Dr. Jordan Asher is Chief Clinical Officer of Ascension Care Management. A few weeks ago, posted his perspective on how physician practice consolidation is driving changes in how providers deliver care. Here, we follow up with him to talk about that and more. He says, "As we talk about ‘consolidation’ or ‘expansion,’ it's not a new concept. At the end of the day, there are lots of reasons why people come together to form larger communities.” Consolidation in healthcare happens because clinicians want to focus more on time with patients than the business of healthcare. It happens because hospitals can deliver more effective value-based care when physicians are employees. It also has drawbacks, which Dr. Asher discusses during the conversation.