It's not personal, it's just business. That's how some patients experienced the recent move by six physicians from UPMC Mercy to rival West Penn Hospital.

The doctors, specialists in obstetrics and gynecology who had practiced at Mercy Hospital, announced their plans to move to West Penn in January. UPMC told patients of the plans in a Jan. 22 letter. Although it did not say which doctors were leaving, it did say where they were going and that one of the group's members was staying at Mercy.

UPMC officials said they had every intention of working with the group to gradually transfer operations provided the doctors would "follow all UPMC policies and procedures regarding conduct and records management."

The fact that UPMC locked the doctors out of their former offices a month later suggests that UPMC didn't think that was happening. At the same time, UPMC sent a second letter to patients, providing them with the names of additional physicians joining the Mercy practice and a schedule of open houses where they could meet them.

More than 50 people called UPMC in response to the communications, but some patients nonetheless were caught unaware when the change happened more abruptly than expected.

This episode sounds a warning for all hospitals. Yes, the environment of today's medical systems is highly competitive. You can't turn on a radio or television set without hearing familiar music designed to lure patients to one practice or another.

But when it comes to patients, they experience care on a very personal level. You can never give them too much information or help when change is taking place. That's personal, and it's very good business.