Definitions for "Physician Hospital Organization"
Keywords:  pho, hospital, venture, pso, autonomy
An integrated health care delivery system with one or more hospitals entering a joint venture arrangement with one or more physician groups. The PHO maintains managed care contracts for inpatient as well as physician services.
A managed care model formed primarily by hospitals and their medical staffs in order to negotiate with managed care plans; sometimes called a provider service organization (PSO).
A joint venture in which physicians and hospitals combine to provide a full range of health care services to subscribers for an annual fee (capitation); also sometimes called an Integrated Delivery System (IDS).