Challenges in Modern Health Care Delivery
As patients, we often step into our doctors’ offices unaware of the challenges that affect their ability to deliver the best possible care. We have no reason to wonder if we are seeing the best version of our doctor, the person who can put us first with efficiency, accuracy and compassion.
Over the past two decades, across the state and the nation, there has been a significant shift in the delivery of health care that ignites the need for patients to be more aware and better advocates for our doctors. Hospitals have increasingly acquired independent physician practices, employing providers and staff. What was initially framed as a move toward greater efficiency and coordinated care has, in many cases, led to more complexity in coordinated care, higher costs and a growing sense of disconnect between doctors and the patients they serve.
Administrative Burden and System Strain
Physicians often find themselves spending more time navigating administrative demands than engaging with the patients they trained to serve. Meanwhile, many patients are noticing shorter visits, longer wait times and a frustrating lack of continuity in care.
A Collaborative Solution for Independent Physicians
The solution? A new collaborative of South Carolina’s independent doctors is restoring physician autonomy, reducing costs and elevating patient care.
The Physicians Collaborative is “a physician-led, member-driven cooperative of independent doctors across South Carolina,” said Jeff Powell, president of Integral Leaders in Health and one of TPC’s founders. “By uniting, independent physicians benefit from shared resources, business infrastructure, clinical integration tools and collective bargaining strength.” In essence, TPC members are proving that independent doesn’t mean alone.
Restoring the Doctor-Patient Relationship
“Members of TPC have united to reclaim the heart of health care: the trusted doctor-patient relationship,” added Dr. Spence M. Taylor, another TPC founder and a nationally recognized academic physician leader with 30 years of experience as a senior executive, surgeon, full professor and researcher.
Physicians who are TPC members:
- Establish their autonomy and clinical decision-making;
- Gain access to specialized value-based care contracts;
- Reduce costs with group purchasing power;
- Tap into employer-sponsored health care opportunities;
- Access cutting-edge clinical technology.
Innovation Made Accessible
An early TPC success story is CorVista Health. Before joining TPC, CorVista offered breakthrough technology for serious conditions such as pulmonary hypertension. The company’s calcium scoring testing can be done bedside, offering more accurate results without exposure to radiation. It reduces time spent searching for correct diagnoses and moves patients more quickly to ideal care pathways.
This emerging technology wasn’t getting into physicians’ hands and to patients quickly enough, according to Dr. Taylor. The solution rested in the mission of TPC.
“We unify independent doctors from all over the state, we vet services like CoreVista’s system and then those services and other value-based care opportunities reach our members in a one-stop shop,” Dr. Taylor explained. “Collectively, we are leveling the playing field for independent doctors.”
A Health Care Model That Puts Patients First
The way health care is delivered matters deeply. As patients, we deserve to see the best version of our doctor possible.
Find a doctor who can put you first. Start with The Physicians Collaborative. Learn more: thephysicianscollaborative.com
By Lisa Breslin
