Hospitals--Administration

Consolidation of the hospital industry is occurring at an increasing pace in the 1990s. This recent rise in mergers and acquisitions has prompted interest in what characteristics make certain hospitals good takeover targets. This study compares hospital and regional differences between 11 acquired versus 296 non-acquired hospitals in Texas one year prior to takeover in 1995. A stochastic frontier model and PROBIT model were used to determine which characteristics suggest takeover likelihood. The findings indicate that inefficiency is highly significant in predicting which hospitals make good takeover candidates. Hospitals in counties with large populations and with a large senior citizen community are also significant indicators of potential acquisition. The results suggest that these acquisitions are a market mechanism for disciplining inefficient hospitals.

This study was prepared to determine whether substantial
differences exist in wage and salary administration, grievance procedures
and seniority practices between hospitals with and those
without collective bargaining units. The basis for the project is
the increasing interest unions have in hospital manpower resources.
In addition the saturation of industry with the labor movement has
forced labor leaders to look to health workers as prospective members.
The survey included two states with specific labor laws
requiring hospitals to bargain collectively and two states without
specific legislation and contemplating the passing of such legislation.
The results of the survey indicated significant similarities
and differences from both an inter and intra state viewpoint,