Inner-city hospitals serve as safety nets for poor and underserved pop
ulations. They cope with serious issues of uncompensated care, aging f
acilities, and inadequate reimbursement. Yet, little research exists o
n their needs and problems. The authors argue that research on inner-c
ity institutions is necessary to obtain ''policy'' attention, legitimi
ze demand for resources, reframe inner-city health issues as a deliver
y problem, and gain insights on better ways to manage inner-city hospi
tals. They provide data-based illustrations of future research questio
ns related to issues of inefficiency, overstaffing, case severity, and
facility renovation that can contribute to better policymaking on inn
er-city hospitals. The authors recognize systemic barriers to research
including the unpopularity of access issues, lack of data, and absenc
e of input from practitioners working in inner-city institutions. To r
emove such barriers, they suggest creation of a representative forum,
original databases, increased linkage with research and policy agencie
s, and increased cooperation between inner-city professionals and rese
archers.