Old habits die hard.  Especially in hard times.

Pick up any newspaper or healthcare trade journal and you'll find the same thing...organizations making cuts in FTEs, service lines, etc.

There is no doubt that to weather tough economic times one must sinch their belt a little tighter.  It's happening all over the globe. 

But what happens when sinching the belt means cutting service?  Can you afford to do so?  Many hospital administrators believe they can...only to find out later that slicing service was a big mistake.  They wake up one day and their competitors are handing it to them.