title: Strategic planning: how medical practices can succeed in a post-healthcare-reform world.
abstract: This article addresses the recent trend of physicians being pressured to sell to hospitals in order to stay in practice. The author utilizes his experience in the healthcare industry to identify causes of this trend and ways in which physician groups can avoid finding themselves in these situations. The author uses real data from an existing medical practice to support his ideas and demonstrate how implementing change now will be beneficial for the success of this medical practice in the future. Objective practice evaluation and the execution of an efficient strategic plan are cited as the most important factors contributing to the financial solvency of medical practices in the current and future healthcare environment.
authors.affiliation: Fulcrum Strategies, 1340 Sunday Drive, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howrigon
mesh_terms: D003284:Contract Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D004526:Efficiency; D005544:Forecasting; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D006265:Health Care Coalitions / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000639:trends; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D017008:Negotiating; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D020443:Practice Valuation and Purchase / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States