Can medical arts complexes give new life to shuttered hospitals?

When hospitals close it's often a devastating blow to the municipalities where they're located, leading to the loss of significant tax revenue and jobs. A bill working its way through the Legislature, however, could go a long way toward softening the blow, providing state incentives to redevelop former hospitals as "medical arts complexes," where doctors and other healthcare providers could rent or buy space. The bill was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on December 13.