I am concerned about the rush to consolidation we are seeing in the hospital industry. It seems all too tidy and easy, and if there is anything I have learned from my 30+ years in clinical medicine, it is that nothing in healthcare is easy. 

Larger hospitals began acquiring smaller hospitals in the early 1900s during the halcyon days of managed care, when doctors and small hospitals thought they would be gobbled up by huge managed care companies. We have continued to see mergers since, but those deals were nothing compared to some of the mega-mergers we see today. Huge systems are coming together in statewide initiatives. This is happening in Wisconsin, Louisiana, Ohio, and other places. Ostensibly, all of this activity is being generated by the desire to strengthen or maintain market share and provide better patient care, but the main driver may be fear of being left out of a network. 

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