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SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--For hospital administrators in competitive markets, the intense pressure to get results can make it easy for them to forget how much they have in common with their [...]

The article reports on the results of the 33rd annual Hospital Systems Survey conducted by "Modern Healthcare" which revealed net losses for not-for-profit hospitals systems in the U.S. in 2008. The survey found that the collection of religious, secular, and government-run nonfederal systems had overall net losses of $5.9 billion, while the average not-for-profit system posted a $31 million net loss in income for the fiscal year. However, analysts said that for-profits do not maintain the large equities portfolios seen at not-for-profits.

The article focuses on the results of a survey conducted by the magazine which found that health systems face rising write-offs for patients who cannot pay their bills. The survey, though not scientific, offers a snapshot of hospital systems' financial health and operations. Results suggest losses from uninsured and underinsured patients are pinching budgets at a time when consumers, employers and states are struggling with financial troubles of their own as the economy struggles to skip recession.

Presents information on the 29th annual Hospital Systems Survey conducted by "Modern Healthcare." Information on largest healthcare systems; Profit margin of hospital operations; Information on systems' operations by type.

Reports on the decision of the not-for-profit Beloit Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin to turn down acquisition offers. Reason for the decision; Statement issued by Gregory Britton, the hospital's president and chief executive officer; Net income posted by the hospital in 2003.

Provides an overview of the performance of healthcare systems in the U.S. based from the hospital systems survey of the periodical 'Modern Healthcare.' Profits posted by hospitals in 2002; Factor attributed to hospital industry's efforts to increase their Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements; Criticisms and arguments concerning Medicare reimbursement increases.

This article reports on the opportunities open to for-profit hospitals in developing countries such as India, South Africa, Latin America and in developed countries Europe. The high economic growth being experienced by India means a growing middle class that can afford private hospital services. But still there is a huge portion of the Indian population that cannot yet afford the services of private hospitals. In Europe, inflexible labor laws in government hospitals gives for-profit hospitals an advantage.

The article reports on the launch of Legacy Hospital Partners in January 2008. Denny Shelton, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Triad Hospitals, is the nonexecutive chairman of the new hospital company. Legacy starts with nine employees in an office building in Plano, Texas. Bridging the for-profit and not-for-profit hospital worlds is Legacy's strategy, as the company plans to acquire hospitals through joint venture deals with not-for-profit systems.

This article reports on the approaches used by hospitals in Kansas and Missouri to show regulators that they take their community obligations seriously in 2006. The approaches were applied following the move of Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline to investigate the billing and collection practices of hospitals in the state. According to Maynard Oliverus, president and CEO of the Stormont-Vail HealthCare system, hospitals have to be very sensitive to the needs of uninsured people and their ability to pay.

The article discusses the benefits of joint ventures to non-for-profit and for-profit hospitals in the U.S. The George Washington University Hospital decided to enter a joint venture with Universal Health Service in order to ensure the facility would be available to its professional health programs. It cites the role of taxation in the temporary disuse of the joint venture strategy. Among the factors to be considered by not-for-profit providers in seeking such deals are the purchase price and the status of existing employees.

Examines the decision of the Brunswick Community Hospital officials to cancel its operation of for-profit Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in favor of not-for-profit Novant Health in North Carolina. Condition of the community hospital when it was opened in 1977 according to family medicine practitioner Lee Langston; Inability of the community hospital infrastructure to support the local population growth in 2004; Refusal of HCA to expand amid the growth.

The article focuses on the strategic transformation of HCA following its issuance of corporate bonds with a 100-year maturity date in the U.S. The expansion of the company's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers demonstrates its market dominance via its delivery system. The company spent $75 million for the construction of the StoneCrest Medical Center which opened in 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. In order to become more competitive in the health care industry, HCA protects its interests and makes every effort to be more community-friendly.

Profiles Jim Moss, CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare Inc. Comments of Bob Gordon, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. on Moss as a leader; Educational and employment background of Moss; Growth in the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital during the headship of Moss; Positions of Moss in several healthcare associations.

Presents the results of studies on the effect of for-profit hospitals on not-for-profit hospitals conducted by researchers in the U.S. Discussion on the price issue in the healthcare industry; Opinion of insurers on the price issue; Background on a study of Medicare claims for respiratory disease from 1989 to 1998.

Reports on the deals of Tenet Healthcare Corp. to sell several hospitals in the U.S. Selection of possible candidates for the replacement of Jeffrey Barbakow as its CEO; List of potential candidates, including Robert O'Leary and John Casey.

Forecasts on the future of hospitals in the U.S. Trends in hospitals; Hurdles to the implementation of medical technology; Design concept of the Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina.

Presents updates on medical care in various states in the U.S. as of July 8, 2002. Expansion of the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital; Violations of working hours at teaching hospitals in the state of New York; Closure of the San Jose Medical Center in California.

The article discusses partnerships formed in the Kentucky hospital market. U.K. HealthCare and Norton Healthcare announced their partnership while University of Louisville Hospital is teaming up with Catholic Health Initiatives. It also mentions that the purpose of the partnerships formed is to gain the geographic scale and integration of care needed to improve outcomes statewide and compete regionally making the residents of the city and state of Kentucky the ultimate beneficiaries of the mergers.

