Case studies
Hospital closingAn urban healthcare system decided to close one of its community hospitals because of cost and service concerns. Playing an oversight role, we guided creation of an action plan that included targets for cost savings and retention of patients, operations tasks for each department, coordination by a vice president assigned to this project alone and commitment among system leaders to the project’s success. The plan included effective engagement with physicians, staff, patient groups, unions, state regulators and community leaders. As a result, the hospital closed within a week of the original schedule and well within range of its targets for physicians and patients retained and cost savings gained.