The role and functions assumed by a department of community medicine in planning a group practice.

This paper describes the technical assistance role and the functions assumed by the Department of Community Medicine of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in a planning process that led to the development of a group practice in the Department of Medicine of the Mount Sinai Hospital. Three distinct phases are identified in the process: how the planning was planned, how the plan was prepared, and how the implementation was planned. The role of Community Medicine in each phase is analyzed.