title: Northwest synergy: a lesson in effective collaboration.
abstract: Collaboration can be the most effective way to preserve the financial viability of providers and service lines in the same competitive market. When pursuing a large-scale collaboration, it's best to start small, with a single specific service area that can act as a testing ground for working out organizational, cultural, and financial issues. Organizational, cultural, and financial issues are best dealt with by focusing the collaborative effort within an entity that has a separate organizational structure.
authors.affiliation: Inland Northwest Health Services, Spokane, Wash., USA. craigj@inhs.org
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004465:Economic Competition; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009935:Organizational Affiliation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D015279:Organizational Culture; D014861:Washington