Last week, readers gravitated toward articles on gender diversity on boards, cultivating organizational resiliency and the financial crisis facing many community and rural hospitals.
1. Michael Dowling: The health system's role amid rural and community hospitals' financial crisis
Hospitals of all sizes and in all regions must find ways to become more fiscally efficient as reimbursements from government and commercial payers continue to decline. But while larger health systems typically have a greater financial cushion, many independent rural and community hospitals have increasingly found themselves imperiled in the current healthcare climate.
2. Word from the C-suite: Value-based care won't work without population health initiatives
David Bailey, MD, president and CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children's Health System, says the value-based care model requires integration with other strategies to be successful.
3. How to tell if a hospital's digital strategy is driving ROI
Healthcare advertising serves a variety of purposes, from soliciting donations to raising community awareness. Knowing where and how to spend marketing dollars is important for getting an organization's message across to patients.
4. Boards need more insiders, study suggests
Leaving a CEO "home alone" on company boards — meaning they are the only insider among independent directors — may actually be detrimental to an organization, according to a study from researchers at Auburn (Ala.) University, Arizona State University in Tempe, Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
5. Female directorships decline for the first time in 8 years
Gender diversity on boards is regressing, according to a recent study from professional services firm Heidrick & Struggles.
6. Healthcare policy changes: Three ways your healthcare organization can be resilient in this time of change
The United States healthcare system is undergoing major changes in policy that will affect nearly every part of the population.
7. Look beyond customer acquisition to unlock the value of healthcare system integration
The trends toward healthcare consolidation are likely to continue for some time, according to a recent report published by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.