August 2021 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
Top 20 smart hospitals in the world, ranked by Newsweek
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic was named the best smart hospital in the world in 2021 by Newsweek.
Stop calling everything 'burnout'
Healthcare needs an expanded vocabulary for what clinicians experience.
Meet the ransomware gang behind 235 attacks on US hospitals: 7 things to know
Responsible for one-third of the 203 million U.S. ransomware attacks in 2020, the Ryuk ransomware gang is the most prolific in the world and has targeted at least 235 hospitals, according to a June 10 Wall Street Journal report.
14 healthcare CEOs with best employee reviews on Glassdoor
Job and recruiting site Glassdoor released the winners of its annual Employees' Choice Award, honoring the top-rated CEOs in 2021.
Oregon hospital board blindsided by staffing crisis
The advisory board for Oregon State Hospital was unaware of the seriousness of a staffing shortage that forced the hospital to ask for help from the National Guard, according to the Salem Reporter.
Rural hospitals may get paid to become standalone ERs
Rural hospitals that close inpatient beds and revamp as standalone emergency rooms may receive more funding under a proposal buried in the almost 6,000-page stimulus act signed late last year, Bloomberg reported June 10.
Most hospitals opting for noncompliance fee over disclosing prices
Most hospitals are still not fully compliant with CMS' price transparency rule, opting to pay the maximum $300 per day noncompliance fee rather than face the potential costs of price disclosure, according to research published June 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
10 best children's hospitals, ranked by US News
U.S. News & World Report released its 2021-22 Best Children's Hospitals rankings on June 15, with Boston Children's Hospital earning the top spot for the eighth consecutive year.
Female CEOs showed more inclusive leadership style than men throughout pandemic, study suggests
CEOs who are women exhibited a different leadership style than their male counterparts during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating more empathy, adaptability, accountability and diversity, according to a May 25 report by S&P Global.
Most promising healthcare tech in 2021: 13 execs from UPMC, Mount Sinai, Kaiser Permanente & more
Technology took on an elevated role over the past year as health systems rapidly expanded telehealth, data analytics, artificial intelligence and remote monitoring capabilities to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fighting hospital ransomware hackers takes a public-private village, Scripps CEO says
More than a month after a ransomware attack hit Scripps Health and disrupted its IT systems for weeks, CEO Chris Van Gorder has penned an op-ed in The San Diego Union-Tribune to detail the events and call on greater collaboration between the government and hospitals to thwart attacks.
Did the pandemic stamp out nurse bullying? Not quite, 2 CNOs say
Ask any healthcare leader to name a point of pride during the pandemic, and many will likely say the immense collaboration, teamwork and support that emerged among front-line caregivers and clinical teams.
'Overrun with kids attempting suicide': Children's Colorado declares state of emergency
The CEO of Children's Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency in pediatric mental health May 25, a first for the Aurora-based hospital.
Peter Slavin, MD
Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital's CEO, Peter Slavin, MD, is resigning from the healthcare system he's called home since becoming a medical resident 36 years ago. He will officially step down once a successor is confirmed.
Mary Mannix
Nestled in the semi-rural region of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Augusta Health serves 120,000 residents in its primary service area, with another 100,000 residents in the adjacent counties. The health system is independent, community-owned, locally governed and one of just a few independent health systems left in Virginia, Mary Mannix, CEO of Augusta Health, told Becker's.
Johnese Spisso, RN
Johnese Spisso, RN, is president of the University of California, Los Angeles' health system and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. She spoke with Becker's about the Southern California organization's vested interest in the healthcare of migrant children, mental health awareness and what has kept her feeling inspired, even during the darkest days of the pandemic.
Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD
Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD, is president and CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a position he's held since 2009. Over the course of his 12-year tenure, he has expanded the health system from two to five regional campuses, which include seven hospitals, 1,700 beds and 3,000 physicians.
Roberta Schwartz, PhD
Roberta Schwartz, PhD, is executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Houston Methodist Hospital, the No. 1 hospital in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report. Ms. Schwartz spoke with Becker's about the latest healthcare technology affecting her organization.
Ranga Krishnan, MBChB
Rush University Medical Center stands at No. 17 on U.S. News and World Report's hospital honor roll, and CMS recently awarded one of the system's hospitals with five stars. After a challenging year in healthcare, CEO Ranga Krishnan, MD, spoke with Becker's about what lies ahead for the award-winning health system.
