Physician Advisors help improve patient-care quality and efficiency
Clinical Bridge-builders
Physician advisors serve as a liaison between clinical staff and hospital administration, helping to ensure that medical care aligns with regulatory, documentation, and reimbursement standards. They serve as bridge-builders between frontline care and hospital leadership.
Assuring the effective, efficient utilization of health care services
Established in 2024, the Physician Advisor program helps assure the effective, efficient utilization of health care services at UW Medical Center (UWMC), Harborview Medical Center (HMC) and Northwest Hospital.
“In the first six months, the three person PA team has reviewed hundreds of payor denials and conducted Peer-to-Peer discussions with payor medical directors tied to millions of dollars in charges from UWMC,” said Dr. Mark Mayo, UWMC medical director for care coordination and patient progression.
Improving quality and efficiency
Physician Advisors are clinical leaders who specialize in improving the quality and efficiency of patient care by optimizing the use of hospital resources, including electronic medical records (EMRs). Through expert guidance, they help align institutional practices with best standards for documentation, coding, and care coordination.
Clinical documentation and hospital efficiency
With every patient encounter, physicians enter diagnoses and services into the EMR. Thorough, precise documentation is essential not only for effective care coordination and patient safety, but also for managing hospital resources efficiently. Proper documentation ensures that the complexity of a patient’s condition is fully captured, enabling providers to deliver timely, appropriate care.
Patient care quality
Physician advisors work closely with the Utilization Management and Care Coordination teams to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time. By facilitating clear communication among providers, they help ensure that medical records accurately reflect the clinical reasoning and management decisions behind each patient’s treatment.
Insurance advocacy
Their expertise also extends to supporting Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI). By ensuring that specific diagnoses are properly documented and coded, physician advisors contribute to appropriate hospital reimbursement and reflect the true complexity of patient care. Their input is vital to billing teams and institutional financial health.
Meet the Physician Advisor Team
HMC
Dr. Molly Rosenthal, assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) is the medical director for the Harborview Physician Advisor program and serves as Capacity Management Physician to assist in flow and care coordination across the hospital network.
Dr. Betty Chen Valento, associate professor (Dept. of Emergency Medicine) is an emergency physician and medical toxicologist.
Dr. Scott Stroup, clinical assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) is a clinical hospitalist and is a part of the Medicine Operative Consultation Clinic at Harborview.
Dr. Diana Wiseman, clinical professor (Dept. of Neurological Surgery) is a neurological surgeon who specializes in spinal surgery, degenerative spinal conditions and trauma.
Dr. Linden Brown, clinical assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) is an internal medicine physician and specializes in the care of hospitalized adult patients.
UWMC
Dr. Tiffany Chen, clinical associate professor (General Internal Medicine) directs the medicine consult service at UW Medical Center-Montlake. She took over as medical director of the physician advisor program this month.
Dr. Judy Chen, associate professor (Dept. of Surgery) is a bariatric surgeon specializing in advanced minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery and laparoscopic metabolic weight management surgery.
Dr. Jesse Levin, clinical associate professor (General Internal Medicine) has been a physician advisor since 2024. This month, he will be transitioning from his role as Department of Medicine Inpatient Documentation and Coding Director to expand his role with the Physician Advisor program.
“The department is extremely grateful for Dr. Levin’s invaluable service as Inpatient Documentation and Coding Director since 2017,” said Dr. Bradley Anawalt, professor (General Internal medicine) and vice chair and chief of medicine, UWMC.
The UWMC Physician Advisor program operates under UWMC Medical Director for Care Coordination and Patient Progression Dr. Mark Mayo, assistant professor of clinical practice (General Internal Medicine). He has been interim medical director of the UWMC Physician Advisor program since 2024.