The tides come in and out, ties get wider then narrower then wider again, and society cycles round and round from “me” to “we.”
Today’s society is heavily affected by “we” think, from notions of shared sacrifice, to paying your fair share, to “giving back.”
Not every individual or entity in a society buys into the current stage of the cycle and that’s why trends eventually moderate and return toward the antipode. However, there are some who, while holding a view closer to the other extreme, understand that they can benefit from co-opting the current zeitgeist.
Thus the move by hospitals to take advantage of “we” think.
As the current wave of collectivism shapes trends in healthcare, hospitals seek to ride that wave to further their own “me” interests: Witness the completely hospital-centric notions of Accountable Care Organizations, healthcare collaboration, and integrated delivery systems.
Physicians are told that the future of healthcare is not in rugged individualism but, rather, in the “it takes a village” world.
But they are being told that by the hospital that wants to be the mayor of the village.
