Disruptors

Most accountable care organizations, regardless of if they are formed by hospitals, health systems or physician groups, are primary-care based. After all, patients are generally attributed to ACOs based on their primary care provider.

Cigna has joined forces with physicians affiliated with Boulder (Colo.) Community Hospital's Community Medical Associates to launch a collaborative accountable care initiative, the payer's version of an accountable care organization.

Many of the established accountable care organizations have been formed by hospitals and insurance companies, with those executives having the final say in ACO-related matters.

Optima Health, Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare's health plan, and Johnson City, Tenn.-based Integrated Solutions Health Network, an affiliated company of Mountain States Health Alliance, have formed an accountable care organization network in southwest Virginia.

After CMS announced 106 new Medicare accountable care organizations in January, only 35 new commercial ACOs have been announced, according to a Health Affairs blog written by David Muhlestein from Leavitt Partners.

Yesterday I received an email, as I do each month, from a company called Trendwatching. Trendwatching calls itself a trend firm, "scanning the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights and related hands-on business ideas." Each monthly email highlights…

Some of the nations biggest retailers have been rapidly expanding into the provider space, including Wal-Mart. Retail health clinics may prove to be hospitals' most capable competitors in the years to come, particularly since chains like Wal-Mart have already demonstrated…

Tampa, Fla.-based USF Health announced its CEO and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, has a vision for the region to become a hub of top-tier healthcare services through disruptive innovation.

Toby Cosgrove, MD, president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, recently detailed his organization's affiliation with Brentwood, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, a for-profit hospital operator, according to a Tennessean report.

PricewaterhouseCoopers identified three major trends driving the healthcare market in its "16th Annual Global CEO Survey — Key findings in the healthcare industry."