Lexington Medical Center’s NE expansion could drive down Midlands health care costs
That pattern of growth, marked by a network of smaller facilities throughout the region, is reflective of a broader shift in the way health systems operate and what they prioritize.
"Our eggs are in this basket," hospital CEO
The main campus of
The largest addition will be a 225,000-square-foot medical outpost in
Patients will have access to urgent care, imaging, outpatient surgeries, occupational and physical therapy, as well as a walking trail and classroom space in the five-floor building, according to a news release from the hospital.
Augsburger said there are already nine private practices in the LMC network in northeast
Creating a network of facilities where patients can go for less serious concerns and procedures also helps alleviate pressure on the main
Emergency departments can be pricey for patients -- especially uninsured or under-insured people -- but they are also expensive for hospitals to operate. Having other options is a good thing, according to
Plus, the trend of health care has shifted from investments in "big, concrete buildings" with lots of inpatient beds and specialists to a constellation of quick-turnaround ambulatory care providers closer to where patients live.
"The model on which hospitals were built even as soon as 20 years ago is just gone," Smith said. "And so now the model is for a lot of clinics and some outpatient surgery centers."
Medical technology has also evolved so many procedures that used to take days to recover from now require much less time, Smith said. That also means insurers can avoid the cost of paying for an overnight hospital stay.
Prisma does not have a facility in northeast
To
For a system like Prisma, which lost its "hometown hospital" identity when it merged with an Upstate entity, Smith said, community clinics can keep profitable preventive care roots in the
And
The more patients a hospital system has over a broad geographic area, the better the reimbursement rate from insurers, Smith said.
"Everybody is trying as hard as they can to look for new ways to bring in more money," he said. "It's sad to say that, but it's really good for us that they're expanding everywhere because it means you and I have a choice of physicians and you and I have a choice of hospitals."
Patients having options also means a better chance of finding more affordable health care, said Smith, who is a clinical research assistant professor at the
"The more competition we have, the lower the cost and the better the outcomes," he said.
In northeast
"It's people who have full health insurance, compared to coming to the center of
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