November 27, 2006
Hospitals Seeking Greener Pastures
The Kaiser Network is reporting some hospitals are building in more affluent areas and the health disparities of city dwellers may be affected.
The [Wall Street] Journal reports that "[m]uch of the construction is occurring in fast-growing suburbs, as hospitals target the most affluent, insured patients who can afford to pay for top care." Meanwhile, "many urban hospitals -- which often treat poorer people -- are struggling financially, and scores have had to shut their doors," the Journal reports. Sixteen percent of city-based public hospitals closed between 1996 and 2002, according to a study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine.
We blogged about this topic back in June with a post mentioning that some hospitals are now offering 5-star amenities.