Planning for a successful merger. The Health Care Group.

Merging your practice with another will be one of the most complex business challenges you take on. It requires that you analyze nearly every aspect of your practice's operations--and review your own personal and professional objectives. The benefits can be significant, but pitfalls loom for those who enter the merger process unprepared. We recommend that doctors give very careful consideration to their reasons for seeking a merger, and that they plan thoroughly in order to make their merger a success.

Trinidad and Tobago Organisation and Methods Report: health department (6) hospital and health office charges: (Briggs Report)

The report covers the subject of Hospital and Health Office charges. The present position most unsatisfactory at the hospitals. There are many out of date regulations that are not kept. Charges are not uniform between the hospitals and many are totally inappropiate. Much time and effort is expended in trying to assess or collect charges from all except the very poor. Many of the fees are not paid and little benefit results in the end to government. At present, the outstanding charges not written off, amount to $240,000. The recommendations in this report propose considerable changes. They are based on the principles that the general service to the public should be free but that fees at appropiate, proper and up to date rates should be collected for services from those who are willing to pay in return for greater amenities. Instead of many thousands of patients being assessed and few actually paying, a restricted class of patients should be charged and the payment of fees strictly enforced. The report proposes that private room charges should be raised considerably at the Colonial Hospitals, paying wards with greater amenities should also be provided. The Mental Hospital should, as soon as practicable follow the same pattern. A substantial increase in private rooms by the construction of a new private block is proposed for Port-of-Spain, and the provision of new accomodation for paying patients at the Mental Hospital. Apart from the capital expenditure that will be involved in providing more and better paying amentities it is estimated that all charges should result not in a loss but in a substantial net annual gain to government, which although it cannot at present be calculated accurately should as rough preliminary estimate between $200,000 and $250,000 a year. In the part of the Report covering Health Offices, the recommendation is made that the Health Office service should be free as it is costing considerably more than the revenue received to collect the small charges that are now made. This should result in a net saving of about $17,000 a year. (AU)