An academic-community cardiovascular service line affiliation: design, implementation, and performance

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research
• Cardiovascular Program Development

Background:

• Community health care organizations can benefit from strategic affiliations and structured management.
• Academic medical centers offer specialized expertise and resources.
• Service line management provides a focused approach to specific clinical areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design, implementation, and performance of a combined management strategy.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of affiliating with an academic medical center and implementing service line management.
• To detail the development of a cardiovascular program within this unique model.

Main Methods:

• Describing the collaborative model between the University of Florida Health Science Center and Health First.
• Implementing a service line management structure for cardiovascular services.
• Analyzing the performance metrics of the developed cardiovascular program.

Main Results:

• The unique combination of academic affiliation and service line management was implemented.
• The cardiovascular program's design, implementation, and performance were documented.
• This integrated approach facilitated program development within a community setting.

Conclusions:

• Affiliation with an academic medical center and service line management are potentially effective strategies for community health organizations.
• The described model offers a framework for developing specialized clinical programs, such as cardiovascular services.
• This unique integration demonstrates a successful partnership for enhancing regional healthcare delivery.