Medical group management
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As funding sources outside of tight state and local budgets are being explored by public institutions, there is increasing interest in practice plan arrangements at public hospitals. The efforts of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) in developing and implementing practice plan policies and programs in a diverse system of healthcare centers are documented here. These efforts were initiated in conjunction with a review of HHC's contracts with major medical schools, and their success has proven to be largely due to the plan's built-in flexibility and strong administrative and medical leadership.
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Though once relatively inconsequential, in today's competitive climate a strategic buy-in/buy-out plan is critical to a medical group's success. A plan that is too costly in relation to competitor's plans can spell a death sentence for a group seeking to attract new physicians. In this case study, a group confronts its buy-in/buy-out problem and uses it as an opportunity to redefine goals and objectives and rebuild the group.
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The Riverside Medical Clinic in Riverside , California, recently created an urgent care center which achieved a breakeven point after only four months of operation and has exceeded all expectations ever since. The many areas of concern when implementing an urgent care center program are presented in the article, including choosing the provider group, philosophy of the center, organizational structure, operational plan, developing a marketing program, and possible pitfalls. Not only has the extended-hours medical service offered by the Riverside Medical Clinic Urgent Care Center been an answer to increasing competition, it has added a critical dimension in the clinic's development of a truly integrated medical delivery system.
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Long-range planning through the acquisition of capital equipment basically involves considering two alternatives--buy or lease. Choosing which of these alternatives is more advantageous for a medical group will depend upon a number of factors including the specific financial terms associated with the purchase or lease of the equipment, potential technological obsolescence of the equipment, and the financial posture of the group at the time of the decision.
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In an effort to contain rapidly escalating healthcare costs, legislation to institute a form of national health insurance in the United States has been proposed. Critics argue that such a plan would only drive up costs and drive down quality. ⋯ This report on the current German situation offers some important lessons as U. S. policymakers wrestle with this controversial issue.