With opportunities for healthcare mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships sprouting like so many April tulips, ­creating solid pacts that incentivize physician-hospital alignment is essential. However, it can be tricky to craft these agreements to achieve your strategic and clinical goals while staying on the right side of the law, so tread carefully. Two experts experienced in the ins and outs of physician-hospital agreements offer their insights on complexities to keep in mind.

Many physicians are still hesitant about using social media in their professional lives. Concerns range from time commitment, liability, patient privacy, and unfamiliarity with the technology, to the appropriateness of social media interactions in a professional setting. But physicians should know that social media sites are not just a healthcare marketing or recruitment tool. They can also help educate and engage patients-and physicians play a vital role in those conversations.

An unconscious racial bias by some physicians could harm relations with African-American patients and ultimately may impair health outcomes.

A large multispecialty group that recently attested for Stage 1 meaningful use says that the process was difficult, even painful at times, but worth the rewards of having ­improved the group's processes.

Financial incentives are finally forcing hospitals and physicians to work more closely than ever. In many cases, that means the hospital or health system buys the practice. But that doesn't equal alignment. In fact, physician autonomy and alignment are far from mutually exclusive. Physician practice autonomy is still ­possible; it just requires a different kind of ownership.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities looking to hire more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals may want to add Facebook®, LinkedIn, and even Twitter™ to their recruitment efforts.