Strategic choices for medical group practices

This is the sixth in a series of articles (1) describing how to identify, assess, diagnose and strategically manage key medical group practice (MGP) stakeholders and (2) interpreting the results from the Facing the Uncertain Future (FUF) study. This article continues (from the previous article in this series) the discussion of the vital strategic stakeholder management process of choosing the most effective strategies for key stake holders based on two strategic priorities: reducing stakeholders potential for threat and enhancing their potential for cooperation. From this critical strategic priority-setting process. strategies are classified as either involving, collaborating, defending, or monitoring. Using data from the FUF project, four medical group practice (MCP) stakeholders are analyzed. These are the integrated delivery system/network (lDS/N) itself as well as its components: physicians, hospitals and managed care organizations (MCOs). The FUF project's MGP executive respondents believe these four stakeholders will be some of the most important MGP stakeholders in the year 2000. The FUF study was conducted jointly between the Center for Research in Ambulatory Health Care Administration (CRAHCA), the research and development arm of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Englewood. Colo., and The Institute for Management and Leadership Research (IMLR). College of Business Administration at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. MGMA s American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), faculty of Texas Tech University's Ph.D. and M.BA programs in Health Organization Management (HOM), and faculty from the University of Alabama at Birmingham collaborated on the project. Abbott Laboratories. Abbott Park. Ill., provided funding for the FUF project The administration of Round One was completed in the fall of 1994. The administration of Round Two was completed in the summer of 1995. Selected Round One (i.e.. health care experts) and Round Two (i.e., MGP executives) results have previously been presented in educational programs and publications.