As the concept of “Accountable Care Organizations” and moving to “The Clinic Model” have captured the fancies of a number of small and large hospital systems around the country, Alice with Jim Reinertsen, MD explores the real questions that should be asked and answered before health systems and physicians leap into these often ill-defined strategies. In their piece “Informed Consent to the Ties That Bind” , Alice and Jim describe specific points of evaluation, and offer good and bad answers to the tough questions. They raise issues that few of the consultants pushing these strategies are willing to address.