Governance Principles for Physician Organizations
“A strong, consistent governance and leadership focus on doing what’s best for patients and communities is positioning physician organizations as significant drivers of improved quality and financial performance and as architects of the new care delivery system.”
This is one of the key findings of a recently released report, Governance of Physician Organizations: An Essential Step to Care Integration. The report shares results of a study conducted by the American Hospital Association’s Center for Healthcare Governance and Physician Leadership Forum.
The study notes the wide range in organizational size, structure, ownership and control, geographic location and governance structure and practices among participating organizations. It concludes that best governance practices now accepted in hospitals and health systems may not apply in the same way to physician organizations and that there is value in matching governance practices to organizational needs at various stages of their development.