Medical alliance to health alliance: strategic choice for " Healthy China" initiative / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Medical alliances are designed to encourage greater emphasis and resources to the primary care, and upgrade the overall efficacy of the entire healthcare system. To further implement the " Healthy China" initiative, it is imperative to center on population health in the coordination and deployment of resources, for safeguarding health of the Chinese people in an all dimensional and full life cycle manner. In this consideration, the authors proposed to develop health alliances centering on health, which penetrate the full life cycle of health management, prevention, healthcare, rehabilitation and aging care. Such an alliance orchestrates a variety of resources including space, time, information, human resources, materials and financial resources, and coordinates all the functionalities of accountabilities, management, interest and services. This initiative is designed to extend the health spectrum, to focus on the health needs of the people by all dimensions, to integrate health needs-supply model with multiple elements, and to improve the health support system in multiple fields. Health alliances are imperative socially and economically for promoting the positive cycle of regional health industry, secure greater life and health dividends, and minimize catastrophic health expenditure of poverty-stricken families.