Does the agglomeration effect occur in the hospital sector? The impact of agglomeration economies on the financial performance of hospitals—An evidence from Poland

The main aim of the article is to analyze the occurrence of agglomeration effect in the hospital sector on the basis of financial performance. The considerations are made on the example of hospitals in Poland—the country that survived the latest economic crisis relatively well, usually generating positive values of GDP, but where still there is an ongoing discussion on the final shape of healthcare financing model. The article is based on the assumption that there occur significant differences in financial performance between hospitals according to their location. The research hypothesis is as follows: Hospitals operating in big cities are featured by better financial condition than their counterparts operating in smaller towns. To verify the hypothesis, the methods of financial analysis and statistical hypothesis testing are used. As it is emphasized in the article, the assumption is true and the hypothesis can be verified positively.