Construction and Practice of the County Integrated Healthcare System in China: A Case Study of Shaxian, Sanming

Introduction: Integrated healthcare is a global health reform trend to enhance population health and well-being through person-centered service integration. AS one of the world’s most populous developing countries, China has prioritized building county-level medical communities (CMCs) to tackle healthcare challenges, integrate resources, strengthen primary-level capacity, and improve hierarchical service delivery.

Description: This paper examines the construction of the CMC in Shaxian District, Sanming City, Fujian Province, as a representative case study. It systematically reviews key initiatives, outcomes, institutional frameworks, management approaches, and operational mechanisms deployed in the district’s healthcare integration efforts.

Discussion: The Sanming model, exemplified by the Shaxian case, demonstrates how strategic resource integration, standardized management, and mechanism innovation can improve service efficiency and equity at the grassroots level. Its success provides transferable lessons in policy design, cross-sectoral collaboration, and performance evaluation for advancing integrated healthcare.

Conclusion: The Shaxian CMC provides valuable insights and actionable policy recommendations for countries and regions advancing integrated healthcare systems, offering potential for global adaptation to strengthen primary care and health equity.