<b>MESQUITE</b> -- Boulder City Hospital and Mesa View Regional Hospital in Mesquite are similar in many ways -- the number of acute-care beds, the number of admissions last year, billed charges and operating revenue after deductions in 2006 -- but they're unlike in two key respects. One difference is that Boulder City Hospital's local population base has grown less than 5 percent in eight years, while Mesa View's shot up 60 percent. Also, BCH is a nonprofit corporation, whereas Mesa View is a private, corporate-owned hospital in business to make a profit.

BCH officials have said that one of the last options to be considered if local residents reject establishing a hospital tax district on the Nov. 4 ballot, or any future ballot, is a buyout and takeover by a private hospital corporation.