March 2017 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
On the Cover
60 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know | 2017
Becker's Hospital Review has named the following CEOs to the 2017 edition of its list, "60 rural hospital CEOs to know." Click here to continue.
Executive Briefings
7 Actionable Strategies That Helped a Baltimore Hospital Beat OR Stagnation and Increase Case Volume 26 Percent in One Year
ASC Ownership Trends in 2017: More Complex Joint Venture Deals
Population Health
24% of Payers, Providers Planning Population Health Program, KPMG Survey Shows
Payers and providers are embracing population health programs, despite challenges associated with the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care, according to a survey conducted by KPMG. Click here to continue.
12 Hospitals With the Most ER Visits | 2017
Here are the 12 hospitals in America with the most annual emergency room visits for fiscal year 2016. Totals represent the amount of emergency room visits tallied for a single facility, rather than total ER visits for a whole health system. Click here to continue.
The Underrated Value of Coaching in Healthcare: 4 Thoughts From Population Health Expert Dr. William Appelgate
William Appelgate, PhD, is the cofounder of not one, but two organizations dedicated to population health. Click here to continue.
Only 17% of Healthcare Providers 'Very Ready' to Take on Risk
Healthcare providers remain committed to population health management but expect a slower pace of change under President Donald Trump, according to a study released Tuesday by Numerof & Associates. Click here to continue.
Brown Study: No Way to Predict Readmission Risk Under CJR
CMS launched the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model in April 2016 to compel hospitals to better coordinate care for joint replacement surgery patients in an effort to reduce readmissions and use of expensive post-acute services. Click here to continue.
4 Ways the Opioid Epidemic Changed in 2016
Americans have been caught in a cyclical struggle with the abuse of pain medications since before the 1900s with the advent of morphine and the commercial production and sale of heroin as a cough suppressant, according to CNN. Click here to continue.
Meet the 28 New Next Generation ACOs
CMS' Next Generation ACO Model welcomed 28 entrants since the start of 2017, bringing the total number of participating organizations to 45. Click here to continue.
NYC Health + Hospitals Develops System to Manage Hard-to-Discharge Patients
NYC Health + Hospitals launched a pilot program designed to improve the quality of life of long-term hospital patients who are difficult to discharge into post-acute care settings. Click here to continue.
53 Hospitals With Best Organ Transplant Outcomes
The number of organ transplants performed in the U.S. hit a record high in 2016, with 33,606 transplants performed, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Click here to continue.
CIO/Health IT
10 Statistics on Chief Information Technology Officer Salary & Bonus
In the United States, the median annual salary for a chief information technology officer salary is $256,040, as of Dec. 28, 2016, according to Salary.com. Click here to continue.
Epic Named Overall Best in KLAS for 7th Consecutive Year
For the seventh year in a row, Epic has been named the No. 1 Overall Software Suite in the 2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report. Click here to continue.
Report: 30% of Breaches Reported to HHS Can Be Attributed to Third Party Vendors
A new report from DataBreaches.net and Protenus found at least 30 percent of all breaches reported to HHS' public breach tool can be traced back to business associates and third party vendors. Click here to continue.
Physicians With EHR Access Order More Tests Than Those Without
Physicians with access to EHRs tend to order more tests that those who do not, according to a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care. Click here to continue.
30% of CIOs Name IT Security as Top Concern for 2017
Sixty-one percent of CIOs report difficulty finding a skilled IT professional for their organization, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trends Report. Click here to continue.
HHS Names New Chief Information Security Officer
Christopher Wlaschin was appointed chief information security officer of HHS, CyberScoop reports. Click here to continue.
The Most Common Reasons IT Pros Are Fired
Cybersecurity and breach prevention are top concerns for mid-sized and large organizations, according to a Trustwave report of 147 IT security professionals in North America. Click here to continue.
'Lesbianism' Listed as Problem in North Carolina Woman's Medical Record
Kristina Rodriguez was surprised to find "lesbianism" listed under the "problem list" in her medical history record, according The Charlotte Observer. Click here to continue.
10 Things to Know About Epic
Epic Systems is a large, privately held health IT company best known for its electronic health record system. Click here to continue.
Pew Research Center: 64% of Americans Have Personally Experienced a Data Breach
A new analysis from the Pew Research Center found the majority of Americans — 64 percent — have personally experienced a major data breach. Click here to continue.
Dr. Zeke Emanuel is Dubious of What Silicon Valley Can Do for Healthcare
In a recent interview with KQED, Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, laughed when he was asked what Silicon Valley can do for healthcare moving forward. Click here to continue.
