title: Integration of hospitals: is it time for similar changes in Georgia?
abstract: Health care is the most difficult and dynamic industry where the expenditure has grown almost four times during the past 20 years. Constantly, there are demands for expenditure cuts, for effectiveness, for quality improvement and evaluation of economic risks. All the precise and sophisticated strategic decisions taken by hospitals are to guarantee maximum profits from scarce resources and good service from an organization in unstable environmental conditions. From the different development alternatives, hospitals might prefer a horizontal and vertical integration. The integration of stationary hospitals into a network is convenient from a financial and economic point of view. Benefits are also expected in other areas, such as economies of scale, the improvement of human resources organization as well as the management and service offering. Consequently, expenses will be reduced and incomes will grow. However, there are some important questions about integration to be discussed in this research, including: Is Georgia's health care sector ready for reform, are the qualitative and quantitative improvements achievable, and what is the main motivation?
authors.affiliation: School of Business, Economics and Management, University of Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Natia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skhvitaridze
authors.forename: Nato
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pitskhelauri
authors.forename: Irakli
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nikolaishvili
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D005845:Georgia; D006273:Health Facility Merger; D006801:Humans; D009935:Organizational Affiliation / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data