ABSTRACT
The structure of healthcare delivery is composed of an array of organizations and professionals, each of whom brings value to the ultimate outcome of medical care. Healthcare is a local business, and as such, this sector of our society and economy is impacted by the fragmentation of a wide array of unaffiliated and unconnected providers and payers. This fragmentation brings a number of challenges to healthcare delivery and outcomes. We address these in this chapter, but first, let us review the central players who provide medical care, i.e., the providers of care.
