Take a look into your waiting room. Chances are that most of the patients filling the seats were brought by, sent by, or urged by one of the women in their lives to see a doc-tor. And not just any doctor—you.

For this relationship-themed issue of TDO, we spoke with Emad Rizk, MD, president of McKesson Health Solutions and proponent of increased collaboration between providers and health plans.

Thirty years ago, Angelica Thieriot found herself in the hospital battling a rare viral infection. Although the care she received was “medically and technically first-rate,” she says that the experience left her feeling detached, ill-informed, and insignificant to her own healing process.

Most people understand the importance of good relationships in various aspects of their lives. When managing a medical office, there are multiple relationships that play important roles in the success or failure of the manager and, ultimately, of the practice.

In many cases, two heads are better than one. Such is the case with a long-used practice that has been gaining new popularity in recent months: physician job sharing.

As a physician who owns a medical practice, you wear several hats every day. First and foremost, you are a provider of medical care for your patients. In addition, you are an employer and a business owner. Each of these roles requires you to approach situations and decisions from a different point of view.

It wasn’t too long ago that pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers would slyly slip doctors lavish rewards for choosing to prescribe a certain product. But today, such unethical practices are becoming increasingly taboo—and the government is cracking down.

Despite their traditionally strained relationships, physicians and hospitals have always worked together. But recently, the dynamics of the healthcare industry have driven physicians and hospitals to work even more closely, creating the need for more defined alignment structures.