1.   The new procedure could shorten hospital stays by two to three days.

2.   And patients are generally sicker than in the past, before managed care helped shorten hospital stays.

3.   First, it has begun to shorten hospital stays, relying more on outpatient care.

4.   Glaser said the findings could help convince hospitals that reducing stress can improve patient care and even shorten their stays, which would lower costs.

5.   Health experts say that while managed care tends to shorten hospital stays for acute care, it often increases the demand for long-term care and rehabilitation.

6.   Hospital stays were shortened in favor of less expensive home treatment.

7.   It also saves money because hospital stays are shortened or eliminated.

8.   Kahan said the addition of rapamycin reduces the side effects caused by cyclosporine and steroid treatment, thus shortening hospital stays and cutting the number of hospital admissions.

9.   Like their private and public counterparts, veterans hospitals have been shortening stays and providing more care through walk-in clinics.

10.   Patients now are generally sicker than in the past, before HMOs and managed care plans helped shorten patient stays in hospitals.