The passage of the new health reform legislation promises to keep hospitals and physicians busily focused on price transparency, rate regulation, bundled incentives and growing capacity constraints. As this broad transformation in payment structures, incentives and mandates takes place, hospitals and physicians must secure alignment strategies to best position themselves within high-performing Systems of CARE (Clinical Alignment and Resource Effectiveness) in the 2010s. Despite many unanswered questions about the new legislation’s impact, what is certain is the need for physician alignment strategies that formally engage the majority of the medical staff. Hospitals seeking to improve their market position and/or protect share must move quickly. Whether or not this means near-term movement toward the accountable care organization (ACO) direction or not, for most this will entail pursuing high-integration physician strategies that link employed, partnered and independent physicians through technology and shared incentives.,/p>
