He discusses the importance of:
Local geography and demography.
Leadership that is tightly connected with local leaders in a variety of fields.
Strong decision-making that is data-driven.
True patient focus in an organization’s overall service configuration, strategies and culture.
Continuous relationship building.
Mr. Ross concludes: “There are many in the healthcare industry who are convinced that the wave of hospital consolidation will be ubiquitous — that no independent hospitals will be able to survive and that we will soon just have a handful of regional megasystems. We believe consolidation will not be so absolute, nor will it be orderly. We expect a number of high-performing independent hospitals to meet the coming challenges and either maintain their independence or affiliate on their own terms from a position of strength.”
Ryan E. Ross is a senior director in the Health Solution’s strategy and planning practice of FTI Consulting, Indianapolis.
