The Future of Public Hospitals and Clinics

Award Year: 1999	Investigator: Jack Needleman	Budget: $116,988	Categories: Access, Safety Net
Abstract: This project formulates public policy options for achieving continued access to care amid declining local government commitment to public hospitals and clinics. Using national and state data, Dr. Needleman analyzes trends in public sponsorship of hospitals and clinics and the consequences of closing or converting them. He also takes a close look at community efforts to maintain access to care following closure or conversion, assessing the effects of declining political support for the health care safety net and disillusionment with local government's ability to deliver health services. Based on these analyses, he creates a framework for discussing the future of public hospitals and clinics, describes the role these facilities play and the challenges they face, and identifies models for shaping the future of publicly provided health care.