Improving quality in small hospitals.

Often, the organizations profiled by THE QUALITY LETTER are the powerhouses of the healthcare industry, with the resources, researchers and technology to make quality improvements at the cutting edge of the field. This month, THE QUALITY LETTER looks at small and rural hospitals--often with 100 or fewer beds, isolated from competition or the pressures of managed care--that have made the most of their opportunities to improve the quality of care they deliver. Many of the issues they face and the answers they find are applicable to organizations of any size.