A generation or two ago, when a hospital needed to add outpatient space, the next step seemed obvious: build a large medical office building (MOB) on the existing campus. During the past 20 years or so, however, most providers have recognized that off-campus facilities can often be a more effective way to deliver patient care while achieving their organizational objectives.

Of all the possible responses to the Financial Crisis and Healthcare Reform, the most pressing is reducing of the cost of healthcare. Our Lillibridge team has been testing ideas for the past four years, and has now completed a prototype CareCenter that will reduce the cost of healthcare delivery.

HFMA President Dick Clark spoke at the June 2009 ANI conference about the "three horsemen" that have converged to create the perfect healthcare storm: economic recession, capital market crisis, and uncertainty over reimbursement. What are the right moves now and over the coming months to adjust and play to your strengths? We invite you to consider the key market trends Lillibridge has identified and our read our perspectives on what you can do to weather this storm. Join the conversation.

There are many benefits to monetizing non-core healthcare real estate assets. Liquidity can help healthcare systems enhance financial ratios and improve their credit rating. Hospitals benefit by unleashing or preserving funds for service expansion and other capital projects. Having third-party ownership also helps hospital executives improve physician relationships by exiting the landlord role.

Tax exempt bonds have been, and will continue to be, the cornerstone of the capital structure for non-profit healthcare systems. However, credit market conditions periodically make taxable structures such as credit tenant leases or developer provided financing compelling - in spite of cost of capital differentials.

As healthcare services continue to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings, the demands of the stakeholders only increase. Ambulatory services and facilities need to meet the consumers' expectations of maximum convenience and comfort, the providers' need for quality and efficiency, and the payers? demand for lower cost settings. Yet the strain on capital and resources has never been greater ...