks

Idle physicians mean:

  • Longer wait times
  • Overflow in ED and urgent care
  • Lost patients who switch to competing systems

3. Administrative Waste

Credentialing teams spend hundreds of manual hours per physician verifying documents, tracking emails, and coordinating with multiple departments.

4. Physician Dissatisfaction & Early Attrition

Long waits create frustration before the physician even starts, increasing early turnover risk.

For a health system onboarding 50 physicians yearly, delays translate to tens of millions in lost revenue and competitive disadvantage.

Why Traditional Credentialing Takes 90+ Days

TechEarnest has analysed onboarding processes across health systems and identified four primary inefficiencies:

1. Manual Verification Bottlenecks

Credentialing teams must check:

  • Licenses
  • NPI
  • DEA
  • Board certifications
  • Malpractice history
  • References

Each requires separate portals and follow-ups.

TechEarnest Solution:

Real-time credential validation via ServiceNow integrated with Andros. What once took weeks now takes minutes.

2. Fragmented Systems & Data Silos

Credentialing, contracting, privileging, HR, and IT provisioning often sit in disconnected systems.

TechEarnest Solution:

A unified ServiceNow platform where data is entered once and flows across all workflows automatically.

3. Paper-Based Processes

Paper forms, wet signatures, email attachments, and physical files create delays and errors.

TechEarnest Solution:

Digital portals where physicians upload documents, complete applications, and track real-time progress—fully paperless with audit trails.

4. Compliance Complexity

Joint Commission, CMS, state boards, payers, internal policies each require specific documentation and timelines.

TechEarnest Solution:

Built-in compliance rules, automated checks, renewal reminders, and exception workflows to prevent lapses.

The 4-Step TechEarnest Transformation Model

TechEarnest converts physician onboarding from a 90-day bottleneck into a streamlined, automated 30–45 day process:

Step 1: Digital Application & Intake

Physicians apply through intuitive ServiceNow portals with:

  • Intelligent forms
  • Auto-triggered workflows
  • Real-time visibility into progress

Credentialing staff no longer chase emails or missing documents.

Step 2: Automated Credentialing

Through ServiceNow + Andros integration:

  • Real-time verification of license, NPI, DEA, certifications
  • Automatic exception handling
  • No manual data entry or multi-portal checks
  • Full documentation ready for accreditation audits

Credentialing teams shift from data entry to quality oversight.

Step 3: Contract Management Optimization

Using ServiceNow Contract Pro Plus:

  • Auto-generation of contracts using approved templates
  • Integrated negotiation workflows
  • Digital approvals
  • eSignature for same-day execution

Contracts that once took weeks now finalize in hours.

Step 4: Continuous Compliance Monitoring

Automation ensures ongoing adherence to:

  • License and certification renewals
  • VBC quality measures
  • Payer credentialing requirements
  • Internal privileging policies

The system prevents lapses that could halt clinical activity.

Measurable Outcomes Delivered by TechEarnest

Healthcare organizations see tangible results within months:

60% Faster Onboarding

Cut from 90–120 days → 30–45 days.

Revenue impact:+$700,000 per specialist by accelerating start dates.

70% Less Administrative Effort

Hundreds of manual hours saved per physician.

Teams redeploy to physician engagement and quality initiatives.

100% Compliance

Automated reminders, rules, and audits eliminate risk of credential lapses.

Higher Physician Satisfaction

Clear visibility, faster processing, and fewer administrative frustrations improve retention and first-year experience.

Beyond Physician Onboarding: The Unified Healthcare Platform

TechEarnest builds a scalable ServiceNow foundation that streamlines the entire healthcare ecosystem:

Employee Experience

HR onboarding, IT provisioning, training, compliance, payroll—automated across roles.

Physician Experience

Credentialing, contracting, privileging, access, service requests—unified under one platform.

Patient Experience

Digital front door, Patient 360, coordinated care workflows, integrated EMR/EHR interactions.

One platform. One data model. One end-to-end experience.

Our Proven 5-Month Implementation Roadmap

TechEarnest delivers predictable, risk-mitigated implementations with incremental value:

Month 1 — Foundation

Discovery, requirements, blueprint, governance, success metrics.

Month 2 — Configuration

Platform setup, forms, workflows, portals, Andros integration, contract templates.

Month 3 — Integration

EMR/EHR integration, eSignature, enterprise applications, security validation.

Month 4 — Validation

UAT, performance checks, stakeholder testing, training.

Month 5 — Launch

Phased rollout, hypercare, optimization, transition to steady-state operations.

Results begin appearing as early as Month 2.

Security & Compliance Built Into Every Workflow

TechEarnest ensures full alignment with healthcare standards through ServiceNow’s HCLS architecture:

  • HIPAA-compliant design
  • Role-based access control
  • Continuous audit trails
  • Joint Commission & CMS alignment
  • Secure, encrypted document handling

Security isn’t an add-on—it’s part of the foundation.

The Bottom Line

The 90-day credentialing delay is not inevitable.

It’s a result of manual processes, fragmented systems, and outdated workflows—and it costs millions every year.

Organizations that modernize with TechEarnest and ServiceNow achieve:

  • Faster revenue realization
  • Lower operational cost
  • Higher physician satisfaction
  • Reduced compliance risk
  • Competitive recruiting advantage

The technology exists. The ROI is proven. The implementation expertise is ready.

Ready to Eliminate the 90-Day Bottleneck?

TechEarnest specializes in transforming physician onboarding for healthcare organizations through automation, integration, and process redesign.

Let’s accelerate your onboarding from months to weeks.

Contact us to schedule a personalized consultation and discover how your organization can unlock faster revenue, better care access, and a seamless physician experience.

Deepak-Raghavan

Deepak Raghavan

Chief Technical Architect at TechEarnest

Deepak is an experienced IT leader specializing in enterprise-scale ServiceNow solutions, with deep expertise in ITOM, ITSM, automation, and platform architecture. He plays a key role in designing scalable ServiceNow implementations that help organizations streamline operations and drive digital transformation.

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