Quote to Note: Turning Around A Large Health System on a Dime

While it has traditionally relied on its ability to provide high-priced specialty care, the system, along with every stand-alone community hospital and large academic medical center, is being forced to remake itself. Patients are increasingly seeking care outside the hospital — in a family health center, a doctor’s office, a drugstore or at home.”.

Reed Abelson, “Cleveland Clinic Grapples with Changes in Health Care,” New York Times, March 17, 2015

As a society, we’ve become accustomed to the thinking the best health care to be had occurs at large hospitals or large integrated health systems. But now people are thinking small care may be better. This change of heart is hard for big systems to adjust to. As the expression goes, “You can’t turn the Queen Mary around on a dime.” You don't necessarily change peoples’ habits with big health systems or big health reform laws. People are looking for alternatives outside of big hospitals and big organizations and big government- something friendlier, smaller, more personal, more private , more confidential, more accessible, less bureaucratic, with more choice. Independent, out-of-hospital care may be reaching a tipping point.