title: A longitudinal analysis of the distinction between for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals in America.
abstract: Have changes in the hospital industry forced not-for-profit hospitals to become more like for-profit hospitals in measures of efficiency and community service? As a result, are not-for-profit hospitals moving away from their community service missions? In recent years researchers have asserted that the once-salient distinctions between not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals are quickly eroding and that this convergence threatens the community service that not-for-profit hospitals have historically provided. Neo-institutionalists explain that regulatory changes often force differing organization types to pursue similar strategies (Fligstein 1991, 1985; DiMaggio and Powell 1983). Guided by this theory, the present research analyzes if regulatory changes and the implementation of similar strategies result in not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals having similar efficiency and community service outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Horton Social Science Center, Durham, NH 03824, USA. sharyn.potter@unh.edu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Potter
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration; D006777:Hospitals, Proprietary / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D014481:United States