Some small hospitals find they can no longer afford to be independent institutions. The story explores potential solutions to this situation by highlighting hospitals that joined a larger health care system or formed a partnership with another hospital and looking at the benefits of signing with a hospital management firm.
Judges' comments: Rich reporting and lucid writing take this story beyond the specialized realm of its audience and show how hospitals are grappling with a problem that should be of concern to the general public.
Read "How Can Small Hospitals Survive?"
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