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What Would A Tufts-Boston Medical Center Merger Mean?
ResumeTwo major Boston hospitals want to merge: Tufts Medical Center in Chinatown and Boston Medical Center in the South End.
The merger of the hospitals would combine two nonprofit organizations that treat many low-income patients in Boston. BMC is the Commonwealth's largest "safety-net hospital," providing care to vulnerable populations regardless of ability to pay. And Tufts has aimed to offer a low-cost alternative to Boston's other expensive hospitals.
A Tufts-BMC merger would be the next in a long line of hospital consolidations in the Bay State. This year, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center joined the former Jordan Hospital. Over the past few years, Steward Health Care has bought more than 10 community hospitals. Tufts merged with Lowell General in October and still on the table is the controversial Partner's Health Care plan to buy three community hospitals.
Guest
Stuart Altman, economist and professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University, chair of the board of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.
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WBUR: Tufts Medical Center And Boston Medical Center In Merger Talks
- "'Our organizations share a commitment to high quality, lower cost health care and to serving every patient with the greatest respect and compassion,' Tufts Medical Center Vice President Brooke Hynes said in a statement. 'We also share a mutual commitment to our academic missions of clinical excellence, teaching and research.'"
The Boston Globe: Boston Medical Center, Tufts In Merger Talks
- "BMC and Tufts would have many issues to consider if they merge, including who would run the new entity and how to consolidate staff and operations at their campuses, which are just over a mile apart. Tufts has 415 beds in Chinatown. It includes a children’s hospital and performs complex procedures such as heart transplants. BMC has 482 beds in the South End and has the busiest trauma and emergency department in New England."
This article was originally published on December 11, 2014.
This segment aired on December 11, 2014.