These barriers impededand eventually assisted kill or drive into the arms of a competitortwo companies that used ingenious health care services directly to consumers. Health Stop was a venture capitalfinanced chain of conveniently located, 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.Think who won? The community doctors bad-mouthed Health Stop's quality of care and its faceless corporate ownership, while the hospitals argued in the media that their emergency clinic might not make it through without income from the relatively healthy clients whom Health Stop targeted. The criticism stained the chain in the eyes of some clients.