Medical Staff Alliances: How to Build Successful Partnerships with Your Physicians. - book reviews

Healthcare Financial Management, Dec, 1990 by Robert H. Dougherty

Medical Staff Alliances: How to Build Successful Partnership with Your Physicians

By Douglas E. Goldstein and Douglas C. McKell American Hospital Publishing Chicago, Ill., 1990 This well-written, well-organized volume begs to be used. Most copies are destined to end up with sections marked and notes written in the margins by their readers.

The early chapters provide definition and background while the middle section describes various models for alliances that have been formed for different purposes. The matrix used to compare models in areas such as cost, benefit, risk, and control is fascinating and potentially useful. The use of the matrix, as well as other described methods, are illustrated in a hypothetical case study.

Later chapters focus on developing a plan and managing an alliance after it is set up. These chapters provide a how-to checklist. The book concludes with actual case examples and an afterword offering a succinct overview of the book's underlying message.

The authors were successful in providing healthcare professionals with a useful guide to planning and implementing institution and physician alliances. Persons involved in developing these programs might want to use this book as a working tool. Those not actively involved in physician bonding activities may still find this text worthwhile reading.