Currently, including today's paper they are trying to rally support for one big hospital in the name of the community.. even going as far as saying it would create jobs?? What about all the duplicate jobs that will almost certainly have to go away? And without choice what will the public do when things aren't run the way we (average citizen) like? Go where? Bloomington? Indy? That's right, stuck with like or leave it choices.. At least right now we have two choices in Bedford.. I have never seen good come from a monopoly? Which is exactly what there talking about.. Of course Doctors want it.. lessening folks choices never really enters into there way of thinking.. they just know that they will have only one place to reside at, thus improving there profits.. As for health care improving, are we to believe that by joining hospitals that health care will actually improve? If so, why doesn't the rest of the world catch on? Why doesn't all those hospitals located side by side in every city / town, unite? Could it be because it's not all what it's propped up to be? I believe that if we looked behind every major medical discovery we would find that almost all of them was motivated by competition. I'm not saying that joining forces is always bad.. If there are 5 teams and 3 want to combine there efforts.. go for it. But, when all 5 teams combine and the game is spent, it's inherent human nature to get lazy and complacent.. thereby saying goodbye to quality and hello to bigger hospital / corporate profits..

Competition is what makes the free market system work. I think it's a terrible idea. I personally like down home small hospital feel of Dunn Memorial. I expect that'd all change after a big merger. Mergers are never good for anyone but the top people. No businesses decisions are made because it's the best for the customer. It's always about being best for the owners. Monopolies are a hell and AT&T, Comcast, and other such Monopolies are a firm example of such.

There are many caring qualified doctors and staff members at both of these facilities. Many times they visit both facilities (as well as other facilities in surrounding counties). Small facilities struggle to maintain state of the art equipment and the latest in techology that can enhance medical care. Reimbursements from payors continue to dwindle. Healthcare is a business, but I totally disagree that there is some type of plan to monopolize and limit choices! Healthcare is not like At&T. This is a totally different type of business. Currently many insurance payors limit your choices when they have contracts with certain providers. How is this any different? What I forsee is a very nice state of the art facility with the same hometown docs you are used to (with more resources to provide quality care). Visit the large facilities in Indy and notice the private rooms (very important in the control of infectious disease by the way). Then visit the buildings of the current facilities. When a facility has solid financial grounding, staffing is enhanced not shortchanged. This further enables the hospital to provide quality care.