By the Staff of the Nicholas C. Petris Center | Published April 2005 by the Petris Center | Link to Full Report
While hospital closures have generated a great deal of media attention and community concern, hospitals have other possible responses to the difficult financial environment. This report focuses on one such response. Are hospitals changing their inpatient service offerings in order to improve their financial health? This study is a systematic look at the changes in services offered by California hospitals from 1995 to the 2002. It shows that over the study period there were several significant shifts in service patterns. This report documents these changes and provides a systematic exploration of the possible explanations for what has happened in California’s hospital system.