EAST BAY: Affinity Medical Group Underscores Local Control
Today marks the inception of the Affinity Medical Group, a group of East Bay doctors hoping to exercise "local management." Dr. Richard Sankary, president of Affinity, said, "Our focus is on the patient-doctor relationship and bringing that focus on the care and not having a guy in New York making the decisions." The San Mateo County Times reports that each of Affinity's regions -- Castro Valley, Alameda, San Leandro and West Contra Costa County -- will have a local board "where physicians and consumers can offer input." The group, comprised of 107 primary care doctors and 605 specialists, will serve about 35,000 patients enrolled in Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Health Net, Maxicare, PacifiCare, Prudential, One Health and United Health Care. North American Medical Management will also help Affinity "to achieve its goal of local control" (Scholz, 3/31).
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