As more hospitals invite doctors to invest in outpatient facilities and medical office buildings that they're constructing away from the main hospital campus, the days of hospitals being landlords to physicians may be in full wane. Consider:

• Physicians obtain their space and a piece of the real estate action at a lower price.
• Hospitals get long-term commitments from physicians who won't be competing against them, all while reducing cash needs and keeping debt off the balance sheet.