Journey to excellence: How Bon Secours Mercy Health transformed its provider onboarding process

Author's Biography

Michellene Kerr-Gordon, MBA, PMP, is a Project Management Institute–certified project management professional with nearly 20 years of experience leading increasingly complex multi-year engagements for large healthcare organisations. She began her career at Baltimore with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, delivering knowledge-transfer engagements with clients in the Middle East and Africa, in particular the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In her current role as Manager of Care Delivery Program Management for Bon Secours Mercy Health, she managed the transition of the Credentials Verification Organization and all Medical Staff Offices across the enterprise’s entire US footprint from three disparate legacy credentialing platforms to one. She is known for her ability to align complex projects with organisational strategy while fostering strong stakeholder relationships at all levels. She is also the chief architect of the medical group provider onboarding programme at Bon Secours Mercy Health. She graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a BBA double major in international business and French. She served on the university’s management and international business advisory board from 2018 to 2023 and was vice chair from 2020 to 2023. She also holds an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Cassie Lowe, BSHCA, CPCS, PESC, is the System Director of Provider Enrollment and Delegation at Bon Secours Mercy Health, where she leads strategic initiatives to streamline provider onboarding and payer credentialing across a multi-state healthcare system. With over 20 years of service to the organisation and more than a decade of specialised experience in provider enrolment, Cassie brings deep expertise in navigating the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Committee for Quality Assurance standards for insurance payer participation. She holds the Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist and a Provider Enrollment Specialist Certified credentials, along with a bachelor’s in healthcare administration. Cassie is known for her leadership in optimising enrolment workflows and ensuring compliance across complex, delegated payer relationships.

Dawn Murphy, BSBA, OARC, is the Manager of Physician Onboarding and Engagement at Bon Secours Mercy Health, where she leads the design and execution of a standardised, system-wide physician onboarding programme. In this role, she provides strategic direction for all aspects of provider onboarding and integration, serving as a trusted adviser to internal stakeholders across one of the nation’s largest Catholic health systems. With over 13 years at Bon Secours Mercy Health, Dawn has spent the past 7 years developing and implementing a highly successful provider onboarding programme, including the recent launch of the innovative provider onboarding concierge programme. She is known for building strong relationships, streamlining complex processes and championing initiatives that drive long-term physician engagement and retention. Dawn holds a bachelor’s in business administration and is certified in onboarding and retention. She is also an active member of the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, where she was recently named Secretary of the Onboarding and Retention Leadership Team.

Michelle Stultz, RN, CPMSM, CPCS, FMSP, is Vice President, Credentials Verification Organization, Delegated Credentialing & Provider Enrollment at Bon Secours Mercy Health, with 30 years of experience in health care. She is currently responsible for leading a team of highly skilled medical staff professionals (MSPs) through all aspects of credentialing, privileging, delegation, provider enrolment and accreditation compliance serving a multi-state healthcare system. Michelle is a member of the American Medical Association Credentialing Advisory Board and the Federation Credentialing Verification Service Advisory Council. She was the 2023 president of the National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) and currently serves NAMSS as a government relations liaison, partnering with industry stakeholders in advancing the work of MSPs. She is considered a subject matter expert in this field. Michelle holds a nursing degree from the University of Cincinnati and a business degree from Mount Saint Joseph University, Cincinnati. She is certified by NAMSS as a Certified Professional in Medical Services Management and a Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist and was awarded the NAMSS fellow designation in 2018.