Economic Era of Health Care: A Revolution in Organized Delivery Systems

Written by three of the most eminent spokespersons in the field of health care management--Everett A. Johnson, Montague Brown, and Richard L. Johnson--The Economic Era of Health Care presents an insider's expose of the dramatic shift in modern medicine from traditional, health-oriented community care to the new era of bottom-line-focused medical treatment. The implications of this fundamental change in health care from Main Street to Wall Street are explored in aseries of dialogues about the most recent changes in managed care, hospital governance, alliances between physicians and managers, and health care ethics. Johnson, Brown, and Johnson offer a compelling picture of today's health care industry: the problems to be solved, the threats that must be met, and the opportunities that lie ahead for those hospitals and physicians who are willing to challenge the status quo. This book is filled with insightful commentary and information that makes sense of the profound changes that are taking place in our health care system. And the authors offer guidance about which values and attributes of our traditional system should be preserved. The book includes discussions of such timely topics as: Why the control of health care decisions is shifting from providers to employers, business coalitions, government, and managed care plans. How the massive infusion of investor capital, which is used for purchasing hospitals, managed care, and physician practices, has restructured health care delivery systems on a regional and national level. Whether capitation can be a long-term solution to the cost of health care. The role of managed care in community wellness and prevention. What effect the anticipated decline of the number of specialists will have on health care. How physicians and hospitals are organizing themselves to deal more effectively with managed care plans. How physician-executives can weave together clinical and managerial skills t