Editorial: Hospitals, is going it alone still valid ?

Experts currently argue that merger is the way forward in every area of industry, including the health sector.  The height of this trend in the health sector was observed between 1997 and 2006 in the United Kingdom(UK) where around half the short term general hospitals were involved in a merger, the record for the United States was in 2003 but the trend has not decreased in 2011.  For the little and independent hospital in order to survive the current  economic crisis has been left with limited or no choice, but to also go down the road of merger.  

In the article of Hospitals & Health Networks, Haydn Bush shows that, in the US, little independent hospitals have found that partnerships or joint ventures are fundamental to surviving without necessarily loosing control to tertiary institutions. Collaborate but keeping independence is their motto.

Partnerships or strategic alliances seems to offer a real value and an alternative to merging for little hospitals in the US. Can this also be a valid option for other countries?

We wait for your comments.

IHF News

IHF Events

The Health Finance and Investment Forum (HFIF) - Zagreb 28 February 2013

Held under the auspices and with attendance of H.E. Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia, the HFIF's first step on European ground attracted about 90 participants from all over Europe. This distinguished group of experts included chairmen, C-level executives, top level representatives from regional and multilateral organizations as well as esteemed public officials from around the region. IHF's CEO Eric de Roodenbeke was a key speaker in a panel that discussed the potential and opportunities of the health care sector.  Read more (...)

A Dialogue to Address Risk Factors for NCDs

The International Hospital Federation, with Dr. Adeleke Pitan as a representative member, participated in the 'Stakeholder´s dialogue to adress risk factors for Non-Communicable diseases' hosted by the World Health Organization African Region in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read more (...)

38th World Hospital Congress IHF 2013 Oslo 18-20 June

Oslo2013 is the forum in which leaders, policy makers and clinicians from all over the world will share their experiences and best practices in healthcare delivery. Read more (...)

Latest news

Gerard Vincent reelected at the French Hospital Federation

The International Hospital Federation congratulates Mr. Gerard Vincent for his reelection, last 10 April 2013, as Managing Director of the French Hospital Federation for another period of three years.Mr. Vincent was IHF President from 2005 to 2007 and he has been nominated IHF Honorary Member for life. Read more (...)

H+ Activity Report 2012: Hospital landscape is renewed

H+ The Swiss Hospitals presents its newly restructured activity report 2012 under the title "hospital landscape is renewed"     The report covers the activities of the association during the past year, but also gives a central place to the members of H+, which deliver their analysis of the current situation and their attention to the futur.You can download the PDF version in French, German or italian following this link Read more (...)

From our partners

ISQua and IHF - A Partnership

After many years of collaboration ISQua and IHF this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding and agreed a workplan.ISQua works to provide services to guide health professionals, providers, researchers, agencies, policy-makers and consumers, to achieve excellence in health care delivery to all people, and to continuously improve the quality and safety of care.As a not for profit, independent organisation with members in over 70 countries, ISQua is a unique forum for this target audience to share expertise and knowledge Read more (...)

WHO Round Up

Global health diplomacy: five years on

Ilona Kickbusch and Mihály Kökény, published in Bulletin of the World Health Organization March, 2013     In the 132nd session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), held in January of this year, the phrase 'health diplomacy' was mentioned time and time again. Indeed, the Director-General used it in her opening remarks: 'Health diplomacy works.' In two papers published in this Bulletin in 2007, we underscored the importance of global health diplomacy, particularly the need to build capacity in this domain within WHO and in WHO's Member States, in line with changes in the global environment. Read more (...)

Removal of user fees no guarantee of universal health coverage: observations from Burkina Faso

Samia Laokri  et al., article published in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, April, 2013.      In theory, the removal of user fees puts health services within reach of everyone, including the very poor. When Burkina Faso adopted the DOTS strategy for the control of tuberculosis, the intention was to provide free tuberculosis care. In 2007'2008, interviews were used to collect information from 242 smear-positive patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who were enrolled in the national tuberculosis control programme in six rural districts. Read more (...)

Untapped potential of health impact assessment

Mirko S Winkler et al., published in Bulletin of the World Health Organization April 2013          The World Health Organization has promoted health impact assessment (HIA) for over 20 years. At the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), HIA was discussed as a critical method for linking health to 'green economy' and 'institutional framework' strategies for sustainable development. In countries having a high human development index (HDI), HIA has been added to the overall assessment suite that typically includes potential environmental and social impacts, but it is rarely required as part of the environmental and social impact assessment for large development projects. Read more (...)

