title: [Philanthropic hospitals and the operation of provider-owned health plans in Brazil].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the management performance of philanthropic hospitals that operate their own health plans, in comparison with philanthropic hospitals as a whole in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The managerial structures of philanthropic hospitals that operated their own health plans were compared with those seen in a representative group from the philanthropic hospital sector, in six dimensions: management and planning, economics and finance, human resources, technical services, logistics services and information technology. Data from a random sample of 69 hospitals within the philanthropic hospital sector and 94 philanthropic hospitals that operate their own health plans were evaluated. In both cases, only the hospitals with less than 599 beds were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results identified for the hospitals that operate their own health plans were more positive in all the managerial dimensions compared. In particular, the economics and finance and information technology dimensions were highlighted, for which more than 50% of the hospitals that operated their own health plans presented almost all the conditions considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The philanthropic hospital sector is important in providing services to the Brazilian Health System (SUS). The challenges in maintaining and developing these hospitals impose the need to find alternatives. Stimulation of a public-private partnership in this segment, by means of operating provider-owned health plans or providing services to other health plans that work together with SUS, is a field that deserves more in-depth analysis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Administração e Planejamento em Saúde, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. slemos@ensp.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Sheyla Maria Lemos
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Margareth C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Portela
authors.forename: Maria Alicia Dominguez
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ugá
authors.forename: Pedro Ribeiro
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerschman
authors.forename: Miguel Murat
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vasconcellos
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002608:Charities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017061:Prepaid Health Plans / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000078329:Workforce