University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to manage hospital in Ireland

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has announced a new management agreement with south Dublin's 183-bed Beacon Hospital--its fifth such arrangement overseas in the past dozen years. The international strategy results from a tightening of margins in the healthcare industry and UPMC's market saturation in southwestern Pennsylvania. Top UPMC officials are also discussing new management contracts with hospitals in Dubai and Cyprus while preparing to announce a healthcare information partnership with a hospital trust in the United Kingdom.