Partnerships, affiliations, mergers, and acquisitions have been—and will continue to be—an essential tool for hospitals and health systems as they have worked to build integrated health systems that can respond and adapt to a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. Integrated systems make up a significant segment of today’s care delivery system, and the growing complexities of the healthcare landscape require flexibility to continue to seek partnerships that preserve access to care in underserved communities, enhance the quality and affordability of care, and strengthen the resiliency of the healthcare system.
Whether a hospital or health system is the larger or smaller partner in a decision to integrate, that decision is never made lightly. Integration requires a tremendous amount of effort to execute successfully. But as demonstrated in this report, the many benefits to patients and communities that a successful integration can provide make the effort worthwhile.
This report was prepared by Kaufman Hall at the request of the California Hospital Association.
