ABSTRACT
The relationship between the rampant growth of the proprietary sector, the deepening crisis in the public health sector, and the implications for the medical profession have been noted extensively. Recent federal policy has encouraged and exacerbated the financial pressures on hospitals already most at risk. The long history of the alliance between the medical establishment—including medical education, research and development, and the establishment of medical professionals as an elite within society—and the corporate sector has been well-documented. The interconnection of the medical industry with the larger economic system is clear: the emphasis on a "technological fix" to fix human health problems created ready "markets" for an entire array of medical services and products, ranging from hospital lawyers equipment and construction, pharmaceutical and medical supplies to consultants, lawyers, financial advisors, and most recently, computer systems and software. The effect of growing corporatization of health care goes far beyond strategies to affect financial security.
