| Not-for-profit/community-minded |
Investor-owned |
| Assets stay in the community. |
Assets belong to investors/owners. |
| Local board of trustees serve without pay and balance financial decisions with community concerns. |
Major decisions are often made by individuals outside the community who emphasize creating profits for the stockholders. |
| Not for "private" profit; no private person or corporation makes any profit. |
Stockholders might be physicians who practice at the hospital; community members are generally not allowed to purchase stock. |
| All income above expenses is used to improve the health of the community. |
Profits often leave the community. |
| Provides a full spectrum of care — education, prevention, and treatment — that benefits all members of the community. |
Provides a full range of care that benefits the community they serve; however, focus is also placed on how to best serve their investors. |