These barriers impededand eventually assisted eliminate or drive into the arms of a competitortwo companies that provided innovative healthcare services straight to consumers. Health Stop was a venture capitalfinanced chain of easily situated, no-appointment-needed health care centers in the eastern and midwestern U.S. for clients who were seeking fast medical treatment and did not need hospitalization.Guess who won? The community doctors bad-mouthed Health Stop's quality of care and its faceless business ownership, while the healthcare facilities argued in the media that their emergency situation rooms could not make it through without earnings from the fairly healthy patients whom Health Stop targeted. The criticism tarnished the chain in the eyes of some clients.