Strategic Thinking for Health Care

¶ … Strategic Thinking for Health Care Organizations

Accountable care organizations have not been around for that long, but they are already changing the health care landscape. These organizations are designed to provide a care delivery and payment model that is focused on the quality of the care (Gold, 2011; McClellan, et al., 2010). In other words, doctors and hospitals that provide a better quality of care get more money for that care. If a doctor does not provide the appropriate care, that doctor is not going to receive as much compensation. That sounds as though it would be an ideal model to help improve the quality of health care, but that may not actually be the case (Harrison, 2010). The problem with the accountable care model is that the quality of care and which care is appropriate in a specific situation are both things that can be argued by doctors and the organizations to which they are accountable. With that in mind, it is possible that the quality of health care will actually be hindered by accountable care organizations and the requirements they have.

They can control what they feel is the best care for a person to receive. The doctor or hospital may not agree with that level of care or plan for treatment, however, but in order to get paid the doctor or hospital will have to provide what the accountable care organization asks for instead of what else could be done to help the patient. Overall, that is something that has to be looked into in order to make sure that the patient will receive the care that is the most beneficial in treating the medical problem as opposed to the care that is the most cost effective for the accountable care organization (McClellan, et al., 2010). Integrating the accountable care organization into the network of doctors and hospitals on a clinical level is vital in order to ensure that the correct treatments are offered. Money is important, of course, but it should never be allowed to trump the quality of the care that is offered to patients.

In the U.S., there are many integrated health care systems. One of these is Banner Health. As one of the largest of the country's non-profit hospital systems, Banner has more than 36,000 employees and twenty-three facilities (Banner, 2012). These facilities comprise acute-care hospitals and various facilities for health care. Research done at Banner has been recognized internationally, and the company offers physician care, hospice, hospital, and home care. Seven states are serviced by Banner: California, Arizona, Wyoming, Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, and Nebraska (Banner, 2012). The company is based out of Phoenix, Arizona and provides high levels of benefits to the communities it serves. That is why Banner is a success when other systems sometimes fail. Charity care done by Banner each year exceeds $110 million, while indigent care (Medicaid and other public programs) exceeds $176 million (Banner, 2012). When one adds in the unpaid costs that come with Medicare, the total community benefit of Banner is $381 million per year (Banner, 2012).