Layer upon layer of growth

Pity your average hospital executive for a little bit. Just for a few seconds, promise.

Think about how her hospitals aren't getting paid at the rate they used to. Picture her having to deal with the doctors who have set up a surgery center nearby to lure away some of her most profitable customers. And her biggest corporate priority for the next two years is figuring out which service lines -- orthopedics, freestanding emergency departments or urgent-care clinics? -- are deserving of parts of her precious capital budget.