Integrating a clinical service line for maternal-child health

Clinical integration is a developmental process that calls on the combined resources, expertise, and knowledge of individuals who may be working together for the first time. The process is dependent on the acknowledgment of the value of integration and a shared vision for the service line. By using a strategic thinking and planning process, the service line can be reshaped to function as an integrated system of programs and services that is sensitive to needs at a local level. While the task of integration is not an easy one, the outcomes of the process lead to a synergy that cannot be realized in any other manner.