Healthcare Camouflage

Open the New York Times last weekend and there were two articles concerning healthcare quality in the United States.  The first recounts the efforts by New York State government to close or consolidate hospitals with high patient-harm rates.  The first indication that such closures are exceedingly difficult is the necessity of creating a special, independent commission.  When elected representatives lack the spine or the consensus to do that for which they were elected, an independent commission is often the solution of choice.