As a veteran of Bay Medical Center/McLaren Bay Region I have watched with interest as McLaren has spread throughout the state. I find it regrettable that the small hospitals of Michigan--hospitals that were developed and built by the citizens of their communities--are being absorbed by a large corporation who will turn them into a "business". Judging by what happened in Bay City the control of Caro or Huron Memorial in Bad Axe will gradually--as people retire or leave--be turned over to McLaren people from Flint or Lansing. These people have no hometown investment in the hospital and the idea of "ownership" by the citizens of the town who gave money and worked at the hospital will gradually go away. I'm not so naive to believe that affiliation with a larger organization isn't necessary--indeed most of these hospitals would die without it--but I can't help feeling sad that it has to be. I just wish that McLaren or UM Health Care or whoever does the affiliation would be make sure that the people realize it's not their community hospital anymore but a cog in a much bigger machine.