Medallion — Implementation Playbook (DSO)

Executive Summary

Medallion is a cloud-based credentialing and privileging automation platform that consolidates provider data, streamlines verification workflows, and eliminates manual spreadsheet tracking across multi-location dental practices. For Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), Medallion reduces credentialing cycle time from 8-12 weeks to 3-4 weeks while maintaining regulatory compliance across state lines and insurers.

DSOs benefit uniquely because Medallion's centralized hub-and-spoke architecture lets corporate compliance teams manage credentialing for dozens of locations simultaneously, enforce consistent standards, and trigger automated re-credentialing calendars—critical for organizations managing 100+ providers across multiple states. Expected timeline to full deployment: 16 weeks for organizations with 50-150 providers; 20 weeks for larger systems.

Pre-Implementation Checklist (Weeks 1-2)

Technical Requirements

• Network infrastructure: All practice locations must have stable internet (minimum 10 Mbps upload/download). Medallion is cloud-native; local server installation is not supported.
• Device compatibility: Designate 2-3 computers per location with modern browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari—current versions). No special hardware required.
• Data migration readiness: Audit existing credentialing files (PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets). Identify which data lives in practice management software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental) vs. offline.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): If your DSO uses Azure AD or Okta, coordinate with IT to enable SAML/OIDC integration (reduces onboarding friction by 40%).
• Document storage: Confirm you have or will establish a HIPAA-compliant cloud repository (Medallion integrates with Box, OneDrive, SharePoint).

Stakeholder Alignment

• Executive sponsor: Assign a C-level champion (COO, Chief Compliance Officer) who owns credentialing timelines and budget.
• Credentialing core team: Identify 1 central FTE (usually compliance/HR) and 0.5 FTE per location (office manager or clinical coordinator). Total: ~2-3 FTEs for a 20-location DSO.
• IT/System administrators: Ensure your CIO or IT manager is looped in for SSO, data security, and integration planning.
• Practice leadership: Conduct brief calls with regional or location leaders to explain what will change in their workflow (provider re-credentialing, document upload responsibility).
• Vendor alignment: Schedule a joint kickoff with your Medallion account manager and your internal team. Define your success metrics upfront.

Baseline Metrics to Capture

Before launch, document the current state:

• Credentialing cycle time: Average days from application submission to completion.
• Re-credentialing backlog: How many providers are overdue for re-credentialing?
• Compliance gaps: Number of providers with missing or expired credentials (DEA, malpractice insurance, licensure).
• Staff time allocation: Hours spent per week on manual verification, follow-up calls, and document filing.
• Error rate: How many credentialing applications require rework due to incomplete data or lost documents?

Store these in a simple spreadsheet; you'll compare against 30/60/90-day metrics later.

Pilot Wave (Weeks 3-6)

Location Selection Criteria

Choose 2-3 pilot locations (not 1—you need validation):

• Geographic diversity: Pick locations in different states if applicable (ensures you test multi-state compliance workflows).
• Volume: Select locations with 8-15 providers (large enough to stress-test; small enough to support closely).
• Readiness: Prioritize practices whose office managers volunteer and have low staff turnover.
• Pain points: Choose locations with the worst credentialing backlogs or highest error rates—biggest wins = fastest adoption.

Avoid: Your flagship location or highest-revenue practice. Pilot phase requires some operational friction.

Configuration and Setup

Week 3: Medallion onboarding team completes initial setup:

• Tenant creation, domain configuration, security policies.
• Data import: Existing provider profiles, insurance contracts, verification templates.
• Custom workflows: Map your re-credentialing cadence (e.g., "all dentists re-credential every 3 years, hygienists every 2 years").
• Credential requirements by role: Define what docs a dentist vs. hygienist vs. DSO admin must maintain.

Week 4: Your team tests in sandbox environment:

• Upload sample provider records.
• Run a test credentialing cycle for 2-3 providers.
• Validate that integrations (e.g., pulling license status from state boards) work.

Week 5: Go-live at pilot locations:

• Lock in your "Day 1 provider list" (all active providers at those 2-3 locations).
• Conduct a live data import from your PMS if supported.
• Office managers begin uploading existing credentials into Medallion.

Week 6: Stabilization & feedback:

• Pilot users submit tickets for issues (e.g., "license verification timing out").
• Document wins (e.g., "found 2 expired DEA licenses we didn't know about").
• Refine configuration based on feedback.

Training Approach

• Role-based training (not one-size-fits-all):
  • Central compliance team: 90-minute deep-dive on dashboard, re-credentialing workflows, reporting.
  • Office managers: 30-minute session on uploading documents and flagging missing credentials.
  • Providers: 10-minute email + video on what to expect during re-credentialing.
• Delivery: Live Zoom + recorded videos (people forget; they'll rewatch).
• Hands-on practice: Have participants upload a test document during training.
• Support: Designate a "Medallion champion" at each pilot location—first point of contact for questions.

Scaled Rollout (Weeks 7-16)

Wave Planning

After pilot validation, deploy in cohorts:

• Wave 2 (Weeks 7-9): Next 4-6 locations (similar to pilots in complexity).
• Wave 3 (Weeks 10-12): Next 8-12 locations.
• Wave 4 (Weeks 13-16): Remaining locations (can accelerate here—patterns established).

Stagger by 2-3 weeks per wave to avoid overwhelming your central team and Medallion's support capacity.

Change Management

• Weekly stand-ups with regional leaders (15 min): Share progress, surface blockers.
• Monthly all-hands: Celebrate milestones (e.g., "We're now 60% deployed and caught 8 compliance gaps").
• Champions network: Create a Slack channel for office managers across locations to share tips.
• Resistance mitigation: Some staff will say "the old way was faster." Respond with data: "We found 3 expired licenses in your location this month that the old process missed."

Support Infrastructure

• Tier 1: Medallion champions at each location (handle 80% of questions).
• Tier 2: Your central credentialing FTE (escalations, complex policy questions).
• Tier 3: Medallion support team (bugs, technical integration issues).

Establish a shared ticketing system (Jira, Zendesk, or even a Google Form) so nothing falls through cracks.

ROI Tracking

Key Metrics to Measure

1. Credentialing cycle time (target: ≤4 weeks vs. 8-12 weeks baseline).
2. Staff time savings (track hours spent on credentialing per month; target: 30-40% reduction).
3. Compliance audit pass rate (% of providers with complete, current credentials; target: 98%+).
4. Re-credentialing backlog (should drop to near-zero by month 4).
5. Payer contract delays (track if credentialing speed-ups enable faster payer contracting).

30/60/90 Day Benchmarks

| Metric | 30 Days | 60 Days | 90 Days | |--------|------