April 2022 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
38 top-rated hospitals hit with Medicare penalties
CMS will trim 764 hospitals' Medicare payments in fiscal year 2022 for having the highest rates of patient injuries and infections. Thirty-eight of those hospitals are simultaneously ranked as the best in the country by CMS, according to Kaiser Health News.
Why don't hospitals just pay full-time nurses more?
Hospitals' reliance on travel workers is nothing new. The pandemic intensified it and highlighted the gap between full-time workers' pay and lucrative temporary contracts.
Mark Cuban is ready to buck healthcare's status quo
Whether they take the form of pharmacy benefit managers or spokespeople, Mark Cuban cuts out middlemen.
Hospitals' ivory tower problem
Most leaders spent time in the trenches at some point in their career. When they gradually move into ivory towers shielded from the pain points, dynamics and ideas pulsing throughout their organization, they rarely realize it — and that's what makes it dangerous.
Game-changing EHR improvements at Intermountain, UCLA, and 6 other systems
As the clinician burnout crisis continues, it's important that hospitals are doing all they can to optimize EHR workflows. Here, IT executives from eight health systems across the country share the EHR workflow improvements that have saved their clinicians the most time.
Patient received $13K bill after donating his kidney
Although living organ donors are not supposed to receive bills for transplant-related care, a Nevada man received a $13,064 medical bill after he donated his kidney, ProPublica reported Feb. 11.
Cleveland Clinic investing $1.3B in capital projects
Cleveland Clinic is investing $1.3 billion in capital projects in 2022, CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, MD, said in an annual State of Clinic address Jan. 26.
'Cap hospital CEO pay,' travel nurses say
As hospitals and lawmakers urge federal authorities to investigate travel staffing agencies for price-gouging, some travel nurses want the scrutiny redirected toward health systems' C-suites.
Gender pay gap for top execs at widest in 9 years
The gender pay gap among top executives at S&P 500 companies grew to the widest it's been since 2012, and the C-suite will not see gender payment parity until 2060 at the current rate, according to a new report from Morningstar.
What Epic has in store for 2022: 4 things to know
The expansion of its data mining tool Cosmos, enhancing ambient voice capabilities of its Hey Epic! Platform and recruiting more patients for clinical trials are among the key business strategies for EHR vendor Epic in 2022.
How technology made Mass General Brigham's 'hospital-at-home' program a success
Boston-based Mass General Brigham implemented two technologies that were crucial for delivering hospital-level care to patients at home.
If 1 in 5 healthcare workers have quit, where have they gone?
A frequently cited statistic is that nearly 1 in 5 healthcare workers have quit their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an October 2021 Morning Consult report.
7 ways to immediately reduce nurse strain
Hospitals and health systems are increasingly partnering with nursing schools or offering academic financial assistance to bolster the nursing pipeline. While an influx of nursing students will eventually help address workforce issues, there will be at least a two-year lag before these investments pay off, and with a growing nursing shortage, hospitals can't afford to wait.
Richard Liekweg, President and CEO, BJC HealthCare
Richard Liekweg serves as president and CEO of St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare, an integrated delivery system that generates more than $6 billion in revenue and has 32,000 employees.
Chris Carmody, Chief Technology Officer, UPMC
Chris Carmody, serves as Chief Technology Officer at UPMC.
K. Ron-Li Liaw, MD, Mental Health-In-Chief, Children's Hospital Colorado
Last May, Children's Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency in pediatric mental health after seeing its emergency department and inpatient units "overrun with kids attempting suicide" and suffering from other mental health conditions. As part of the declaration, the hospital made a commitment that it would address the worsening crisis. One of the major shifts included creating a new leadership role, the mental health-in-chief.
Brian Gragnolati, President and CEO, Atlantic Health
Brian Gragnolati believes in staying out of the way of his staff. "When you give your team broad parameters and you just let people go –– it's amazing the innovation that I've seen at the bedside," he told Becker's.
Robert Garrett, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health
COVID-19 cases are waning throughout the nation. Hospitalizations are down. Mask mandates are being lifted. While we prepare for the pandemic’s next phase, let's also use this time to recommit to transforming healthcare and even accelerating the pace of innovation.
