From our vantage point in West Central Maine we are going to humbly offer you a strategic analysis of the situation, some solutions we have found to work, some ideas that have promise for use elsewhere, and some specific recommendations for public policy development. Genetics and environmental factors, while very important, will not be a focus of our analysis. The phrase is an oxymoron. It s like saying human behavior is simple. Healthcare is anything but a system, meaning well ordered, efficient, and rational.
Healthcare delivery is a mass of individuals and organizations, often working at cross-purposes.
It involves different, frequently conflicting financial incentives, a fantastic complexity of ever increasing specialization, and technologies that change rapidly. The structure and financing of healthcare are so complex and disjointed that they defy clear understanding and simple fixes. Yet at the core of health delivery are humans who need hope and healing. In spite of the craziness of our delivery structures, most people receive wonderful care by the extraordinary people who work in hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, home health agencies, and private practices. Our work is far from perfect, but it is very good.