Select one of the following horizontally integrated health systems:
DaVita
Apria
Sunrise Senior Living
Labcorp
Quest Diagnostics
Select one of the following vertically integrated health systems:
Kaiser Permanente
Mayo Clinic
Cleveland Clinic
MedStar Health
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Houston
As an alternative, you may use Becker’s Hospital Review resource to identify a vertically integrated health system.
Using the Walden Library and credible sources on the Internet, research your selected health systems. Investigate the rationale for pursuing integration and the strategies each health system has used to achieve integration. Note information related to the size of each health system, settings/locations, and types of services it provides.
Based on your research, consider the ways in which the two health systems are similar to and/or different from one another.
Assess the business and health care-related implications of horizontal and vertical integration of your selected health systems. How does integration impact the management of your selected organizations and the patients/consumers they serve, especially in terms of cost, quality, and access?