Suresh Gunasekaran, President and CEO, UCSF Health
Suresh Gunasekaran is humble when reflecting on his accomplishments as CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and the senior associate vice president for University of Iowa Health Care. "I don't think it's really about me, frankly," he told Becker's. "I think we've always taken a real team approach at UI Health Care."
Dominic Nakis, CFO, Advocate Aurora Health
Dominic Nakis serves as the CFO of Advocate Aurora Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems with $13.1 billion in annual revenue and about 75,000 employees.
Karen Wilding, Chief Value Officer, Nemours Children's Health
Karen Wilding began her role as chief value officer of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children's Health on Jan. 24, and she said she views her new job as a unique opportunity in healthcare.
David Dill, Chair and CEO, LifePoint Health
David Dill looks to the advice of his father to inform both his personal and professional decisions: "Always do the right thing — especially when no one is looking."
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The biggest pandemic lessons from BJC HealthCare's CEO
Richard Liekweg serves as president and CEO of St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare, an integrated delivery system that generates more than $6 billion in revenue and has 32,000 employees.
Becker's 12th Annual Meeting Speaker Series: 4 Questions with Chris Carmody, Chief Technology Officer, UPMC
Chris Carmody, serves as Chief Technology Officer at UPMC.
Children's Hospital Colorado's 1st mental health-in-chief on the now or never moment facing the US
Last May, Children's Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency in pediatric mental health after seeing its emergency department and inpatient units "overrun with kids attempting suicide" and suffering from other mental health conditions. As part of the declaration, the hospital made a commitment that it would address the worsening crisis. One of the major shifts included creating a new leadership role, the mental health-in-chief.
Atlantic Health CEO Brian Gragnolati's greatest lesson learned: Trust your team
Brian Gragnolati believes in staying out of the way of his staff. "When you give your team broad parameters and you just let people go –– it's amazing the innovation that I've seen at the bedside," he told Becker's.
Hackensack Meridian CEO: Even in a pandemic, let's keep focused on innovating healthcare
COVID-19 cases are waning throughout the nation. Hospitalizations are down. Mask mandates are being lifted. While we prepare for the pandemic’s next phase, let's also use this time to recommit to transforming healthcare and even accelerating the pace of innovation.
CFO / FINANCE
38 top-rated hospitals hit with Medicare penalties
CMS will trim 764 hospitals' Medicare payments in fiscal year 2022 for having the highest rates of patient injuries and infections. Thirty-eight of those hospitals are simultaneously ranked as the best in the country by CMS, according to Kaiser Health News.
Mayo Clinic employees to receive 4% raise after controversy
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic will provide its staff with a minimum 4 percent raise after the system came under fire for a 2 percent raise announced in January, the Post Bulletin reported Feb. 15.
'Big 6' payers ranked by 2021 profits
Profits were down year over year for half of the country's largest payers in 2021, but didn't stop double-digit growth for others.
CommonSpirit posts operating loss, inks $135M deal for 2 hospitals
CommonSpirit Health, a 140-hospital system based in Chicago, reported an operating loss for the three months ended Dec. 31 as higher labor and supply costs offset revenue gains, according to financial documents released Feb. 15.
Providence prioritizing workforce, adjusting to post-pandemic baseline, CFO says
Greg Hoffman, CFO of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, discussed the current challenges the system is facing amid the pandemic, as well as financial changes he anticipates in the short and long term on a recent episode of "Becker's Healthcare Podcast."
CEO/STRATEGY
Average CEO pay by hospital size
Nonprofit hospital CEOs make an average of eight times more than workers without advanced degrees, according to an analysis by the Lown Institute of more than 1,000 hospitals.
How implementing care-at-home programs can reshape hospital strategy
"Hospital-at-home" programs are increasing in popularity with patients, and health systems are beginning to realize the potential cost benefits and improved health outcomes of these programs, according to a report published by consulting firm McKinsey & Company Feb. 2.
CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards' leadership approach: 'Distort nothing'
For a glimpse into the leadership style of Steve Edwards and his approach to communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, look no further than his Twitter page.
