All Options Should Be on the Table for North Kansas City

The number of government-owned and operated public hospitals in the United States has declined dramatically over the past three decades. There were almost 2,000 public hospitals in the U.S. in the 1970s. There were only 1,045 public hospitals by 2011, and the trend is continuing for many of the same reasons North Kansas City is considering changing its hospital operational structure. Like the U.S. Postal Service, the model of a government-owned and operated public hospital facility is simply not nearly as effective as it used to be. There may be substantial public concern and political opposition to changes in hospital operations, but that will not change the long-term economic outlook of public hospitals.