The article reports on the progress and development in the medical-mart construction projects in Cleveland, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee. Details of the construction of the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center by developer MMPI and the Nashville Medical Trade Center by developer Market Center Management Co. are provided. It discusses the competition between Cleveland and Nashville developers to step ahead of the other and determines which project would be more successful. How the projects are being financed are also discussed. INSET: Untitled.

The article discusses the negative impact of improvements in healthcare delivery on hospital buildings in the U.S. It states that many medical facilities are being demolished to build new ones, but this may change because of environmental considerations and desire to reuse buildings. An architectural consultant suggests that hospital buildings should be designed with exit or reuse strategies.

The article discusses the strategy employed by physicians groups by selling their practice or pursuing integration with a hospital system. One example of a physician group embracing this trend is Austin Heart wherein cardiologists in private practice have decided to respond to a fee-schedule ruling issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by pursuing an integration. Another group active in its physician-integration strategies is Hospital Corp. of America (HCA).

The article reports on the decision of HCA to terminate its deal to sell 339-bed West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, Florida to Baptist Health Care Corp. According to Al Stubblefield, president and chief executive officer of Baptist Health, the company was not able to meet a contractual deadline to secure financing for the deal. Because of this, HCA announced that it would exercise the payment-in-kind (PIK) option on some $1.5 billion in bonds during its third-quarter earnings conference call on November 6, 2008.

The article reports on the decline in the steep volume of Naples, Florida-based Health Management Associates in the second quarter of 2008. The company said its efforts to reduce its self-pay patient volume inadvertently scared off many insured patients, too. The other large driver of the volume decline was the company's sale of a 27% stake in its hospitals in North and South Carolina to Novant Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, HMA said.

The article reports on the dispute between HCA and the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency over HCA's proposal to build a 56-bed hospital in Spring Hill. The certificate-of-need (CON) awarded to HCA is being appealed by Williamson (Tenn.) Medical Center and Maury Regional Hospital, the nearest hospitals to Spring Hill. But the agency chose a joint venture (JV) of Maury Regional and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to build a radiation oncology center in Spring Hill over a similar proposal made by HCA after the JV filed its plans.

The article announces that Prime Healthcare Services is building a hospital empire across Southern California. According to a securities filing, Tenet Healthcare Corp. owned or operated 28 hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California as of December 31, 2003. Prime has agreed to acquire 72-bed Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center and 64-bed San Dimas Community Hospital in California.

The article discusses the effect of JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s expected acquisition of Bear, Stearns & Co. on hospital systems in the U.S. It states that the deal would forge a larger, single player in not-for-profit healthcare investment banking by combining the units at each firm. Combined, Bear Stearns and JPMorgan might have ranked as high as number 3 in tax-exempt hospital bonds for which it was the lead manager in 2007, according to data from Thomson Financial.

This article examines the outcome of the divestitures made by Tenet Healthcare Corp. from 2002-2007 using Medicare cost reports filed by these hospitals. The 14 hospitals that Tenet slated for divestiture in 2003 were much more profitable facilities, both before and after divestiture, than the 2004 and 2006 divestiture groups, the data show. The 2003 group also appears to have been less reliant on Medicare outlier payments than the two later divestiture groups.

The article reveals the purchase by Capella of nine U.S. hospitals from Community Health Systems for $315 million. Completing the deal will boost privately held Capella's hospital portfolio from five to 14 facilities. The deal requires customary federal antitrust clearance and some state regulatory approvals, none of which are expected to hold up the closing, Capella president Tom Anderson said. With this latest sale, Community is meeting investor expectations that it would trim its hospital portfolio after acquiring Triad, analysts said.

The article reports on expansion projects being planned by three healthcare systems in California, Illinois and Kansas on their hospitals that will total at least $331 million. It mentions that the construction plans is fueled by competition, population growth and continued favorable capital markets.

The article reports that for-profit companies will have the tendency to attract best-paying patients of established U.S. hospitals in high-growth markets that lack certificate-of-need protection, according to a 2006 study by Moody's Investors Service. The warning from Moody's came as Fitch Ratings said that it expects bad debt to continue to be a problem for investor-owned hospital companies in 2007. Fitch also said it expects shareholders will increase their pressure on the companies.

The article reports on the mistrial of Tenet Healthcare Corp. The reason behind the mistrial of Tenet is mentioned. The allegation against Tenet's Alvarado Hospital Medical Center and its former CEO Barry Weinbaum are cited. The possible implication of conviction on Tenet is also mentioned.

Reports on the proliferation of for-profit hospitals in the U.S. as of March 6, 2006. Access of the hospitals to capital; Impact of the hospitals on organized labor according to Tom Owens, spokesman for the hospital division of the Service Employees International Union; Results of a report prepared by the U.S. Government Accountability Office regarding uncompensated care provision of for-profit and not for-profit hospitals.

