title: Systematic attraction. Single hospitals faced with competitive pressures, demand for capital often look to join systems, but money may sour marriage.
abstract: Stand-alone hospitals often seek more security by joining a system. But those deals, like marriages, don't always work. Concerns over local control and squabbles over finances can break apart the alliances, sometimes leading to legal action. A dispute over local control led Benefis Healthcare to end its affiliation with a system. "The best thing for us to do was to part company and remain friends", says John Goodnow, left.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D002202:Capital Financing; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004465:Economic Competition; D006273:Health Facility Merger / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007449:Investments; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017008:Negotiating; D009820:Ohio; D010414:Pennsylvania