Over the past three years (so long I now get a cafeteria discount like an employee!) I have been implementing both a cardiovascular service line governance structure and a co-management financial arrangement at a hospital in the South. It will soon be starting its third year of this CV alignment model and the third year of new performance metrics.

Due to the success of the cardiovascular arrangement, I was engaged to help ...

The medical profession has never really had well organized ways to measure physician competency, whether it be cognitive, technical or integrative. Many doctors, of course, retain their skills and sharpness of mind into their 70s and beyond. But physicians are hardly immune to dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and other ills of aging. Therefore, it would only make sense that we should be systematically and comprehensively evaluating physicians on some sort of ...

The ACO concept is that primary care offices, specialists, acute care hospitals, nursing homes and other post-acute facilities are expected to work together to manage care for a set group of patients. If groups can lower costs and achieve high quality scores, they're rewarded with a share of the savings. When they're successful, ACOs can decrease health care costs, avoid unnecessary duplication of services and reduce medical errors. But the reality is that most ...

When it comes to scaling up excellence throughout your system, are you more Catholic or Buddhist in your approach? This blog post discusses the important differences and how understanding both can contribute to your long-term success.

Don't expect the 2016 presidential election to change health care costs. As the population ages and drives utilization upwards, controlling unsustainable health spending will require nonpolitical actions that coordinate delivery of services, reduce unnecessary care and spur innovations that improve quality and ...

A look at the key questions CVSL programs should be asking themselves to assess their current status and potential going forward.