NJ opportunity

[Guest guest]

There is a good deal of experimentation going on in health care right

now for all the reasons we know too well. I love the ones that

support excellence in primary care as this is the cornerstone of a

rational health system.

[by the way, a point I want to make regarding specialty care. When I

write and talk about primary care I don't mean it as existing in

opposition to or combating specialty care. We've all experienced

frustration working with colleagues and have many examples of bad

communication, bad behavior, and worse, but we'll get farther if we

have the tools and time we need to do our work and can

collaborate. When I work with specialty colleagues I hear very

similar complaints about primary care. A rational health system must

have good relations between primary and specialty care. Remember

that the flaw is the irrational and broken system, not the people who

are usually trying hard to do what they see as the right thing for

their patients.]

Anyway, back to the point of this email.

These colleagues of mine are putting together a model practice in

Atlantic City. It will be a large team coming together to care for a

high needs population. The goal is to demonstrate that high quality

team care leads to improved satisfaction, improved outcomes, and even

though the practice costs more, the total cost of care is less.

The principles driving the practice operations are not alien to this group:

Superb access, no wasted time in the practice, high continuity,

patient centered collaborative care, care coordination.

They are looking for a medical director doc to step up and lead this

effort. There will be lots of professional help to get this going,

lots of support. I see it as an ideal opportunity for someone

yearning to be unleashed to provide superb care in the context of a team.

Gordon