Hospitals and health systems across the nation are currently navigating rising operating costs, supply chain issues and staffing shortages. Many CFOs expect an upcoming recession.
In spite of this, Michelle Bruhn, executive vice president, CFO and treasurer for Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, remains optimistic.
Ms. Bruhn has been with Sanford Health since 1999. Before her current roles, she served as vice president of health services operations for the health system. She was also recently named in Becker's "50+ women hospital and health system CFOs to know" for 2022.
Here, Ms. Bruhn answered Becker's questions on what's next for Sanford Health.
Question: What challenges is Sanford Health facing?
Michelle Bruhn: We are facing many of the same headwinds that other health systems across the country are experiencing today including an increase in the cost of delivering care due to inflation, greater complexity of care and patient volumes that approximate pre-pandemic levels combined with ongoing workforce challenges and the need for more sustainable reimbursement models. Sanford Health is well positioned to navigate these challenges through creative and innovative solutions, and I'm optimistic about the opportunities ahead.
As the largest rural health system in the country, Sanford Health is committed to providing access to world-class healthcare in America's heartland. We serve more than 1.5 million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. As an integrated care delivery system, we believe we have a prime opportunity to make care more affordable, accessible and equitable — no matter where people live or the challenges they face.
Q: What are projects or initiatives you're excited about?
MB: We are investing in population health, value-based programs and new care delivery models to improve clinical outcomes, make care more affordable and meet the needs of the communities we serve.
For example, we launched a pilot program for employees who were in a rising-risk category and high utilizers of care. We wanted to address barriers, identify gaps and help them navigate the complex health care system as well as community resources so we connected them with health guides who serve as liaisons between the community, our health system and the patient.
Within six months we saw [a] 67 percent decline in inpatient admissions, 62 percent decline in ED visits, 34 percent drop-in clinic no-show rate, 79 percent improvement in hemoglobin A1Cs, [and a] 52 percent improvement on depression screening.
We are also investing in innovation in areas like data analytics, AI, digital health and clinical research to support our workforce needs and improve clinical outcomes. For example, we are leveraging predictive analytics to make sure we have the right people in the right place at the right time to build a more resilient and sustainable workforce. Our team has also created algorithms to help our providers understand who may be at risk of breast cancer or Type 2 diabetes so they can intervene sooner and improve the health of our patients.
Clinical trials are key to advancing the science of medicine to ensure our patients benefit from new discoveries as quickly as possible. Nationally, only 3 percent of cancer patients enroll in a clinical trial. At Sanford Health, 13 percent of our oncology patients enroll in one of our clinical trials. We are also proud to be leading the way in Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease research for children.
Investing in the workforce of the future is central to our health system's overarching strategy. We are doubling our graduate medical education programs, offering comprehensive clinician leadership development programs, building a pipeline of behavioral health therapists and hiring internationally trained nurses to ensure patients can access high-quality care close to home.
Q: In 2023, what do you see as the biggest opportunity?
MB: We are reimagining how we deliver care to our communities — our vision is to bring affordable, comprehensive and seamless healthcare to people at the right time, in the right place.
Sanford Health recently launched a $350 million virtual care initiative to transform healthcare for rural and underserved communities across the upper Midwest. As part of this initiative, we will be focused on expanding access, improving the patient experience, advancing innovation through new research, attracting and training a new generation of clinicians and sharing learning opportunities through an education institute. We also recently broke ground on a new Virtual Care Center, which will feature dedicated clinician workspaces equipped with the latest telemedicine technology to offer on-demand urgent care, behavioral health care and primary care.
As we look ahead to 2023, I'm excited about the opportunity for Sanford Health to shape the future of healthcare and improve the health and well-being of those we have the privilege of serving.