Even with warmer temperatures this year, winter means increased readmission rates for safety-net healthcare providers in urban areas, according to NJBiz. Hospitals blame factors such as resource shortages and the weather for this phenomenon, but research indicates some of it comes down to inefficiencies within hospital operations as well. These issues come down, in large part, to problems specific to urban hospitals. For example, unlike their suburban counterparts, many patients at urban safety-net hospitals only visit when sick, particularly in ethnically diverse areas, Lois Greene, M.D., director of nursing for University Hospital's Ambulatory Care Center, told the publication. "West Indians and Spanish-speaking patients don't see a doctor for wellness. It's a paradigm shift," she said. "The responsibility of hospitals is to shift the message of healthcare to a proactive one." Article