In This Issue Knocking on the Door Not too long ago (10 to 15 years to be exact), integration was the name of the game. Hospitals were acquiring physician practices at a rapid pace. They were joined by a host of for-profit physician practice management companies such as PhyCor, MedPartners and FPA Medical Management. Read More... The Idea Factory Is it a research institute? Is it a product test center? Neither. It's Beaumont Services company LLC's newly launched Commercialization Center. Read More... Power of a Story Several months ago on the way home from the airport, I popped into a Waffle House, sat down, and ordered lunch. As I turned to my right, I noticed a woman in tattered clothing sitting alone with her head down in a booth. Hoping to brighten her day I said hello. She quickly perked up, smiled and shot me a, "What choo do for work?" After telling her how I travel a lot for work she said to me, "Name's Wilma. And Wilma says you get your butt home. And don't forget what's most important. It's your wife and kids. And on the way home, you get that wife some flowers at the Price Chopper. That'll make her feel special." Read More... Recession Survival Strategies While the debate continues on about whether or not the United States is in a recession (defined as two consecutive qquarters of shrinking economic activity), there is no doubt that the economy has been volatile and consumer confidence has been declining. Read More... Operating News We summarize 19 news articles regarding hospital operations. Read More...