More hospital closings on the way

The recent decision by New York regulators [1] to close several hospitals--or transform them into completely new healthcare entities--has sent a shock wave throughout the state's healthcare industry. Here at FierceHealthcare, we haven't heard of any specific effort that parallels New York's in aggressiveness and scope. However, commissions in several states, including Rhode Island, Vermont, Wyoming and Connecticut, are seriously contemplating healthcare reform, and it wouldn't surprise me at all of they have some New York-style restructuring tricks up their sleeves. After all, nobody's suggesting that our current beast of a healthcare system, as fragmented and expensive as it is, is making the best use of our resources.

The question is whether other states will follow New York's lead in restructuring by force majeure. My guess is that some will. So if your hospital's in the red, I'd begin building my anti-closure arguments [2] right now--your charitable role in the community, your ability to provide unique services, your status as a key provider in your region, and so on. You may need them.