10 Things to Know About Cerner
Health IT company Cerner is one of the largest suppliers of electronic health record systems in the country. Click here to continue.
CFO/Finance
10 Things to Know About the CMS Medicaid Spending Report
Federal and state Medicaid spending increased by an estimated 4.3 percent to $575.9 billion in fiscal year 2016, according to a CMS report posted Monday. Click here to continue.
HCA Profit Soars 58% to $920M in Q4
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Holdings recorded a 58 percent spike in profits in the fourth quarter of 2016 as it benefitted from higher patient volume and gains on sales of facilities. Click here to continue.
7 Healthcare Takeaways From the CBO Annual Budget Outlook
The Congressional Budget Office released its annual budget outlook this week, which shows Medicare, Social Security and other health spending will be responsible for a large chunk of the projected $2.6 trillion growth in annual spending between 2017 and 2027. Click here to continue.
21 Hospital Closures in 2016
Hospitals across the nation face a myriad of challenges, including reimbursement cuts and dwindling inpatient volumes. These issues have caused many hospitals to close in recent years. Click here to continue.
Florida Medical Group Files for Bankruptcy
Aventura, Fla.-based Advanced Neuro Spine Institute, a medical group specializing in neurology, neurosurgery and pain management, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday. Click here to continue.
20 States With the Highest Medicare Waste
The District of Columbia had the highest amount of Medicare waste per beneficiary in fiscal year 2015, according to a recently released analysis by the Council for Medicare Integrity, a nonprofit government watchdog. Click here to continue.
Erlanger Misses Budget Targets Due to Higher Labor, Supply Costs
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System's second-quarter earnings fell below budget projections, according to the Times Free Press. Click here to continue.
CHS Shareholders Seek to Limit Executive Windfalls if Company is Sold
Shareholders of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems have proposed a measure that aims to ban accelerated vesting of unearned equity awards for executives if there is a change in control of the company. Click here to continue.
25 Things to Know About RCM in 2017
Growing consumer demand for convenience and transparency has created new opportunities and presented significant challenges for those involved in hospital revenue cycle management. Click here to continue.
Trump Administration Withdraws 340B Megaguidance: 6 Things to Know
The Trump administration has withdrawn guidance on the 340B Drug Pricing Program that was under review at the end of the Obama administration. Click here to continue.
Tenet Indictment Signals New Era of Healthcare Fraud Investigations
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare agreed to pay approximately $514 million last October to resolve allegations the company paid kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals. Click here to continue.
CEO/Strategy
What Keeps CEOs Up At Night? 5 Survey Findings
Fear of a global recession is the No. 1 concern among CEOs around the world, according to a Conference Board survey of 555 CEOs worldwide. Click here to continue.
The $5k C-Suite Physical: 5 Things to Know About Hospitals' Increasingly Popular Offering
Many major health systems across the U.S. are offering executive health programs designed to allow busy members of the C-suite to undergo a battery of tests in a relatively short period of time, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. Click here to continue.
Broward Health Hires Kaufman Hall Amid Financial, Leadership Troubles
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health has retained Kaufman Hall & Associates, a provider of strategic, capital, financial and transaction advisory services and software tools, to assess the system's financial health and provide guidance to help the system meets its strategic goals. Click here to continue.
Summa Health CEO Resigns Amid Physician Tension
Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health System's President and CEO Thomas Malone, MD, resigned after facing significant criticism from physicians and staff, according to a report from Cleveland.com. Click here to continue.
CEO Credibility at All-Time Low, Study Finds: 5 Findings
CEO credibility dropped 12 points across the globe to reach a record low of 37 percent, according to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer. Click here to continue.
DMC Replaces CEO Joe Mullany; Sources Say Decision Linked to His Resistance to Job Cuts
Joe Mullany, CEO of Detroit Medical Center, was one of the first of several corporate executives to be terminated in a national restructuring plan by parent company Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, Crain's Detroit Business reported. Click here to continue.
Dr. Atul Gawande on the Heroism of Incremental Care
Physicians are heroes. Click here to continue.
Study: 25% of CEOs' Time Spent on Work That Could Be Automated
Approximately one-third of the activities in 60 percent of all jobs could be automated, according to research recently reported by the Harvard Business Review. Click here to continue.
Women More Likely to Shy Away From Executive Roles if They've Been Rejected in the Past, Study Finds
Women account for 40 percent of the global workforce, yet they hold only 24 percent of senior management jobs around the world. Click here to continue.
Banner Health to Restructure Operations; High-Level Jobs Affected: 5 Things to Know
Phoenix-based Banner Health is restructuring operations, and some management and corporate positions are being cut as part of the process, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. Click here to continue.
