A Shared Mission

In this perspective piece, Dr. Howard Holtz highlights the critical need for effective communication and collaboration among healthcare providers to ensure optimal patient care. He shares real world examples where lack of coordination such as an osteoporosis patient’s untreated fracture due to unshared specialist decisions and a missed steroid induced leukocytosis led to preventable harm. Dr. Holtz critiques the growing trend of healthcare consolidation, where large systems prioritize internal referrals over patient-centered collaboration, often treating patient data as proprietary. He warns that siloed care undermines trust, increases redundant testing, and jeopardizes outcomes. The article calls for physicians to uphold ethical responsibility by sharing information across systems, emphasizing that collaborative care is essential to restoring public confidence and improving health outcomes.

In this perspective piece, Dr. Howard Holtz highlights the critical need for effective communication and collaboration among healthcare providers to ensure optimal patient care. He shares real world examples where lack of coordination such as an osteoporosis patient’s untreated fracture due to unshared specialist decisions and a missed steroid induced leukocytosis led to preventable harm. Dr. Holtz critiques the growing trend of healthcare consolidation, where large systems prioritize internal referrals over patient-centered collaboration, often treating patient data as proprietary. He warns that siloed care undermines trust, increases redundant testing, and jeopardizes outcomes. The article calls for physicians to uphold ethical responsibility by sharing information across systems, emphasizing that collaborative care is essential to restoring public confidence and improving health outcomes.