From International Organizations

Managing Hospital Volumes: Germany and Experiences from OECD Countries

Published by the OECD Newsletter, Issue No. 16, March 2013.    To help inform the Conference on Managing Hospital Volumes, co-organised by the German Federal Ministry of Health and the OECD, to be held on the 11th April 2013 in Berlin, the OECD Secretariat has produced a paper to provide an international perspective on Germany's situation and the current policy debate. The paper begins by comparing the structure of the hospital sector in Germany and its level of volumes with other OECD countries. It then provides a general background on how hospitals are financed in Germany. Finally, it provides some observations on the operation of the German hospital system from an international perspective, with a view to highlighting potential areas of discussion for policy makers. Read more (...)

Hospital and Health Services Worldwide News

Bird Flu and Public Health Systems: Lessons of History

By Patricio Marquez, published in The World Bank Blog, April 2013.    Here we go again!  In the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of media buzz about the outbreak of H7N9, a new deadly bird flu virus in China, centered in Shanghai and surrounding provinces and now reported in Beijing.  This outbreak follows the global panic and economic and travel disruptions caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in 2003 and the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in 2006.  Compared to previous episodes, according to The Economist, this time the government response in China has been 'far swifter and more open.' Does this mean that across the world governments have adopted policies and made the necessary investments to develop and strengthen essential public health infrastructures to respond effectively to this type of public health crisis? Read more (...)

Asia

Does salary affect the choice of residency in non-university teaching hospitals? A panel analysis of Japan Residency Matching Programme data

Article by Taiji Enari and Hideki Hashimoto, published by Human Resources for Health, March 2013     BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated factors that are influential on the choice of training hospitals among residency physicians, but the effect of salary was not conclusive. In this study, we aimed to examine whether a higher salary attracted more residents to non-university hospitals participating in the Japanese Residency Matching Programme. Read more (...)

The relationship between a physician incentive plan and departmental performance in a Taiwan hospital

Article from Nai-Yng Liu, Hsuan-Lien Chu and Chiu-Chuo Liao published in Journal of Hospital Administration, 2013, Vol. 2, No. 3   The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of a physician incentive plan based upon treatment of patients in a large private non-for-profit hospital in Taiwan. We examine the relationship between physicians' bonuses and departmental performance to assess the impact of the physician incentive plan in the case hospital. Read more (...)

Australia's "Fourth Hurdle" Drug Review Comparing Costs and Benefits Holds Lessons for the United States

Ruth Lopert and Adam G. Elshaug in The Commonwealth Fund, April 2013    Prescription drugs have been a key driver of health care spending growth in the United States. In some countries, including Australia, drugs must pass a "fourth-hurdle" review of cost-effectiveness after they pass other rigorous tests. Such a process not only helps to ensure society is getting appropriate value for what it spends on drugs, but also helps to reward innovation. The U.S. may benefit from studying Australia's experience and experimenting with comparative effectiveness review.   Read more (...)

Americas

Brazil: World Bank President praises Bahia Hospital for giving Poor better access to Healthcare

Published by the World Bank, News, March 2013    Outside Bahia's Hospital do Surburbio, all seems tranquil: white stucco buildings, manicured lawns, and palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze. Inside, it's another story. Read more (...)

Comparison of Health Care Utilization: United States versus Canada

Yuriy Pylypchuk and Eric M. Sarpong, article published in Health Services Research, volume 48, number 2, part 1. April 2013    Objective: To compare health care utilization between Canadian and U.S. residents.Data Sources: Nationally representative 2007 surveys from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for the United States and the Canadian Community Health Survey for Canada. Read more (...)

A Winning Formula for Community Health

By Susan Kreimer published in Hospitals & Health Networks, April 2013     About 15 years ago, St. Joseph's/Candler Health System in Savannah, Ga., embarked on a course that would alter the health of its community for the better and in novel ways.The board of trustees for its two hospitals probed deeply into problems plaguing local residents. They wondered what drove people to flood the emergency room. When the visits continue, "it's really a trailing indicator of something else that's going on. And that started the questioning," says Paul P. Hinchey, president and CEO. Read more (...)

Is going it alone still an option for your hospital? Yes.

By Haydn Bush, published in Hospitals and Health Networks, March 2013       The frantic pace of health care change is leading many independent hospitals to join or affiliate with other organizations, while some are building more informal partnerships. Is independence still a viable, sustainable business model for any hospital? Read more (...)

