Doctors, hospitals go into business as equals

St. John Providence Health System is increasingly teaming up with its doctors — including private practice physicians — to help manage services as it works to improve patient care, following a trend that's becoming more common in Michigan. The Warren-based health system has set up three companies with physicians to help health system leaders manage cardiovascular services at its east side hospitals, surgery services at its west hospitals and medical neurology across its five-hospital system. Doctors have a similar management agreement in place at its St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Madison Heights. The three new agreements established this year split ownership 50-50 between the health system and doctors, and are helping improve quality, the patient's experience and lower costs, said Patricia Maryland, the system's president and CEO.