Memorial Sloan Kettering CEO to step down
Craig Thompson, MD, is stepping down from his role as president and CEO of New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Hospitals' ivory tower problem
Most leaders spent time in the trenches at some point in their career. When they gradually move into ivory towers shielded from the pain points, dynamics and ideas pulsing throughout their organization, they rarely realize it — and that's what makes it dangerous.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
Houston Methodist's Dr. Roberta Schwartz on innovating out of the staffing crisis
Roberta Schwartz, PhD, executive vice president and chief innovation officer for Houston Methodist, has been taking meetings with nursing executives, a group she said she hadn't spent very much time with before the staffing crisis.
Want proxy battle success? Target female CEOs, new report says
Investors are more likely to support activist campaigns if they target organizations with female CEOs as opposed to those with male CEOs, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 5.
It's lonely at the top for female leaders
Women, especially women of color, are less likely to feel included and taken seriously as they enter leadership roles, a new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found.
Black women heavily concentrated in low-wage healthcare jobs, study finds
More than one in five Black women (23 percent) in the U.S. workforce are employed in healthcare and are most likely to hold the lowest-paying, most hazardous jobs, according to a study published Feb. 7 in Health Affairs.
Female healthcare workers are scaling back, here's why
Shouldering the burden of household duties, spending more time on patients and an inability to disconnect from work may all be reasons female physicians are reducing their hours or quitting altogether, according to a Jan. 19 Harvard Business Review report.
INNOVATION
OSF HealthCare launches 'Shark Tank'-style innovation incubator
Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare launched a healthcare innovation incubator modeled after ABC's hit show "Shark Tank," according to a Feb. 4 news release.
Cleveland Clinic's top 10 medical innovations for 2022
Advancements in mRNA vaccinology is No. 1 on Cleveland Clinic's "Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2022" list, released Feb. 16.
9 questions large systems should ask about digital health tools
There are nine key questions large health systems should be asking about their deployment of digital health tools, according to a paper published Jan. 27 in NPJ Digital Medicine.
How 6 health systems are spending their innovation investment dollars
Here is a list of investments health systems made in digital health startups and internal innovation efforts since Jan. 20.
The No. 1 obstacle to hospital innovation? 4 execs weigh in
A lack of time, resources and clearly defined governance are some of the biggest hurdles impeding digital innovation in healthcare. Here, four health system executives share what they believe are the biggest obstacles to innovation.
CIO/HEALTH IT
What Epic has in store for 2022: 4 things to know
The expansion of its data mining tool Cosmos, enhancing ambient voice capabilities of its Hey Epic! Platform and recruiting more patients for clinical trials are among the key business strategies for EHR vendor Epic in 2022.
'There's more here': Tim Cook on Apple's healthcare plans
After Apple's most recent record-breaking quarter boasting a revenue of almost $124 billion, the tech giant is still pushing into healthcare.
SOC Telemed set to go private with private equity deal
SOC Telemed struck a deal to be acquired by private equity healthcare investment firm Patient Square Capital. SOC Telemed would be private upon completion of the deal.
How technology made Mass General Brigham's 'hospital-at-home' program a success
Boston-based Mass General Brigham implemented two technologies that were crucial for delivering hospital-level care to patients at home.
Midsize hospitals lose more than $45K an hour in cyberattacks, report finds
Healthcare is one of the most highly targeted industries for cyberattacks, with hospitals as the victims of 30 percent of all large data breaches. Midsize hospitals seem to be affected disproportionately, to the tune of more than $45,000 an hour, according to a September 2021 Ipsos report.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
CDC, CMS call for rebuilding health system after patient safety measures drop
As patient safety declines amid the pandemic, the U.S. must rebuild a healthcare delivery system in which safety is embedded in every step of a process, with clear metrics that are aggregated, assessed and acted on, according to an analysis published Feb. 12 by The New England Journal of Medicine.
8 of the most popular TikTok physicians
Healthcare professionals have begun to call TikTok home. From giving out health advice to battling health misinformation, the platform has given physicians a place to connect with patients in a different way, MM+M reported Jan. 27.
Why do some people lose smell, taste from COVID-19? 1 explanation
A mechanism has been identified that may explain why some people with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell, according to research published Feb. 1 in Cell.
Most common symptoms of 3 coronavirus variants
People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms, with some symptoms appearing more often for different variants of the virus.
Why don't hospitals just pay full-time nurses more?
Hospitals' reliance on travel workers is nothing new. The pandemic intensified it and highlighted the gap between full-time workers' pay and lucrative temporary contracts.