Outlook for independent community hospitals: uncertain.

: Increasing financial pressures in the healthcare marketplace have made it imperative for many independent community hospitals to conduct assessments to determine the viability of continued independence. For organizations initiating such assessments, the decision of whether to affiliate with another organization is as much about when to act as it is about whether to seek a partner. Even if all indicators considered point to a need to consolidate, there remains one critical concern in identifying the best partner for a successful combination: whether the two organizations are culturally compatible.