[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      HOSPITAL MERGER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SETS AN ENCOURAGING PATTERN

  (Mr. ZELIFF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ZELIFF. Mr. Speaker, as we are now full swing into the health 
care debate, I want to share with my colleagues a success story from my 
home State of New Hampshire.
  The two largest hospitals in Manchester, NH, have just completed a 
long and hard trek through Department of Justice bureaucracy to receive 
permission to merge their two hospitals into one. After spending over 
$1 million in legal fees, the Elliot Hospital and the Catholic Medical 
Center will now combine to become one of the most cost-effective and 
technologically advanced facilities in the country.
  But most importantly, the people of southern New Hampshire will 
benefit. The two hospitals, a mere 3 miles apart, will now eliminate 
duplication of services such as separate MRI machines, they will 
streamline administration, and improve outcomes. Current estimates put 
savings at over $150 million in the first 10 years.
  My colleagues should take note of this accomplishment, and should 
support efforts to allow these types of mergers to go forward.
  Antitrust reform needs to be a major part of any health care reform 
package. The ones who will benefit the most are the citizens of 
America.

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