Should hospitals specialize?

Yes

1 of 2

by Sita

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I live in an area where we are lucky to have a great many specialized hospitals. There is a stroke center, a heart center, a children's hospital, and one of the leading cancer institutes in the country. It's good to know that all of these are right in my own backyard.

As a soon-to-be nurse, I know firsthand of some of the benefits of having specialized hospitals. There is expensive equipment that smaller hospitals cannot afford, but a larger or specialized institution may have budget or funding for. Expert doctors and surgeons are attracted to the hospitals as specialists, and you have a higher level of skill on hand. Nurses in specialty areas often receive extra training, and there is greater job satisfaction on part of all employees knowing that their place of employment has received recognition as someplace special. This pride and sense of satisfaction translates directly into the quality of patient care.

While local and general hospitals are still needed- in fact, I plan to work at one in just a few months- it's good to know that if a special situation does arise, a patient can be transported somewhere where they will receive specialized care. Specialized institutions usually have a greater capacity for research, also- and this eventually leads to a higher standard and better knowledge base for all practitioners to work with. There's no question that, while a general hospital provides a great resource for healthcare, trauma or specialty centers have that extra ability that may make the difference in a lot of cases.

The argument against specialty hospitals that comes up often is that of cost. For the most part, it is HMOs and insurance companies that decide reimbursement and in essence, set costs. Specialty hospitals are, in many instances, more likely to be granted funding, and also more able to raise their own funds via the public. Ask a family member of a patient with a rare condition or who has sought out a specialty hospital whether or not they are worth having, or whether or not they feel the cause is worth supporting. Chances are they will stand up for the hospital and may even donate to them on their own.

In my area, it is Roswell Park Cancer Institute. In Ohio, and even in this area as well, the Cleveland Clinic comes up any time any complex condition is diagnosed. It takes a lot of work, upkeep, education, and resources to become a specialized institution, and it takes the dedication and belief of a lot of staff to keep up with the training and requirements.

All hospitals provide a wonderful service, and every one of them is worth having. In this day and age where healthcare costs are rising and hospitals are closing their doors, it seems easy to say "get rid of the specialists and go back to how things used to be." But if it were my family member, my parent or child- or me myself, I'd take the specializing hospital any day. No offense to any other hospital, and yes, part of it is just the attitude of the times where we want the best there is, but there is something wonderful to be said for just having available to us a specialized hospital if we did need it. Just in case, it brings peace of mind knowing they're there, and it would be a great shame if they were phased out of existence.

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