Eric Dickson, MD
Eric Dickson, MD, is president and CEO of Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health Care, Central New England's largest health system. Dr. Dickson spoke with Becker's about the challenge of inspiring a team in the wake of an exhausting year.
Keith Churchwell, MD
Keith Churchwell, MD, began serving as president of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital in October, and he brought with him years of experience at the organization.
CFO / FINANCE
Northwell chief: Medical debt ombudsman will 'check and balance' collections
Communication is key when it comes to hospitals handling patient debt efficiently, according to Rich Miller, Northwell Health's executive vice president and chief business strategy officer.
Rural hospitals may get paid to become standalone ERs
Rural hospitals that close inpatient beds and revamp as standalone emergency rooms may receive more funding under a proposal buried in the almost 6,000-page stimulus act signed late last year, Bloomberg reported June 10.
Texas hospital files for bankruptcy
Heights Hospital in Houston filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection June 1, according to court documents.
Sutter Health to lay off 400 workers
As part of a financial restructuring plan, Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health will issue another round of layoffs this year, according to the Sacramento Business Journal.
Top 100 US hospitals charge patients 7 times their actual care cost, study shows
More than a quarter of the 100 hospitals with the highest revenues in the U.S. sued patients over unpaid bills between 2018 and mid-2020, according to research from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University, first reported by Axios June 14.
CEO/STRATEGY
Board chair quits struggling New York public hospital, claims insufficient reforms
The board chair of Nassau University Medical Center resigned May 28, accusing the East Meadow, N.Y.-based hospital's governance of not making necessary changes at the financially struggling hospital, according to Newsday.
Texas hospital returns to mask mandate for visitors
Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, will reinstate its mask requirements, according to local station CBS7.
14 healthcare CEOs with best employee reviews on Glassdoor
Job and recruiting site Glassdoor released the winners of its annual Employees' Choice Award, honoring the top-rated CEOs in 2021.
Stop calling everything 'burnout'
Healthcare needs an expanded vocabulary for what clinicians experience.
49 HCA-owned hospitals in Florida to unite under 1 brand
Forty-nine Florida hospital campuses and affiliated care sites owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare will adopt the HCA Florida Healthcare brand, the for-profit hospital operator said May 24.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
How one of Virginia's few independent health systems stays strong, avoids mergers
Nestled in the semi-rural region of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Augusta Health serves 120,000 residents in its primary service area, with another 100,000 residents in the adjacent counties. The health system is independent, community-owned, locally governed and one of just a few independent health systems left in Virginia, Mary Mannix, CEO of Augusta Health, told Becker's.
To retain women, hospital leaders should consider these 4 child care policies
Hospital leaders trying to mitigate workforce shortages should consider these four child care policies to retain female workers, according to a May 28 article published in Harvard Business Review.
How 1 healthcare company doubled the number of women among its C-suite ranks
In 2007, there were five times as many men as women in officer roles at biotechnology company Genentech, and female directors left twice as often as men. To improve the rate of women in leadership positions and mitigate the number of women leaving the company, Genentech implemented several strategies to achieve gender equity, according to a June 2 report in Harvard Business Review.
Leadership transition support vital for success — yet women receive far less of it than men
Having a formal transition process for incoming leadership positions is crucial in the success of that leader. However, women are receiving less support in their transition at every level, according to a recent leadership transition report by Development Dimensions International.
Would women accept a gender pay gap if roles were reversed? 4 study findings
Women are just as likely as men to vote against a policy that shrinks the gender pay gap if the roles are reversed and men are the ones earning less, according to a study published in the journal of Applied Economics Letters.
INNOVATION
Most promising healthcare tech in 2021: 13 execs from UPMC, Mount Sinai, Kaiser Permanente & more
Technology took on an elevated role over the past year as health systems rapidly expanded telehealth, data analytics, artificial intelligence and remote monitoring capabilities to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duke Health data chief leaves to head up innovation at Verily's virtual diabetes clinic
Virtual diabetes clinic Onduo, a Verily company, named Duke Health executive Eric Huang, MD, PhD, its new chief science and innovation officer.
