January 2012 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review

The Year Ahead:12 Challenges and Opportunities for Hospitals in 2012

It may be difficult to believe, but 2012 means hospitals are only in the second year of healthcare reform. Many call this time one of uncertainty, which is true, but it also presents great opportunity for innovation, change and growth. Click to continue »

10 Ways for Hospitals and Health Systems to Increase Profitability in 2012

To say hospital and health system operating margins are different today than they were a decade ago may be an understatement. Click to continue »

40 of the Most Powerful People in Healthcare

As some states challenge the Affordable Care Act in court, others are pushing implementation of regulations under the federal reform law. Click to continue »

Publisher's Letter

We are pleased to share with you the January/ February issue of Becker’s Hospital Review, our annual leadership issue, which contains our annual list of “40 of the Most Powerful People in Healthcare” in addition to interviews with key hospital industry leaders including Mass General’s Dr. Peter Slavin, LifePoint Hospitals’ Bill Carpenter and HMA’s Gary Newsome. Click to continue »

11 Leading Health System CEOs Share Top Goals for 2012

The coming year promises to be both exciting and challenging for hospital and health system leaders. Click to continue »

A Relationship Checklist for Hospital CEOs: 7 Behaviors to Ace

As executives rise through the ranks, relationships grow in number and importance. Click to continue »

Building on a Legacy of Exceptional Care: Q&A With Mass General Hospital President Dr. Peter Slavin

This year Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston celebrated its 200th anniversary. Click to continue »

Hospital Leadership is a Culture, Not a Person: Q&A With LifePoint Hospitals CEO Bill Carpenter

As the healthcare environment changes, hospital leadership must realign their organizations, especially as the healthcare sector prepares for reform and other changes coming in the next few years. Click to continue »

Leadership Lessons From “Little” Failures: Q&A With Health Management Associates CEO Gary Newsome

The state of the hospital organization has changed drastically in the past few decades. Click to continue »

10 Challenges Healthcare CEOs Can No Longer Ignore

Healthcare presents a number of urgent challenges that executives can no longer afford to put off. Click to continue »

Patient Engagement’s Critical Role in Post-Reform Success: 6 Steps to Improve Patient Centeredness

As hospitals and health systems grapple with the changes brought on by healthcare reform and other efforts toward healthcare delivery transformation, they may understandably become overwhelmed — a similar feeling our patients may experience when facing a chronic illness or new diagnosis. Click to continue »

Assessing Leadership in the New Era of Healthcare Delivery: 5 Key Questions to Ask Hospital-Physician Relationships & ACOs

Hospital and health system leaders today face myriad challenges unique to the current healthcare environment that are often more demanding than the challenges faced by leaders of the past. Click to continue »

7 Ways to Improve Accountability for Care

One consequence of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is that it has shown a spotlight on what's missing in the current business model of healthcare: accountability — for coordination of care, for outcome measures that are more demanding and meaningful, for evidence-based, cost-effective decision making at all levels. Click to continue »

CMS to Invest Up to $1B for New Healthcare Delivery, Payment Models

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has launched its Innovation Challenge — a new initiative that will provide as much as $30 million to each of 100 applicants who present new ideas for healthcare delivery and payment models, according to the CMS website. Click to continue »

Finances in the Era of Population Health: Q&A With Kevin Lang and Steve Mohr of Loma Linda University Medical Center

Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center knows a thing or two about handling finances. In fiscal year 2010, it brought in more than $1.2 billion in total patient revenues and still maintained a net income of $33.9 million — all in a state that some say is experiencing a "healthcare affordability crisis." Click to continue »

Not a Merger, Not an Acquisition: When and Why Strategic Partnerships Make Sense

As healthcare organizations continue to merge or acquire, some hospitals are taking a more flexible route and are becoming "strategic partners" to tackle challenges unleashed by healthcare reform. Click to continue »

A Partnership That Breaks the Mold: Q&A With Leaders From Washington’s Providence, Swedish Health

Last month, Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services and Seattle-based Swedish Health Services announced plans to form one of the most unique healthcare partnerships of the year. Click to continue »

4 Common Mistakes in Determining Fair Market Value for Physician Compensation

Industry regulations require healthcare organizations to pay fair market value (FMV) compensation to physicians for their services. Click to continue »

Hospital, Health System Salaries Increase Moderately in 2011

From 2010 to 2011, health system base salaries increased on average by 3.1 percent, and hospital base salaries increased on average by 2.7 percent, according to a Sullivan, Cotter and Associates news release. Click to continue »

6 Strategies for Improving OR Performance Through a Hospital- Employed Anesthesiology Model

Delivering integrated care in the operating room will become increasingly important as hospitals work to improve quality and reduce costs. Click to continue »

25 Benchmarks for Anesthesiology Practices

Here are 20 financial benchmarks for anesthesiology practices, based on data from MGMA's Cost Survey for Anesthesia and Pain Management Practices: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data. Note: All numbers are averages. Click to continue »

Hospital & Health System Transactions January 2012

Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., announced its affiliation with MD Anderson Physicians Network. Click to continue »

Hospital & Health System Executive Moves January 2012

Daniel Aronzon, MD, president and CEO of Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., retired. Click to continue »