Why Clinical Integration is Essential for the Future of Independent Physicians

med networkBy: Ben Humphrey, MD, CPE, MGO Healthcare Consulting – Guest Contributor

We’re past the tipping point and are proceeding headlong into new market-driven accountability for quality, cost and value.  As these large-scale changes progress, physicians who want to thrive and be positioned for long-term success will have to embrace new ideas and approaches in their practices.

A few years ago physicians in Ohio created their own physician-owned company to assist themselves with success in the changing world of healthcare.  Via their company, The Medical Group of Ohio (MGO), they created a clinically integrated physician network comprised of nearly 2,100 physicians.  The vast majority of these physicians are in small independent practices.  Being clinically integrated means the physicians are working together, using proven physician-created protocols and measures, to demonstrably improve patient care, decrease cost, and deliver value.Continue reading