Back to Search Start Over

Community Health Center-Led Networks: Cooperating to Compete

Authors :
Barbara E Bailey
Christie L Brown
Marie M Legaspi
Christine Baxter
Rebecca Levin
Source :
Journal of Healthcare Management. 47:376-388
Publication Year :
2002
Publisher :
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2002.

Abstract

The primary mission of community health centers (CHCs) is to provide primary and preventive healthcare for the underserved and vulnerable populations, including the uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid beneficiaries. Economic and regulatory challenges have placed these safety net providers in a precarious position, forcing some to respond using cooperative strategies. This article focuses on seven CHC-led networks, delineating their integrative efforts in the core areas of managed care, clinical, administrative, information, and finance. Interviews with key representatives from each network highlight the networks' accomplishments and the critical success factors and outcomes of their integrative efforts. Several underlying themes emerged from this study that are consistent with findings of previous studies conducted in other organizational settings. Specifically participants in CHC-led networks cite the following factors as contributors to success: reciprocity, communication, trust, and long-standing relationships among key individuals. This is the first study to provide a rich depiction of CHC network activities.

Details

ISSN :
10969012
Volume :
47
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Healthcare Management
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........609657896303245148f018f217b36e14
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1097/00115514-200211000-00007