A recent report led by Dennis P. Andrulis, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director of the Center for Health Equality and Associate Dean of Research (and co-authored by Lisa M. Duchon, Ph.D.), was released on August 17, and describes the declining numbers of American public hospitals since 1996. The report, "Hospital Care in the 100 Largest Cities and Their Suburbs, 1996 - 2002: Implications for the Future of the Hospital Safety Net in Metropolitan America," was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report found that over the six-year study period, public hospitals in major American cities declined in number by 16%, from 83 to 70, while public hospitals in suburban areas declined by 27%, from 134 to 98. Similarly, for-profit hospitals declined by 11% in cities and suburbs, and not-for-profit hospitals declined by 11% in cities and 2% in suburbs, leading to "a major increase" in emergency department visits by low-income residents in suburban areas, according to Dr. Andrulis.
The report summarizes, “As hospitals continue to close or consolidate–in high poverty suburban areas, in particular–will their poor and uninsured residents become increasingly dependent on nearby city public hospitals, if one is available? Such trends are already creating a potential backlash among urban taxpayers in some metropolitan areas. Ultimately, regional cooperation may be required to ensure adequate financing and access to hospital care for the area's poor and uninsured, particularly in metropolitan areas with a high poverty central city or high poverty suburban area.”
A direct link to the report in PDF format (680 KB) is available for download on our site.
Release of the report is receiving ongoing coverage on National Public Radio, HealthDay, The Associated Press, The Washington Times, and the Kaiser Daily Health Report. Please revisit this page for further news relating to the report.