January 2012
Cardiovascular Performance
December 2011
Preventive Care
November 2011
Hospital Selection
October 2011
Financial Trends
September 2011
Mental Health, Substance Abuse Costs
August 2011
Healthcare Online Trends
July 2011
Costs of Care
June 2011
Hospital Performance
May 2011
Workforce Wellness
April 2011
Outpatient Trends
March 2011
Hospital-Based Care
February 2011
Healthcare Spending
January 2011
Cardiovascular Service
December 2010
Healthcare Reform: Utilization
November 2010
Healthcare Reform: Readmissions
October 2010
Healthcare Reform: Medicaid
September 2010
Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index
August 2010
Wellness Pays
July 2010
Hospital Performance
June 2010
Financial Trends
May 2010
Ambulatory Surgery Trends
April 2010
Orthopedic Trends
March 2010
Niche Technologies
February 2010
Outpatient Trends

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ECONOMIC PRESSURES , June 1, 2006

In today's healthcare landscape, hospitals face economic pressures on a variety of fronts. The number of uninsured Americans continues to rise, and hospitals are footing an increasingly larger bill for uncompensated care. Competition from ambulatory surgery centers, rural health clinics and other providers is growing for certain services. And on the consumer side of the equation, the pressures range from delayed treatments to a growing interest in alternative medicine therapies, which prompt consumers who might otherwise have sought care at hospitals to look for other means of treatment. One survey showed that 23 percent of households have used herbal products or dietary supplements within the past 12 months. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, hospitals will continue to face new threats to the bottom line.