The house of gastrointestinal medicine: how academic medical centers can build a sustainable economic clinical model

Abstract

Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) have been given unique responsibilities to care for patients, educate future clinicians, and bring innovative research to the bedside. Over the last few decades, this tripartite mission has served the United States well, and payers (Federal, State, and commercial) have been willing to underwrite these missions with overt and covert financial subsidies. As cost containment efforts have escalated, the traditional business model of AMCs has been challenged. In this issue, Dr Anil Rustgi and I offer some insights into how AMCs must alter their business model to be sustainable in our new world of accountable care, cost containment, and clinical integration.

Keywords: AEC; AMC; EMR; GI; IDN; PPACA; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; academic medical center; ambulatory endoscopy center; electronic medical record; gastrointestinal; integrated delivery network.