What hospitals should think about when considering mergers

For strategic reasons or simply to survive, more hospitals and health systems are expected to be looking closely at mergers, acquisitions or some type of partnerships, analysts say. Hospitals that are weighing mergers or partnerships shouldn’t look at those transactions as a way to solve just one problem, such as getting more leverage with payers, said Anu Singh, managing director of partnerships, mergers and acquisitions at Kaufman Hall, a healthcare consulting firm. Organizations and leaders need to understand where they have competitive advantages, and where they are coming up short against their peers. When systems are missing on a number of their strategic goals, that could be a sign that organizations should start asking questions about whether continuing as an independent entity is the best way forward.