December 2020 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
10 things we've learned about COVID-19 so far
Over the past seven months, COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives. As we continue to find safe and creative ways to navigate our new reality with this virus, it's worthwhile to reflect on what we've learned along the way.
AMC chiefs: This is the next decade's toughest decision
The pandemic has forced academic medical centers to plan for the worst and hope for the best. AMC executives will need that mentality as they look forward to the next 10 years, which will bring seismic shifts in care delivery.
Investors extracted $400M from hospital chain that couldn't afford supplies
Leonard Green & Partners, a private equity firm, has taken $400 million in dividends and fees for itself and investors in the decade since it bought a controlling stake in Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, according to ProPublica.
3 things that kill creativity on innovation teams: Lifespan leader weighs in
Innovation must be a collaborative, boundary-pushing process supported by a team that is diverse in every sense of the word, according to Megan Ranney, MD, director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, a partnership between Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan and Brown University.
7 alerts, tools hospitals are adding to their EHRs
Here are seven digital alerts and tools that hospitals and health systems have recently developed or integrated with their EHR systems.
CommonSpirit extends timeline for $2B cost savings plan by 12 months
Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health's plan to cut $2 billion in expenses will likely take five years instead of the planned four, the health system confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review.
Health systems balancing elective care, COVID-19 hospitalizations
Hospitals across the U.S. are working to care for more COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization without halting lucrative elective procedures, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Physicians resign from Kansas hospital amid concerns with CEO
Four physicians resigned from Meade (Kan.) District Hospital after raising concerns over the hospital's executive leadership, according to local news stations KSCB and KAKE.
Gender pay gap set to close in 39 years
The projected deadline for equitable pay between men and women remains the same as it has for the past four years — 2059 — meaning the rate of progress toward closing the gender pay gap did not accelerate in 2019, according to The Institute for Women's Policy Research.
How a former Target exec transformed innovation at Banner Health
Phoenix-based Banner Health named former Target executive Christy Anderson executive director of its innovation group in 2017, and since then she has overhauled how the system approaches innovation, according to a Business Insider report.
What UnitedHealth Group, Humana, Anthem and Cigna execs are saying about telehealth
When the pandemic began, insurance companies acted quickly to ensure members had access to telehealth services.
'Shut it down': Virginia hospital under investigation isn't safe, nurse says
A registered nurse who formerly worked at Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent, Va., is calling for it to be shut down after she said she witnessed child abuse at the facility, according to CBS 6.
RWJBarnabas to screen all patients for social determinants of health
West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health has launched a universal social determinants of health program to regularly screen patients for factors that may contribute to chronic disease.
Carl Armato
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health was one of three major health systems competing to expand in North Carolina by securing a deal to partner with or own New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. Novant Health emerged as the winner in July, and recently, it secured a crucial approval in the deal from the New Hanover County Commissioners.
John Gizdic
Becker's Hospital Review caught up with Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, and John Gizdic, president and CEO of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, to discuss what the integration process will look like, what excites them the most about the partnership and how they handled any staff or community reservations about the deal.
Lisa Shannon
Lisa Shannon has served as COO of Minneapolis-based Allina Health since 2017, and she added president to her title on Sept. 24.
Richard Fogel, MD
Over the past seven months, COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives. As we continue to find safe and creative ways to navigate our new reality with this virus, it's worthwhile to reflect on what we've learned along the way.
Howard Kern
The concept of health systems successfully operating a health plan while coexisting with physicians in an integrated delivery model has been an alluring proposition in our industry for decades. The goal is for integrated systems to be purveyors of population health and assume risk while delivering excellent clinical care.
Jenni Alvey
"Price transparency has been touted as a way to reduce healthcare spending, but there’s one big problem: It has rarely worked." -JAMA Forum, Aug. 22, 2019
Guy Hudson, MD
Since the start of his healthcare career, Guy Hudson, MD, has had a desire to serve people in need, and that passion continues to stay with him in his role as CEO of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services.
CFO / FINANCE
Investors extracted $400M from hospital chain that couldn't afford supplies
Leonard Green & Partners, a private equity firm, has taken $400 million in dividends and fees for itself and investors in the decade since it bought a controlling stake in Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, according to ProPublica.
HCA to return $6B in federal COVID-19 aid
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare released a preview of its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 8 and said it is returning $6 billion in federal grants and loans meant to offset financial strain tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas hospital seeks critical access status as break with Baylor Scott & White looms
Llano (Texas) County Memorial Hospital is applying for a critical access designation that would allow the rural hospital to reduce its financial vulnerability through increased Medicare reimbursement, according to DailyTrib.com.
Jefferson Health to cut 500 jobs, reduce executive pay
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is taking steps to reduce costs to help offset losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intermountain Healthcare to cut 250 business positions
Intermountain Healthcare, a 24-hospital health system based in Salt Lake City, is eliminating 250 business function positions to reduce costs and improve healthcare affordability, the health system announced Oct. 13.
CEO/STRATEGY
Sonoma Valley Hospital considers integrating executive leadership with UCSF
Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital said it is considering a management services agreement with UCSF Health in San Francisco that calls for integrated executive leadership.
Physicians resign from Kansas hospital amid concerns with CEO
Four physicians resigned from Meade (Kan.) District Hospital after raising concerns over the hospital's executive leadership, according to local news stations KSCB and KAKE.
