Telemedicine, hospital viability, and community embeddedness: a case study.

Many hospitals today struggle to remain competitive through the adoption of medical technology or expansion of hospital services. This article presents a case study of one hospital's attempt to remain viable through the adoption of telemedicine. Through a 17-year analysis of local hospital-related news reports, it is argued that a hospital's relationship to the local community can affect the success and potential of such innovations. Establishing a pattern of trust and support between the local community and hospital should therefore be an important step in increasing hospital viability.