Integration & Physician Issues

TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, announced it has chosen 90 primary care practices to participate in a three-year patient-centered medical neighborhood pilot project.

Physicians say trial lawyers, health insurers and hospitals have a "major responsibility" in reducing healthcare costs — more than physicians, according to a new survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The number of physicians participating in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's patient-centered medical home program this year increased by 25 percent from 2012, according to a Crain's Detroit Business report.

The Regional Medical Center, based in Orangeburg, S.C., has added three cardiology offices to its network.

The percentage of physicians' pay tied to quality of care would double in 2016 under draft regulations released by the Medicare program this month, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

HHS announced today that it will provide $12 million in grants to support residency programs for primary care through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Aligning with physicians is traditionally a difficult process for hospitals and health systems, thanks to a history of strained relations between the two groups. However, physician alignment and integration is absolutely essential for hospitals to master in today's healthcare environment.

The majority of physicians in training prefer hospital employment, whereas practicing physicians' first preference is a single-specialty group, according to survey findings from The Medicus Firm.

Although most physicians do not see a career move in the short-term future, those who did cited greater financial rewards as the main motivating factor, according to findings from The Medicus Firm.

More than one third — 34 percent — of physicians say they are "very" or "somewhat" likely to leave their practice or group in the near future, according to the Wolters Kluwer Health 2013 Physician Outlook Survey.