Scenario A physicians' group is negotiating the acquisition of a primary care provider's clinic. The primary care provider's clinic, which has incurred financial loss over the last 6 years, is being sold for the second time within the 6-year period.

In a meeting to discuss the acquisition, the team responsible for ensuring the success of the acquisition is told that the shareholders of the clinic are very apprehensive and distrustful of becoming a sister company.

When the last company bought the clinic, the leaders of the parent or- ganization prepared the employees of the clinic for a great deal of change. These leaders promised that the proposed changes would improve the stressful conditions and financial losses the clinic was current- ly operating within. The shareholders worked diligently to prepare for the changes.

Unfortunately, most of the changes never took place, and the small changes that were initiated did not last. As a result, the initial announcement of the acquisition was met with great apprehension and distrust.

Question After you have viewed the Primary Care Provider scenario for the "Allied Health Community" media for Topic 6, identify the critical events where the change process broke down.

What could have been put in place to avoid such breakdowns?