Community hospitals in Massachusetts are alarmed by the current trend of well-known Boston hospitals extending their services into the suburbs. Tufts-New England Medical Center, New England Baptist Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have all planned to open suburban offices or have done so already. This could spell big trouble for lesser-known community hospitals. "With their strong brand names and reputations for excellence, many expect they will easily lure suburban patients from local hospitals," observes the Boston Globe. Hospital administrators fear the brand-name hospitals will cherry pick the best patients, leaving them with a less lucrative patient pool.
For more on the trend:
- read the article [1] from the Boston Globe
Links:
[1] http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/09/24/suburban_strategies/