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Boston University Researchers Formulate Framework for Successful Hospital Mergers and Systems Integration
Examining integration strategies in hospital systems
From 2001 until 2003, Project Director Alan Cohen, Sc.D., and co-investigators from Boston University studied the dynamics of hospital mergers and systems integration.
Drawing from the literature and interviews with five "real-world" examples of integrated systems, they formulated a new conceptual framework for successful systems integration across eight dimensions: strategic vision, governance, leadership, culture/values, financial systems, clinical systems, information systems, and support functions.
Key Results and Findings
- The research team defined a new conceptual framework for hospital integration that captures the complexity of integration efforts.
- Project staff developed qualitative measures to assess the extent of integration on the eight organizational dimensions (see Results).
- The team identified four external forces that can facilitate or impede a hospital's decision to integrate (see Findings and Recommendations).
- The team also identified five equally important factors internal to the hospital.
- According to the researchers, governance, leadership, organizational culture and values, and strategic vision are key to successful integration.
- The researchers derived four hypotheses for predicting success in a hospital merger or integration (see Findings and Recommendations).
Funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided $205,093 to support this unsolicited project.