Patient Experience

Mountain View Regional Hospital in Casper, Wyo., a hospital owned by local physicians and National Surgical Hospitals, opened in June 2008. In its first ten months, the hospital has experienced considerable success, both financially and in patient satisfaction.

The struggling economy is causing more patients to delay or rush elective surgeries, according to an article in the New York Times.

Given the statistical trend toward obesity in the general population and the skyrocketing increase in bariatric surgical programs, hospitals need to address the special design and equipment needs of obese patients in both their short- and long-range planning.

Not only are fewer patients able to pay their bills, fewer paying patients are walking through the doors of hospitals: Even patients with insurance are deferring treatment and procedures, reports the New York Times.