COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, an acute care hospital with oo beds and 160 staff physicians, is one of 75 hospitals owned and operated by Health Services of America, a for-profit, publicly owned company. Although two other acute care hospitals serve the same pop- ulation, Columbia historically has been highly profitable because of its well-appointed facilities, fine medical staff, reputation for quality care, and the amount of individual attention it gives to patients. In addition to the standard range of inpatient and outpatient services, Columbia tes an emergency department within the hospital complex and a stand-alone walk-in clinic located across the street from the area's major shopping mall, about two miles from the hospital. Patients who need immediate care for injuries or illness, be it a nail-gun puncture or a sore throat, are increasingly turning to walk-in clinics (urgent care centers). These clinics aim to fill the gap between the growing shortage of primary care physicians and already crowded and expensive) emergency departments. Walk-in clinics are staffed by physicians, offer wait times as little as a few minutes, and charge $60 to $20o, d to S2oo, depending on the procedure. Furthermore, no appointments are necessary and evening and weekend hours are frequently available. Finally, many offer discounts to the uninsured, and for those with cov erage, copayments are typically much less than for emergency depart- ment visits. Currently, 8,000 of these clinics exist around the country inchuding about 1,200 affiliated with hospitals. COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BREAK-EVEN ANALYSIS COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, an acute care hospital with oo beds and 160 staff physicians, is one of 75 hospitals owned and operated by Health Services of America, a for-profit, publicly owned company. Although two other acute care hospitals serve the same pop- ulation, Columbia historically has been highly profitable because of its well-appointed facilities, fine medical staff, reputation for quality care, and the amount of individual attention it gives to patients. In addition to the standard range of inpatient and outpatient services, Columbia tes an emergency department within the hospital complex and a stand-alone walk-in clinic located across the street from the area's major shopping mall, about two miles from the hospital. Patients who need immediate care for injuries or illness, be it a nail-gun puncture or a sore throat, are increasingly turning to walk-in clinics (urgent care centers). These clinics aim to fill the gap between the growing shortage of primary care physicians and already crowded and expensive) emergency departments. Walk-in clinics are staffed by physicians, offer wait times as little as a few minutes, and charge $60 to $20o, d to S2oo, depending on the procedure. Furthermore, no appointments are necessary and evening and weekend hours are frequently available. Finally, many offer discounts to the uninsured, and for those with cov erage, copayments are typically much less than for emergency depart- ment visits. Currently, 8,000 of these clinics exist around the country inchuding about 1,200 affiliated with hospitals