Reports on the withdrawal of Health Management Associates (HMA) from its bid to acquire Saint Joseph Hospital in Augusta, Georgia in February 2006. Refusal of the company to cite its reasons for the decision due to a confidentiality agreement it signed with Ascension Health, owner of the facility; Views of transactions consultant Josh Nemzoff on the move of HMA; Reaction of Ascension to the withdrawal.

The article reports on the impact of LifePoint Hospitals' acquisition of Province Healthcare Co. on its earnings in the U.S. in 2006. LifePoint acquired Province in April 2005 for $1.7 billion. According to Bill Gracey, LifePoint's chief operating officer, the former Province hospitals face competition from physicians due to high turnover. The central management of LifePoint will focus on visiting the hospitals and exert efforts to improve relationships with physicians.

Reports on the difficulty faced by hospitals in the U.S. Gulf Coast regarding when and how to reopen after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Concerns on uprooting physicians in the wake of the disaster; Closure of the hospitals of Tenet Healthcare Corp.; Contribution of the damaged facilities of Universal Health Services to its revenue.

Reports on the plan of the physicians from the Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii to purchase hospitals in Oahu, Hawaii from Saint Francis Healthcare System in 2005. Expectations of Danelo Canete, a cardiologist and organizer of the association, on the number of investors for the project; Interest of Filipino physicians to maintain the healthcare system; Other hospital acquisitions in the U.S.

Reports on the increase in for-profit hospitals and the decline in non-profit hospitals in the U.S. in 2003. Decline in the overall number of hospitals in the country since 1975; Factors that influenced the slowdown in the increase in investor-owned hospitals; Problems being faced by non-profit hospitals; Effect of consolidation on the number of hospitals.

Reports on the sale of three Massachusetts-based hospitals owned by Tenet Healthcare Corp. to Vanguard Health Systems. Estimated after-tax proceeds from the sale; Features of the hospitals being sold to Vanguard; Information on the lawsuit facing Tenet.

Reports on an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into an agreement to divide cancer and heart services forged in January 2003 by Bluefield Regional Medical Center and Princeton Community Hospital in West Virginia. Background on the dispute between the hospitals; Reaction of Bluefield Regional President Eugene Pawlowski to the federal investigation; Benefits from the collaboration, according to Pawlowski; Obstacle to the collaboration.

Features the Integrated Healthcare Holdings, a company aimed at pursuing financially-distressed and under performing hospitals in the U.S. founded by Bruce Mogel. Information on some of the hospitals in the U.S. bought out of bankruptcy by different companies; Business name previously used by the company in its transactions; Background of the individuals who will be joining Mogel in the company's management team.

Reports on divestiture plans of Tenet Healthcare Corp. in the U.S. as of February 2004. Amount tendered by Tenet for its acquisition of OrNda HealthCorp; Number of hospitals owned by Tenet that are listed for sale; Remarks from Trevor Fetter, president and chief executive officer of Tenet.

Presents information on the plan of Tenet Healthcare Corp. to sell its hospitals and shares in California. Statement made by Trevor Fetter, president and chief executive of Tenet Healthcare Corp., on the restructuring and retrenchment of the hospital system; Reasons behind the bankruptcy of the hospital system; Amount of business losses posted by Tenet Healthcare Corp. in 2003.

Focuses on a report released by Community Catalyst on the purchase of not-for-profit hospitals by Plano-Texas-based Triad Hospitals in the U.S. Accusation of Triad against the health care consumer advocacy group; Accusations against Triad featured in the report; Influence of the verbal dispute between Triad and Community Catalyst on the joint venture of Triad with Sparks Health System of Smith, Arkansas.

Reports on an agreement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Tenet Healthcare Corp. to sell the Redding Medical Center to avoid exclusion from Medicaid and Medicare in the U.S. Background on civil allegations against the company; Impact of Medicare and Medicaid exclusion on patient care; Fine payments made by the company to settle the allegations.

Reports on the financial performance of LifePoint Hospitals and Province Healthcare Co. in the U.S. in 2003. Increase in the bad-debt provisions of LifePoint; Revenue of LifePoint; Forecast on the bad-debt expense of Province Healthcare.

Reports on the plan of Charlotte, North Carolina-based company Hospital Partners of America (HPA) to develop and acquire general acute-care hospitals in addition to surgical hospitals. Information on a deal between HPA and Tenet Healthcare Corp. regarding the acquisition of an acute-care hospital; Benefits of the acquisition for HPA; Action required by the U.S. House from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission regarding a proposed Medicare prescription drug bill.

Reports developments concerning Tenet Healthcare Corp. which could affect its hospital portfolio. Agreement between Triad Hospitals and Tenet in August 2003; Exclusion of Tenet's Redding Medical Center from Federal healthcare programs; Way in which Tenet could avoid the exclusion.

Presents news briefs on the health care industry in the U.S. as of August 18, 2003. Lawsuit filed by West Tennessee Healthcare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee against the Regional Hospital of Jackson, Tennessee; Settlement of the price-fixing allegations against the Maine Health Alliance; Approval of the expansion of the Putnam General Hospital; Reason for Adven Medical's decision to stop reprocessing and distributing medical devices.