title: Look before you leap. Boards need to ask "Why?" before merging or affiliating.
abstract: Everybody's doing it. But you're just asking for trouble if you don't first ask yourself why you want to merge or affiliate your hospital. Boards need to have clearly defined reasons before they choose a partner. Here's a practical guide to understanding your merger motivation and identifying the right partner.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Bader
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006075:Governing Board; D006273:Health Facility Merger / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009935:Organizational Affiliation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D014481:United States