Administrative and Financial Challenges Impacting Primary Care Services and Continuing to Learn From the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the very substantial challenges emanating from COVID-19 and overarching ambulatory delivery system issues, reorganization of primary care services is a key topic. It is a focus of this issue of the journal. Cantiello addresses the issue of accountable care organization versus patient center medical homes. Delving into more detail, Quigley, Hooker, and Kueakomoldej, each in separate articles deal and analyze various factors such as staffing and financial incentives that impact primary care health professionals. Kalankova and Bourgoin each discuss quality/patient safety in the practice, and in Bourgoin's article the important role of primary care in hospital discharge transitions.

Medich separately discusses medical clerical staff/medical assistants as a key lynchpin in any successful primary care practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be, understandably, a dominating part of the conversation. Alishahi and colleagues in their article analyze no-show rates. In letters to the editor, Bernhardt and Rashid each analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their respective institutions.

-Norbert I. Goldfield, MD

Editor