For the 13th year in a row, hospital CEOs ranked financial challenges as the No. 1 issue facing their organizations in 2016, according to an American College of Healthcare Executives survey.
Each year, the ACHE surveys community hospital CEOs to identify the top challenges their organizations are facing. Below are the top 10 issues identified by hospital CEOs in 2016. The results reflect 383 CEOs' responses.
1. Financial challenges
2. Government mandates
3. Patient safety and quality
4. Personnel shortages
5. Patient satisfaction
6. Access to care
7. Physician-hospital relations
8. Population health management
9. Technology
10. Reorganization (e.g., mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, partnerships)
CEOs also ranked specific aspects of the top three categories they found most pressing. CEOs could choose as many as desired. Here are the top three for each.
Within financial challenges
1. Medicaid reimbursement — 63 percent
2. Increasing costs for staff, supplies, etc. — 60 percent
3. Reducing operating costs — 55 percent
Within government mandates
1. CMS regulations — 67 percent
2. CMS audits — 57 percent
3. Cost of demonstrating compliance — 51 percent
Within patient safety and quality
1. Engaging physicians in improving the culture of quality/safety — 59 percent
2. Engaging physicians in reducing clinically unnecessary tests and procedures — 57 percent
3. Redesigning care processes — 48 percent
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