Trinity Health Clinical Integration

Introduction
Healthcare in the United States is undergoing significant transition in part due to climbing healthcare cost and restructure of the healthcare system resulting from the enactment of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). The objectives outlined in the ACA have led many organizations to a change in their delivery model. Clinical integration and integrated physician model as well as the development of Accountable Care Organizations and changes in hospital business models are but some of the areas of healthcare experiencing transformation.
Integrated Physician Model
An integrated physician model develops over time when a healthcare organization builds several partnerships between physicians and hospitals that are allied with similar

Trinity Health understands that there are potential, and likely, issues that may arise during the clinical integration process. Trinity Health has the “Seven Cs” on which they focus in order to manage the challenges brought about by changes surrounding integration. “Culture, consolidation, consistency, coordination, cost, collaboration, and consumerism” are the key components of Trinity Health’s efforts to disperse attempts to stall progression toward clinical integration (Swedish, 2012).
The process of clinical integration clearly owns a key place in an organizations strategic plan as it draws the organization and providers into unification towards goals that fit the mission, vision, and values of the organization whilst being mindful of patient safety, improved outcomes, and patient and provider satisfaction.
Dynamics of Accountable Care

ACOs provide care for a specific group of individuals assigned retroactively based upon previous utilization for primary care however an ACO cannot mandate that patients see specific providers (Harrison, 2016). This can lead to problems if patients began seeing different doctors due to preference or convenience ultimately disrupting the continuity of care the ACO is attempting to achieve. It is also can be a significant factor if a particular organization is assigned numerous noncompliant patients. These patients would require significant effort by the organization to meet the quality standards such as blood pressure management, yearly physical, etc. Those efforts could potentially result in significant cost increase, nullifying any cost savings. Concern for other possible limiting factors includes the setting of the standards that organizations are to meet and what is structure of those responsible for governing