The Physicians Centre opened in mid-May of last year and other local hospitals are saying they have felt patient numbers drop. The Physicians Centre opened in mid-May with the intent of offering something different to medical patients. The building more closely resembles a hotel than a hospital, with a concierge desk planted squarely in a spacious lobby. The 16 patient suites each have a sitting room equipped with a pull-out couch, a television and a phone.
Most patients select their meal ingredients and times from room-service menus.
When patients arrive, they can complete their admissions forms from their beds. It's different, it's new and we've attempted to make it feel like it's not a hospital. The ambulatory care center that opened in May is somewhat unique in that it is owned and operated by a group of physicians. The concept of physician-owned hospitals dates back to the 1930s, Jinkins said, but was phased out in the 1970s when corporations began buying hospitals. Now there are 56 such facilities around the country.