Kevin Birnbaum, MBA, CHFP
About
Kevin Birnbaum brings more than a decade of experience building and leading provider compensation functions within large health systems. He designs scalable, strategically aligned physician and advanced practice provider (APP) compensation models that balance financial performance, regulatory compliance, and provider engagement.
Kevin has led compensation redesign initiatives for employed groups ranging from a handful of providers to more than 1,500 clinicians, helping organizations centralize provider compensation operations, strengthen governance models, and optimize compensation plan design and strategy. His experience includes negotiating hundreds of professional services agreements (PSAs), supporting fair market value (FMV) and commercial reasonableness (CR) documentation, and most recently contributing to the negotiation of the first multispecialty physician collective bargaining agreement in the United States.
He is an active thought leader in the industry, presenting the last few years at the American Association of Provider Compensation Professionals (AAPCP) national conference on topics such as Value Based Enterprises (VBEs), provider compensation team organization and structure, and employed provider compensation redesign initiatives. Kevin has also contributed to the Journal of Provider Compensation, coauthoring an article examining the sustainability of wRVU-based remuneration models.
Experience
- Designed and implemented enterprise-wide physician and APP compensation models, including large-scale redesigns shifting from volume to value-based models.
- Centralized the provider compensation function within multiple integrated delivery systems, delivering consistent FMV reviews, greater program equity, and measurable reductions in compensation‑related errors.
- Designed and implemented compensation governance structures to improve alignment, compliance, and engagement.
- Advised on and negotiated hundreds of PSAs, ranging from medical director agreements, call coverage agreements, and various clinical services arrangements.
- Directed contracting efforts to embed compensation models into employment agreements through a standardized, policy‑driven framework, significantly reducing administrative complexity and legal workload related to physician contracting.
- Implemented innovative FMV and compensation strategies that reduced costs, accelerated turnaround times, and mitigated financial and regulatory risk.
Areas of Expertise
- Compensation (Physician & Executive)
- Contracting (Employment, Payer, IT Vendor)
- Performance Improvement
- Financial Analysis and Modeling
- Fair Market Value/Commercial Reasonableness Opinions
- Governance Structure Optimization
- Hospital/Physician Alignment/Integration
- Transaction Advisory
Education
University of Lynchburg
Master of Business Administration
Lynchburg, Virginia
Liberty University
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Specialization: Finance
Lynchburg, Virginia
Certifications
Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP)
Professional Memberships
American Association of Provider Compensation Professionals, Task Force Member
