CFOs' Top 3 Lessons of 2012

"We see the benefit as really getting the doctors involved now in the development of [quality] metrics [to track]. Ultimately that's really going to be better for the patient and better for our quality," explained David Ping, Health Quest's senior vice president of strategic planning and business development.

In early 2012, HealthLeaders released a mergers and acquisitions report which noted that nearly 80% of healthcare leaders intended to have M&A deals under way or would be exploring deals within 12-18 months.

It isn't enough to know that a service line gap must be filled. Organizations need to fill the gap while strengthening the organization's position overall. Take a page from the Health Quest notebook and prepare your agreements with organizational goals and alignment in mind and get your physicians in on the process.

Next year is going to be a challenging one for everyone in healthcare, with more than a few new tasks to tackle. Unfortunately, no healthcare or governmental organization has figured out the formula that will work at all hospitals to help deliver patients better care at lower costs.

Nevertheless, by following the lead of some of healthcare's frontrunners, other providers may be better prepared for what lay ahead.