CMO/Care Delivery
Which Physician Specialties Are Happiest?
A physician's specialty could heavily influence their level of happiness at work, according to Medscape's Lifestyle Report 2017. Click here to continue.
What PCPs Really Think About Repealing the ACA
A recent survey found most primary care physicians are in favor of keeping the ACA, despite that proponents of repeal say the law needlessly burdens physicians. Click here to continue.
CDC Updates Vaccine Guidelines for Adults: 4 Things to Know
The CDC has set the adult immunization schedule for 2017 based upon recommendations made by the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Click here to continue.
Agencies Launch New Investigation of Detroit Medical Center's Central Sterile Department
CMS and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs are once again looking into Detroit Medical Center's central sterile department and its ability to properly clean surgical tools, according to The Detroit News. Click here to continue.
CDC Will Not Further Investigate UPMC Mold Outbreak Despite New Report
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC will not conduct further investigations in to a mold outbreak discovered in 2015 that contributed to five patient deaths at Pittsburgh-based UPMC hospitals despite the findings of an internal report that detected mold on hospital bed linens, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Click here to continue.
This Physician Almost Died in Her Own Hospital: What She Learned From the Experience
Rana Awdish, MD, a critical care physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, shares how her own near-death experience inspired her — and the hospital — to provide better patient care in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Click here to continue.
Nevada Woman Dies of Superbug Resistant to All 26 Available Antibiotics
A woman in Reno, Nev., died of a bacterial infection resistant to all antibiotics available in the US in early September 2016. Click here to continue.
New Sepsis Treatment Guidelines: 5 Things to Know
The Surviving Sepsis Guidelines were first published in 2004, with updates issued in 2008 and 2012. In January, the newest updates were released and published in Critical Care Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine. Click here to continue.
10k Patients Die Each Year Within 7 Days of Leaving a Hospital ER, Study Finds
More than 10,000 Medicare patients die each year within a week of leaving a hospital emergency room, according to a new study published in The BMJ — and typically they were released from a rural hospital or a hospital with low inpatient admission rates. Click here to continue.
Nearly 200 Employees, Patients Potentially Exposed to TB at Seattle Hospital
Harborview Medical Center is offering free tuberculosis tests to 45 patients and some hospital staff members who may have been exposed to TB at the Seattle-based facility. Click here to continue.
Physician Imposter Gains Access to 5 Brigham and Women's ORs
A 42-year-old woman dressed in scrubs attended patient rounds and observed operations at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston even though she wasn't a physician, according to the Boston Globe. Click here to continue.
Full Physician-Hospital Integration Rose More Than 10% Between 2008 and 2013, Study Finds
Healthcare organizations are increasingly transitioning to full physician-hospital integration, but this shift is more complex than previously expected, according to a new study from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Click here to continue.
86 Scabies Cases Reported at Ohio Hospital
Kettering (Ohio) Medical Center is dealing with a scabies outbreak, as 86 cases were reported as of Monday afternoon and numbers are expected to climb, according to a Springfield News-Sun report. Click here to continue.
Mandatory Flu Shot Policies May Be Based on Flawed Research, Study Suggests
While the CDC urges everyone to get a flu shot, some hospitals take it a step further and mandate employees to get a flu shot or face possible termination. Click here to continue.
Thought Leadership
Your Hospital Isn’t Deliberate About Diversity in Leadership? Meet Antoinette Hardy-Waller, the Woman Out to Change That
Antoinette Hardy-Waller has worked in healthcare for more than 25 years. Click here to continue.
'We Have to be Done With Pilots' — 5 Questions With Geisinger CEO Dr. David Feinberg on the System's Radical New Population Health Model
Medical and public health experts generally agree that socioeconomic and environmental factors have an overwhelming influence on health disparity and patient outcomes Click here to continue.
Creating Health System Strategy When 'Policy Is Out of Our Control' — 5 Questions on ACA Repeal With Intermountain CEO Dr. A. Marc Harrison
As Republican lawmakers in Washington mull over how to replace the ACA, health system leaders must continue to create and execute strategies that will enable them to thrive in the short and long term Click here to continue.
Your Population Health Strategy Will Fail Unless You Do These 3 Things
Regardless of what happens to the ACA under the new administration, healthcare providers and administrators generally agree it's important to preserve the gains the industry has achieved as it works to transform into a value-based system. Click here to continue.
The Corner Office: UCHealth CEO Liz Concordia on Zeroing in on the Patient Experience
When she first entered the healthcare field as a hospital volunteer in high school, Liz Concordia, president and CEO of Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth, could already identify where the industry had room to improve. Click here to continue.