Lovrien, K., Peterson, L., Robertson, B., & Santana, M. (2011) A New Approach to Ambulatory Services. Becker’s Hospital Review. Retrieved from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-financial-and-business-news/a-new-approach-to-ambulatory-services.html.

“In response to an increased emphasis on quality and effectiveness of care, hospitals and health systems must refocus their efforts on the broader care continuum, defined as healthcare outside the traditional hospital walls. No longer can community hospitals consider ambulatory services as separate from their core service and mission. While the ability to “own” the entire ambulatory continuum is not realistic for most community hospitals and systems, hospitals should take a leadership role in organizing the ambulatory continuum to benefit their communities.

Over the past two decades, the community hospital strategy for ambulatory care has generally been bifurcated: either a joint venture with physicians, while trying to build or maintain volumes or competing with physician-invested ambulatory services, often losing volumes rapidly. Strategy was driven by revenue, profits and efficiency.”