If you are not, you should be. Hospitals and Physician are connecting more than ever before.
For example, Ascension, the largest catholic health system in the country and Trinity, the second largest catholic health system, recently formed Together Health Network.
Dr. Scott Eathorne, from The Physician Alliance, one of the largest physician groups in Michigan was just chosen as interim CEO.
The new healthcare network will cover all of Michigan using 27 hospitals, hundreds of clinic sites and 5,000 doctors.
Like many healthcare providers, these two giant health systems along with their physician organizations recognize that in the new age of health reform – togetherness is better than separateness.
Insurance companies and large employers are looking for ways to keep health costs down. By forming a new combined healthcare network, both Ascension and Trinity can leverage what they already have: hospitals and lots of doctors. The bigger the network the more money they can bring in by being the preferred provider. Additionally, there is less risk with more resources. The more cities they can cover, the more money they will make.
Patients want large networks with lots of choices. If “Together Health Network” can avoid the problems of a large bureuacracy and deliver fast, efficient and great care, the investment will be worth it.
ObamaCare continues to change healthcare.
ObamaCare incentivizes healthcare providers to work together using technology like electronic health records to avoid unnecessary tests and procedures. If there is only one payment for the care of the patient, the healthcare providers want to only do what is necessary. No more, no less. The old “fee for service” model incentivizes just the opposite. Under the old model, the more tests the better.
If you are considering merging with other healthcare providers, we’d love to hear from you. What creative affiliations or mergers are you considering as you respond to the changing healthcare environment?
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