Jennifer Zaino
There’s a great deal at stake in hospital sourcing and the management of medical supplies. A focus on lowering costs by standardized purchasing of drugs or devices can’t come at the expense of compromising high-quality care.
After several years of gloom, there was encouraging news for defined-benefit pension plans in the not-for-profit health sector last year.
It wasn't all that long ago that most surgeries, and many medical and diagnostic procedures, required patients to plan for an inpatient hospital stay. But times have changed.
It wasn't all that long ago that most surgeries, and many medical and diagnostic procedures, required patients to plan for an inpatient hospital stay. But times have changed.
There is encouraging news for defined-benefit pension plans in the U.S. not-for-profit health sector, but the multitude of variables at play means there is also much unpredictability.
Hospitals are one of the most expensive commercial structures to build, with median construction costs for mid- and large-sized facilities hovering at around $300 per square foot.
Hospital ownership of physician practices appears to lead to statistically and economically significant increases in hospital prices and spending, according to a study published earlier this year in Health Affairs.
Hospitals are one of the most expensive commercial structures to build or renovate. Before green lighting a project, hospital executives must confirm that new construction will address existing pressures, as well as attract and serve patients for decades to come.
Over the last decade, Metro Health -- an integrated health system based in and around Grand Rapids, Mich. -- has been able to set itself apart from other community hospital systems in part by its ability to access and leverage capital.
Hospital ownership of physician practices appears to lead to statistically and economically significant increases in hospital prices and spending, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs. But that doesn't mean providers should retreat from integration and tighter alignment.