Becker's Hospital Review

80 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Decline in number of African-American male physicians called a crisis By Alyssa Rege T he proportion of male African-Amer- ican medical school graduates reached 57 percent in 1986, but the rate had dropped to 35 percent by 2015, according to the science journal Nature. at decline stems from several factors, in- cluding a history of financial and racial barri- ers and the absence of significant government intervention into the disparity, a recent study published by e National Academies of Sci- ences, Engineering and Medicine states. While the number of African-American stu- dents attending medical schools increased during the 30-year period, researchers sug- gest the uptick stems from the greater num- ber of African-American women training to become physicians — the proportion of Afri- can-American male medical students declined by more than 20 percent during the same peri- od, according to the study. "is is a crisis that affects not only blacks, but also our national ability to have excellence in science and medicine," Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, professor at the University of Con- necticut in Farmington, said during a confer- ence presentation cited in the study. A decline in black male physicians also poses an issue for the types of care patients are given. e study authors said racial diversity among physicians helps to address health inequalities, as people from minority groups receive better care when their physicians come from similar backgrounds, according to the report. "Having racial diversity leads to not just more doctors, but also better-prepared doctors who go into communities of color," Liliana Garces, an associate professor in the department of ed- ucational leadership and policy at the Univer- sity of Texas at Austin, told Nature. n Report: Majority of physicians trending toward independent, physician-led group practice By Alyssa Rege W hile hospital-employed physician rates climbed to 32.6 percent in 2016, physicians are seemingly transitioning back to independent practice — 72 percent of physicians identified as practitioners at in- dependent or physician-led group practices in 2017, according to a recent Black Book Market Research report. Industry emphasis on population health and value-based care initiatives has made physicians gravitate toward "more coordinated, integrated and con- sumer-centric physician organizations," Doug Brown, founder of Black Book Market Research, said in a statement. He also noted providers within those physician organizations are turning to value-based care consulting firms for guidance as they maneuver the forthcoming changes to the industry. The market research company surveyed nearly 900 physician organizations, analyzing physician leaders' thoughts on the usefulness of value-based con- sultants and physician practice advisors. Here are three insights from the survey: 1. The majority of physician organization decision-makers surveyed (89 per- cent) said they would prefer to hire advisers with expertise in population health management and revenue cycle management. 2. Twenty-one percent of academic medical center physician departments and clinics will have worked with a value-based consultancy firm by the fourth quarter of 2018. 3. The majority of practice managers surveyed (88 percent) said the tran- sition to value-based care will affect the entire physician organization and most organizations are not prepared for the change. n Penn State Health to acquire 112-member cardiology group By Alyssa Rege H ershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health revealed plans May 3 to acquire Berks Cardiologists, which maintains locations in Wyomissing, Pa., and Pottsville, Pa. The Penn State Health board of directors voted May 2 to approve the terms of the agreement. Officials said the affiliation will allow practicing physicians at Berks Cardiology to offer specialized cardiac care to residents closer to home, including at the Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, the region's only transplant center. The agreement, which may go into effect as early as Aug. 1, will incorporate all 112 Berks Cardiologists employees, including 14 physicians, and transi- tion them into Penn State Health employees. n

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