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Health planning and the closure of a community hospital
Author(s) -
Fontana Leonard
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.4740030406
Subject(s) - health care , agency (philosophy) , government (linguistics) , business , closure (psychology) , psychological intervention , process (computing) , public relations , nursing , economic growth , medicine , political science , sociology , economics , computer science , social science , linguistics , philosophy , law , operating system
The overall purpose of the research reported in this article is two‐fold: firstly, to describe the efforts of a regional health planning agency in the United States to reduce the size of acute care facilities in its planning area; and, secondly, to frame these events into a general theory of structural problems of state interventions in the American health care sector. Specifically, a case study is presented that documents—over time—the process of decision making, in seeking to close a community hospital against strong, and vocal, local interests. This analysis supports the view that, in the real world of health planning, power is exercised through a process of bargaining between health care providers and government, and between health care providers. Overall, the study illustrates the constraints upon the American health planning agencies to steer a relatively autonomous health care sector.