About Us: Emergency Medicine Specialists

The Science, Art and Business of Patient Care™

BestPractices™ (formerly known as Emergency Physicians of Northern Virginia) was formed in 1989 to offer the finest possible services in emergency physician leadership, management, clinical care, patient satisfaction, and patient safety to hospitals, physicians, medical staffs, and patients in healthcare institutions with a recognized and demonstrable commitment to excellence.

Our physicians and leadership team have nationally recognized reputations as thought-leaders in the specialty of emergency medicine and physician practice management. Our work has been featured by numerous national organizations, including The Healthcare Advisory Board, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the seminal three-volume work undertaken by The Healthcare Advisory Board called The Clockwork ED.

Consider the voices of several nationally-recognized experts with regard to BestPractices™ and the work done by Doctor Thom Mayer, our Founder and CEO, and Doctor Kirk Jensen, our Chief Medical Officer. They come from Quint Studer, (the leader in healthcare customer service), Tom Peters, (legendary leadership consultant, speaker, and author), and Doctor Don Berwick, the CEO of The Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

“Thom Mayer has made a difference in healthcare by being a leading proponent of customer service in emergency departments. He not only inspires people, but also gives them the tools and techniques to improve operations.”

Quint Studer
“I honestly can’t remember when I’ve seen so much of so much importance crammed into a short book. Thom has done an excellent job of making the case for customer service excellence in acute care institutions. This book is laser-like in its aim.”

Tom Peters
(from the Foreword to Leadership to Great Customer Service)
“A milestone in the ability to explain and explore flow as a central, improvable property of healthcare systems. The authors are masters of both theory and applications, and they speak from real experiences, bravely met.”

Donald Berwick, M.D., CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
(from the Foreword to Leadership for Smooth Patient Flow)

BestPractices™ has developed a national reputation in emergency medicine, pediatric emergency medicine, and physician leadership/management. We serve hundreds of thousands of patients every year in leading hospitals across the country. Please read on to understand our core values, the ED outsourcing services we offer, and the innovative BestPractices Institute™.