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A readiness assessment helps a healthcare organization define a joint mission and vision around quality improvement (QI), clinical integration, and the use of IT to support pay-for-performance (P4P) initiatives, according to Elizabeth M. Simpkin, president and founder of The Lowell Group, Inc., in Chicago, who discussed QI and P4P at the Healthcare Financial Management Association's Annual National Institute, held in San Diego in June. "Pay for performance provides a unique opportunity for hospitals to partner with physicians on targeted performance-improvement initiatives, offering a means for hospitals and physicians to engage around an entirely appropriate forum: improving quality of care,"