Hospitals looking to run accountable care organizations will have to change their business model from admitting as many patients as possible to learning how to reduce expenses, says Donald H. Crane, president and CEO, California Association of Physician Groups.

Good physician relationships are essential to making decisions that satisfy your medical staff and your administration. Ann Bittinger, a certified health law attorney with The Bittinger Law Firm, discusses four ways to improve physician-hospital relationships without micro-managing your physicians.

A co-management arrangement is an organized and formal mechanism to actively engage a group of physicians to achieve greater operational efficiencies and improved patient care outcomes. It is typically focused on one clinical service line, such as orthopedic/rehabilitative surgery or…

Bellingham, Wash.,-based North Cascade Cardiology has started negotiations for purchase by PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, according to a Bellingham Herald report.

Jamestown (N.C.) Family Practice and Urgent Care has jointed High Point (N.C.) Regional Hospital as a subsidiary, according to a Jamestown News report.

One of the primary reasons hospitals acquire physician practices is to improve strategic alignment. If the acquiring hospital or organization is looking to secure its marketplace, having aligned physicians and supportive positions can help to further those aims. Robert G.…

Ray Chicoine, COO of Monarch Healthcare, a 2,500-physician independent practice organization (IPA) in Orange County, Calif., discusses Monarch's efforts to develop an accountable care organization in Orange County as part of the ACO pilot project spearheaded by the Engelberg Center…

The Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic, with 800 physicians at 50 sites, was one of the highest achievers in the model program for accountable care organizations, the Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration, which lasted from 2005 to March 2010. Here Theodore A.…

The American Medical Group Association has launched the ACO Development Collaborative, with 19 medical groups across the country participating, according to an AMGA news release.

Many hospitals are currently rushing to develop accountable care organizations, but physician involvement in the development and initial structuring of many of these networks has been minimal, says Mark F. Weiss, JD, a healthcare attorney with Advisory Law Group in…