Partners in Health

Book excerpt: Praise for Partners in Health "The combination of visionary leadership, knowledge, and superb timing makes this book a winner. Health care is evolving toward collaboration and integration, and this book is essential reading for anyone wishing to change the relationships between hospitals and physicians." Donald W. Fisher, PhD, president and CEO, the American Medical Group Association "This book is a must-read for anyone committed to a high-performance health system. It spells out the practical steps that will move us toward an accessible, coordinated, patient-centered system of care. Its recommendations for payment and regulatory reform underscore the urgency of comprehensive health reform if the current misaligned incentives are to be changed to support those on the frontlines in providing the best care with prudent stewardship of resources." Karen Davis, PhD, president, The Commonwealth Fund "Closer physician-hospital integration would lead to higher quality care at lower cost. Partners in Health is a masterful guide to past integration efforts, current models of success, and thoughtful recommendations for future progress." Victor R. Fuchs, PhD, Henry J. Kaiser Jr. Professor Emeritus, Stanford University "The working relationship of hospitals and physicians must be restructured for the United States to achieve more efficient, accountable care. But addressing our urgent challenges can't wait for all hospitals and physicians to join highly structured systems. Thankfully, the authors offer steps that all the major stakeholders can take today to spur new models and start the flywheel of trust spinning at new speeds." Richard Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association "Transitioning U.S. health care from fragmentation to integration, in the context of a more rational payment system, is sure to be a long and tortuous journey. Partners in Health is a kind of Fodor's Guide to the voyage. No one committed to health reform should travel without it." Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief, Health Affairs