Missouri hospital CEO put on leave over personnel matter
Perryville, Mo.-based Perry County Health Systems President and CEO Patrick Carron has been placed on administrative leave, according to TV station KFVS.
Trinity Health Michigan raises minimum wage for 2,100 workers
Trinity Health Michigan is raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour for hospital and medical group employees, the organization announced in an Oct. 19 news release.
University Medical Center CEO saves man's life at Las Vegas casino
The CEO of a Las Vegas hospital helped save a man who went into cardiac arrest on the floor of a casino, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
Allina Health President and COO Lisa Shannon's advice to female leaders: Be authentic
Lisa Shannon has served as COO of Minneapolis-based Allina Health since 2017, and she added president to her title on Sept. 24.
All-male panels still dominate medical conferences, study finds
Including more women on planning committees for medical conferences could help boost gender equity at these events and limit the number of all-male panels, known as "manels," a study published in JAMA Network Open found.
Female healthcare execs less satisfied with pay, job than male peers, report finds
Male and female healthcare executives have varying perceptions of their workplaces, highlighting a continued need to address gender biases in the C-suite, according to a special report published in the Journal of Healthcare Management.
Female voices are missing from global COVID-19 news coverage, study finds
Global media coverage on COVID-19 is significantly lacking the voices of female scientists, physicians and health experts, reports The Washington Post.
Gender pay gap set to close in 39 years
The projected deadline for equitable pay between men and women remains the same as it has for the past four years — 2059 — meaning the rate of progress toward closing the gender pay gap did not accelerate in 2019, according to The Institute for Women's Policy Research.
INNOVATION
The 10 healthcare companies that made LinkedIn's 'top 50 startups' list
LinkedIn recently posted its annual list of the top 50 startups to know, and 10 digital health-related companies made the list.
Tampa General, Philips ink 7-year, multimillion-dollar digital transformation deal: 4 details
Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital signed a seven-year strategic partnership with Royal Philips to boost technological innovation.
Mayo Clinic launches new digital care, diagnostics platform: 4 things to know
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic launched a new platform to increase remote diagnostic access for commonly transmitted diseases, the health system announced Oct. 12.
3 things that kill creativity on innovation teams: Lifespan leader weighs in
Innovation must be a collaborative, boundary-pushing process supported by a team that is diverse in every sense of the word, according to Megan Ranney, MD, director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, a partnership between Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan and Brown University.
Intermountain announces 2 digital health partnerships in 2 days
Salt Lake City, Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare announced two digital health partnerships in the past 48 hours.
CIO/HEALTH IT
What UnitedHealth Group, Humana, Anthem and Cigna execs are saying about telehealth
When the pandemic began, insurance companies acted quickly to ensure members had access to telehealth services.
Geisinger fires employee for inappropriately accessing 700+ patients' medical records
Geisinger began notifying more than 700 patients Sept. 18 that one of the Danville, Pa.-based health system's former employees inappropriately accessed their medical records.
Sam's Club launches $1 telehealth visits for members: 7 details
Sam's Club partnered with primary care telehealth provider 98point6 to offer members virtual visits.
CMS adds 11 new telehealth services to Medicare coverage
CMS on Oct. 14 added 11 new services to the list of telehealth services that Medicare will reimburse during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
4 C-level Livongo execs to depart amid merger with Teladoc
Teladoc CEO Jason Gorevic recently filed a letter with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailing that four of Livongo's C-suite executives will be leaving after the two companies' merger is finalized.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
OSHA fines 28 US hospitals, nursing homes for COVID-19 safety violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited more than 25 healthcare facilities for COVID-19 safety violations, totaling fines of at least $285,000.
Kaiser cited over lack of COVID-19 airborne precautions
California officials cited Kaiser Permante for failing to treat COVID-19 as an airborne disease at a psychiatric facility in Santa Clara, reports CALMatters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom.
'Shut it down': Virginia hospital under investigation isn't safe, nurse says
A registered nurse who formerly worked at Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent, Va., is calling for it to be shut down after she said she witnessed child abuse at the facility, according to CBS 6.
Remdesivir cuts COVID-19 recovery time by 5 days, final study data says
Remdesivir shortened COVID-19 patient recovery time by five days, according to final data from a phase 3 trial published Oct. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
COVID-19 antibodies last at least 5 months, study suggests
COVID-19 patients may produce antibodies for at least five months after initial infection, according to a study published in the journal Immunity.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
So you want to start a health plan? A look at Sentara's integrated model — and President & CEO Howard Kern's advice
The concept of health systems successfully operating a health plan while coexisting with physicians in an integrated delivery model has been an alluring proposition in our industry for decades. The goal is for integrated systems to be purveyors of population health and assume risk while delivering excellent clinical care.
IU Health CFO Jenni Alvey's message to healthcare execs: We still have work to do on price transparency
"Price transparency has been touted as a way to reduce healthcare spending, but there’s one big problem: It has rarely worked." -JAMA Forum, Aug. 22, 2019
Corner Office: Swedish CEO Dr. Guy Hudson on what swimming taught him about slowing down
Since the start of his healthcare career, Guy Hudson, MD, has had a desire to serve people in need, and that passion continues to stay with him in his role as CEO of Seattle-based Swedish Health Services.