List date(s) this work was published or aired.
14-Sep-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Under financial pressure, more independent hospitals are joining large networks or consolidating with other hospitals. In Maryland, independent hospitals that want to stay independent are changing the way they do business to be able to compete.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used data from the Maryland Health Care Commission to illustrate how the number of independent hospitals has changed in Maryland. Data from the hospitals themselves shows how they are investing in new approaches to stay independent.
Explain types of human sources used.
I spoke with leaders at local independent hospitals in an urban area (and therefore have more competition) and others in rural areas (and therefore need to stay open and up-to-date because the area has few alternatives). I also spoke with analysts and researchers who provided perspective of the pros and cons of hospital mergers and gave an overview of how the hospital system/independent mix has changed over time.
Results:
This story gave perspective on the changing hospital landscape in Maryland at a time when one of the area’s largest hospital networks — University of Maryland Medical System — was nearing finalization of a deal to acquire another local hospital.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
I have since written stories about other challenges facing hospitals, such as building patient centered medical homes and outpatient groups in preparation for Health Policy, installing and using electronic health record systems. This story does not have any corrections or clarifications and no one has challenged its accuracy.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
I think having data and examples from local hospitals was important to making this national story relevant to our readers. While most of our readership comes from the Baltimore metro area, I thought it was also important to include perspective from a rural hospital as a point of comparison.