Have you heard the jokes about the incredible shrinking hospital in Decatur, Alabama?
Sure, they’re funny. But the reality isn’t a joke to hospitals. Instead, it’s just another interesting detour along the way to what that I’ve described as The Impending Death of Hospitals. If you haven’t yet read my book by that title, follow the link to download your complimentary copy, or visit Amazon to buy yours in print.
The future of healthcare doesn’t include hospitals as we know them today. Cases, care, and observation that can be performed or provided outside of the hospital will be provided “hospital free.” As technology advances the pace of the shift from hospitals to ASCs and other outpatient facilities, and to care at home, will advance, too. And, as it does, we’ll be saying “See ya later” to more and more hospitals.
I’ve written about hospitals closing. I’ve written about a 865-bed hospital being torn down to be replaced with a 70-bed facility.
And now, we have the incredible shrinking hospital.
According to a January 8, 2017, article by Evan Belanger of The Decatur Daily, Decatur Morgan Hospital is chopping off the top three floors of its five story south tower.
The hospital’s CEO is quoted as saying that the hospital’s haircut is part of their “right sizing” efforts. The soon to be missing three floors housed 100 patient beds, to be replaced with 35 beds in another area of the facility.
Perhaps their next facility will be bedless?
But then it will just be an ASC, which is my whole point: As hospitals become more like ASCs and other outpatient facilities, physician owned non-hospital ventures can become more like hospitals.
Brick and mortar doesn’t change thinking. Thinking changes brick and mortar. And, creates opportunities.
