In great detail, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Michael Vitez dissects the plan and where it went wrong. The analysis by Mr. Vitez zeroes in on several issues that led to the deal's collapse, but perhaps most interesting is the lack of involvement by the medical staff and the community.
Most business mergers are done at the highest levels of the corporate structure. Managers and often mid-level executives aren't really a part of the process. Why would it be different in the case of two hospitals?
I think it's because hospitals are not generally thought of as businesses. People see hospitals as a community service provider, not an entity that needs to make money, so the public feels they should have more of a say in the direction and decisions of that provider. It's different than a corporation that answers to shareholders or investors.
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