October 16, 2008

Like a lot of veteran physicians, Mark DeFrancesco, MD, MBA, began his career in a small practice with just one partner. Since his first days as an OB/GYN in 1984, however, his practice has grown organically and through mergers, and he now serves as chief medical officer for Physicians for Women's Health, a 155-physician group in Connecticut. His career path in many ways mirrors a trend we're seeing across the industry: Small practices are struggling and dying out in a wave of medical practice consolidation. +

When a health assessment showed that the community was having issues with preventable health issues and concerns, Exempla Healthcare in Denver decided to address things with a campaign that asked residents to "Be the One" to take control of their health. +

In the face of recent encouraging signs, economists are standing by predictions of a longstanding global recession. With consumer spending down and rising unemployment, you can expect that consumers will be cautious to part with their money. The conditions make it hard to speculate, but emerging global hospitals could face tough times, while established facilities try to stay afloat. +