5 biggest innovation investments health systems made in 2021
Health systems have been pouring investment dollars into digital health startups, research efforts and internal innovation projects throughout 2021, though they often do not disclose the amount. For those that did, below are the five largest innovation investments health systems made in 2021:
Johns Hopkins, HHS, 25 more health IT orgs form digital health collaborative
The Digital Medicine Society rounded up 27 health systems, health IT companies and policy organizations as part of a new collaborative that aims to create best approaches for measuring health using digital technologies.
Mount Sinai launches digital health incubator
Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, the New York City-based health system's commercialization engine, launched Elementa Labs, a virtual incubator program to foster the growth of digital health startups.
CIO/HEALTH IT
Top 20 smart hospitals in the world, ranked by Newsweek
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic was named the best smart hospital in the world in 2021 by Newsweek.
IT security company exec charged with cyberattack on Georgia hospital
The COO of an Atlanta-based healthcare network security company has been arraigned on charges related to a cyberattack on Gwinnett Medical Center in 2018, according to a June 10 Department of Justice news release.
Cerner eliminates 500 jobs
Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner is eliminating 500 positions across its global workforce, according to a June 10 Kansas City Star report.
Viewpoint: Google, HCA deal sparks need for update in privacy laws
Google Cloud and HCA Healthcare's new collaboration to build health data algorithms has ignited the need for updates to U.S. privacy laws, New York University medical ethics expert Arthur Caplan, PhD, told CNBC.
Florida's emergency order for telehealth expires
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order declaring a public health emergency expired June 26, cutting off flexibilities for telehealth across the state, the Sun Sentinel reported.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
Patient who died at Florida VA hospital received 'deficient,' 'mismanaged' care, federal report finds
A patient who died in the emergency room at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla., was incorrectly triaged, according to a June 3 report from the VA Office of Inspector General.
23% of people who had COVID-19 still have at least 1 condition, study finds
Among a study of nearly 2 million people who had COVID-19, more than 20 percent were left with at least one post-COVID-19 condition at least 30 days after their initial diagnosis, according to findings published June 15 by Fair Health, a national nonprofit organization.
Did the pandemic stamp out nurse bullying? Not quite, 2 CNOs say
Ask any healthcare leader to name a point of pride during the pandemic, and many will likely say the immense collaboration, teamwork and support that emerged among front-line caregivers and clinical teams.
How hospitals are deciding to unmask patients and staff: 6 execs from Atrium, Ochsner & more
As businesses lift mask mandates for fully vaccinated consumers, the healthcare industry has been untouched. As COVID-19 infection rates drop and vaccinations plateau, hospital leaders are determining what their mask mandates' next move is.
Texas NP gets 20-year sentence, ordered to pay $52M for fraud using physician IDs
A nurse practitioner from Texas was sentenced May 25 to 20 years in prison for his role in orchestrating a scheme to defraud Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Cigna.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
UCLA CEO: Standing strong after 2 COVID-19 surges
Johnese Spisso, RN, is president of the University of California, Los Angeles' health system and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. She spoke with Becker's about the Southern California organization's vested interest in the healthcare of migrant children, mental health awareness and what has kept her feeling inspired, even during the darkest days of the pandemic.
Vanderbilt CEO: What the telehealth boom makes inexcusable
Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD, is president and CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a position he's held since 2009. Over the course of his 12-year tenure, he has expanded the health system from two to five regional campuses, which include seven hospitals, 1,700 beds and 3,000 physicians.
'We are trying to disrupt our business in every aspect': Q&A with Houston Methodist's innovation chief
Roberta Schwartz, PhD, is executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Houston Methodist Hospital, the No. 1 hospital in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report. Ms. Schwartz spoke with Becker's about the latest healthcare technology affecting her organization.
Rush CEO puts patient journey front and center
Rush University Medical Center stands at No. 17 on U.S. News and World Report's hospital honor roll, and CMS recently awarded one of the system's hospitals with five stars. After a challenging year in healthcare, CEO Ranga Krishnan, MD, spoke with Becker's about what lies ahead for the award-winning health system.
UMass Memorial CEO: 'In leadership, you have to make sure people believe the future is going to be better than the past'
Eric Dickson, MD, is president and CEO of Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health Care, Central New England's largest health system. Dr. Dickson spoke with Becker's about the challenge of inspiring a team in the wake of an exhausting year.