ABSTRACT
Rapidly changing regulations, reimbursement issues, competitive forces, and technological advancements characterize healthcare delivery as an industry sector that continuously evolves in a tumultuous environment. The scope of this volatility has periodically crescendoed, in the post WWII era, to a level that manifests a paradigm shift requiring significant restructuring of the very foundation of the enterprises and institutions that comprise the U.S. healthcare delivery system. To respond to these changes, healthcare providers have typically sought the advice and counsel of industry thought leaders with particular expertise and command of the knowledge base related to specific aspects of this changing environment. The healthcare consulting field has grown exponentially over the past 50 years, and despite the recent downturn in the economy, it earned revenues of approximately $34.1 billion in 2008, with revenues expected to grow with a compounded annual growth rate of 5.3% through 2012.1
Factoid 9.1
Most new governmental initiatives create a surge of consulting opportunities. (Source: ACOs Spell Gold Rush for Health Care Consultants. Bara Vaida, Kaiser Health News, April 2, 2011. Online at: https://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/ Stories/2011/April/03/ aco-consultant-gold-rush. aspx?p = 1 (Accessed 4/7/2011).
