The state and local governments play a key role in helping health care organizations establish a strong integration between primary and public health care. Some of the strategies that are formulated by the state to foster integrated health care systems include payment reforms which allow better payment methods for both primary care and public health organizations. The reduced charges make it easier for both the public and private sector to coordinate effectively. The payment methods are also established to include the levels of risk and shared savings. The state also sets timeframes for implementing, organizing and demonstrating the required results.

Reliable funding can also be provided by the state to leverage the costs that both the primary and public health care institutions face (Jean-Frédéric Levesque, Pierre Bergeron, & Roy, 2013). Apart from these strategies that can be provided by the state, the local government also has a huge input in creating a strong bond between the two healthcare sectors. For example, programs have been created to educate the communities on reliable health care services. They include the primary care and public health initiative by CDC, and many other related programs. By so doing, the local government creates awareness to the public on proper health care methods.

By viewing these different strategies by the state and local governments, it reveals that both sectors work closely to ensure that there is a close relationship between the private and public health care facilities. Funds and policies implemented by the state ensure that every individual is guaranteed proper services without incurring huge charges. In the same way, the programs facilitated by the local government provide adequate information to the public on how to access reliable and effective healthcare both in public and primary care institutions. The state and local government can therefore use these methods to facilitate the joining of private and public health.

The significance of connecting primary care and community health are several. One of its benefits is that it improves health and the social outcomes of the country. The combination of the two creates better health care provision to the people and also creates better interaction between various individuals from different social backgrounds (Stevenson, Hogg, & Huston, 2007). The public and private care shares a common goal which is the attainment of health to the entire population. Linking the two sectors facilitates the achievement of this goal and also creates an awareness of various health care issues and a way of solving these problems. The integration also helps in merging budgets and allows for mutual policy evaluations.

Despite the many benefits of the integration policy, some challenges also arise due to this collaboration. The private sector has different policies form the public healthcare. Due to this distinction, it is hard for the two to merge and work together as it would mean a sudden change in policy. It takes a long time for policies to be formulated and the two sectors to work together in uniformity for the provision of health care in the entire population. Another disadvantage is that, some of the people prefer primary care to public health because of specific reasons like lifestyle and social segregation. It therefore becomes difficult for them to adapt to the integrated policy. These challenges and other related factors make it hard for the collaboration to be implemented and facilitated in the healthcare sector. It is therefore necessary for key issues to be addressed before the implementation process starts to enable a smooth transition and guaranteed health care to the people. Appropriate attitudes towards power sharing and collaboration should also be emphasized to make the integration process easy and effective.