A foundation for collaborative practice: building agreements between radiology and cardiology.

Radiologists and cardiologists now face the same (or similar) regulatory changes, which will demand a level of cooperation between these physicians far beyond that which currently exists. Multiple, viable physician collaboration options do exist, but more often than not that model comes to fruition in the form of a hospital sponsored clinical institute model with a co-management agreement. Ultimately, most institutes move beyond cardiovascular imaging and move to create clinical platforms whereby interventional radiologists, cardiologists, and surgeons jointly develop best practices for all cardiovascular services.

Physician-hospital relationships: from historical failures to successful "new kids on the block".

Trends in healthcare reveal that increasing numbers of physicians prefer to work directly with hospitals-whether through employment models, new or revived partnership structures, or other such "deals". Meanwhile, hospital executives are vigorously seeking ways to create win-win arrangements that satisfy both parties-models that will ensure medical coverage for the hospital, along with revenue gains and cost savings when possible. Add to this a competitive environment, physician shortages, and high regulatory activity and healthcare reform, and the path to clinical, operational, and financial viability in the context of a hospital/physician partnership can be a challenging one. Models such as The physician enterprise and co-management agreements are gaining popularity, each with distinct benefits. With market forces dynamically changing, along with accountable care, it is time for hospitals, health systems, and physicians to prioritize their partnering relationships, a strategy that is now key to achieving success in the future...and that's a trend that's likely to continue far into the years ahead.