Europe

Europe's Strong Primary Care Systems Are Linked to Better Population Health But Also to Higher Health Spending

Dionne S. Kringos et al., published in Health Affairs, April 2013 32(4):686'94     To improve population health and reduce total health care costs, policymakers in the United States and abroad have taken steps to strengthen primary care, even though evidence supporting the benefits of these investments is somewhat limited. Commonwealth Fund'supported researchers analyzed data collected in Europe to see whether stronger primary care systems were associated with higher performance on measures of population health, efficiency, and socioeconomic inequality. Read more (...)

Health Insurance Exchanges in Switzerland and the Netherlands Offer Five Key Lessons for the Operations of U.S. Exchanges

 Ewout van Ginneken et al., published in Health Affairs, April 2013 32(4):744'52   Health reforms in Switzerland and the Netherlands created new insurance markets that are similar to the state and federally operated health insurance exchanges, or marketplaces, scheduled to launch in the United States in 2014. Commonwealth Fund'supported researchers reviewed these countries' experiences and offer lessons for the U.S. rollout. Read more (...)

Analyzing European health systems: Europe as a research laboratory

Peter P. Groenewegen, in European Journal of Public Health, Volume 23, Issue 2, March 2013.   The main challenges of European health systems relate to increasing demand for care and rising expectations, the epidemiological shift towards lifestyle-related (chronic) disease and the need to develop sustainable solutions. Prevention in a broad sense'universal, selective and indicative'plays an important role in developing into sustainable health systems. To address these challenges, knowledge is needed.  Read more (...)

Africa

Aspirations for quality health care in Uganda: How do we get there?

Clare I R Chandler et al., published in Human Resources for Health, volume 11, 2013     Despite significant investments and reforms, health care remains poor for many in Africa. To design an intervention to improve access and quality of health care at health facilities in eastern Uganda, we aimed to understand local priorities for qualities in health care, and factors that enable or prevent these qualities from being enacted. Read more (...)

International Events

USA - American College of Physician Executives - Annual Meeting

April 26 - 27, Hilton New York, NY Read more (...)

USA - American Hospital Association's Annual Meeting

April 28 - May 1, 2013, Washington, DC Read more (...)

1st European Forum for Public Procurement of Healthcare Innovation

Innovation is today a key factor for the performance of our healthcare system: it provides solutions for the challenges of tomorrow by improving patient care while boosting productivity and employment. Many experts agree that the healthcare field is an essential and strategic component of the industrial sector development. Hospital procurement, which volume amounts to 120 billion euros at the European level, plays an essential role in the development of the industrial ecosystem and in its capacity to produce innovative solutions at a regional, national and European level, especially in today's context. Actively involved at each stage of the acquisition process, the purchaser is in the ideal position to bring innovative solutions in hospitals.  Read more (...)

France - The Health and Independence Trade Shows

28-30 May 2013, ParisHopitalExpo, HitParis and GerontExpo/HandicapExpo, three leading TRADE SHOWS in the field of health and independence are now held on the same date, as part of one major annual event: The Health and Independence Trade ShowsLes Salons de la Santé et de l'Autonomie - 28-30 mai 2013 : une grande date pour la santé et tous ses acteurs Read more (...)

USA - Healthcare Financial Management Association's Healthcare Finance Conference

June 16-19, 2013, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL Read more (...)

USA - American Hospital Association's Leadership Summit

July 27-29, 2013, San Diego Hyatt, CA Read more (...)

USA - Medical Group Management Association Annual Conference

October 6-9, 2013, Convention Center, Marriott, San Diego, CA Read more (...)

USA - University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) annual Conference 2013

October 17 - 18, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia Read more (...)

USA - American Nurses Credentialing Center: ANCC National Magnet Conference

October 2-4, 2013, Orlando, Florida Read more (...)

Switzerland - Congres 2013 H+

November, 7, 2013, Bern Read more (...)

Korea - Healthcare Congress

November, 13-15, 2013 at Grand Hilton Holtel Convention Center, Seoul. Read more (...)

Germany - German Hospital Day (Deutscher Krankenhaustag)

November 20 - 23, 2013, Düsseldorf (on the occasion of the fair MEDICA) Read more (...)

Luxembourg - 24th EAHM Congress

28 - 30 November, 2013, Kirchberg, Luxembourg'Hospital Management in times of crisis - constraints, challenges and opportunities' at the New Conference Centre (NCCK), Luxembourg - Kirchberg  Visit www.eahm-luxembourg2013.lu for more information  Read more (...)

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