March 2021 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
14 highest-paid healthcare jobs in 2021
Fourteen of the 25 highest-paying jobs in 2021 are in healthcare, according to U.S. News & World Report's Best Job rankings released Jan. 12.
Most successful vaccine rollouts in US: 4 state strategies
States are rushing to administer the COVID-19 vaccines as fast as possible, and some states have been more successful than others.
When will smell, taste come back? 5 COVID-19 questions answered
Temporary loss of smell, known as anosmia, is a commonly reported indicator of COVID-19.
Cleveland Clinic changes mission statement
"Caring for life, researching for health and educating those who serve" is the mission statement Cleveland Clinic intends to use for the next 100 years, CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, MD, said Jan. 13.
4 leadership changes CEOs made during the pandemic
Many CEOs have changed their leadership strategy in four crucial ways that have positively impacted their organizations during the pandemic, though it's unclear whether those changes will remain after COVID-19 has subsided, according to a McKinsey & Co. article.
Tenet must pay whistleblowing cardiologists $10M, court rules
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare must pay two cardiologists who filed a False Claims Act lawsuit $10 million and reinstate their medical staff privileges for one year, a Michigan federal court ruled Feb. 1, according to Bloomberg Law.
The most, least expensive states for an ER visit
New Jersey hospitals charge the most for a moderate-severity emergency room visit requiring a single surgery, according to data from Hospital Pricing Specialists provided to Becker's Hospital review.
Optum expects to add 10,000 physicians this year
OptumCare, the part of UnitedHealth Group that provides direct patient care, plans on adding thousands of physicians in the next year, UnitedHealth's CEO said during a Jan. 20 earnings call.
Delta taps Mayo Clinic exec to oversee airline's healthcare strategy
Delta Air Lines has appointed a Mayo Clinic executive to serve as its first chief health officer.
Are proposed HIPAA changes good for healthcare? 3 hospital execs weigh in
While the recently proposed HHS updates to the HIPAA Privacy Rule aim to help patients get more digital access to their health information, some of the proposed changes pose concerns for healthcare providers.
20 things to know about Allscripts, Cerner, Epic, Meditech heading into 2021
Allscripts, Cerner, Epic and Meditech are four of the biggest EHR vendors for hospitals and health systems across the U.S.
Rhode Island physician deliberately exposed patients, staff to COVID-19, health director finds
Rhode Island Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, has ordered an emergency suspension of a physician's license after investigators determined he deliberately exposed clinic staff and patients to COVID-19 and presented a danger to the public, according to The Providence Journal.
29 best healthcare jobs, per US News: Physician assistant is No. 1
Physician assistant is the best healthcare job for 2021, with 39,300 projected jobs and a median salary of $112,260, according to a U.S. News & World Report list released Jan. 12.
Howard Kern
In 2018, Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare was named one of five large health systems in the Top 15 Health Systems in the U.S. by IBM Watson Health. Our recognition as a top-performing health system came after we began to understand the importance of delivering highly reliable quality care and a consistently high rate of improvement across our entire health system.
Claus Torp Jensen, PhD
Claus Torp Jensen, PhD, leads Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's digital transformation and data strategies at time when innovations are rapidly accelerating in wake of COVID-19.
Matt Runyan
Matt Runyan, CIO and vice president of IT at Oceanside, N.Y.-based Mount Sinai South Nassau, is splitting his time to make sure the COVID-19 vaccination process runs smoothly at the hospital while maintaining testing sites.
Daniel Feinberg, MD
Daniel Feinberg, MD, chief medical officer of Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Hospital, sees the CMO role becoming more operational in the next few years.
Joel Klein, MD
Joel Klein, MD, senior vice president and CIO of University of Maryland Medical System, joined the Becker's Healthcare Podcast to share his key priorities in the coming year and discuss the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Michael Dowling
Hardly one month into 2021, the pressing priorities facing healthcare leaders are abundantly clear.
Greg Hoffman
Greg Hoffman took over as interim CFO of Renton, Wash.-based Providence health system in August and was named to the position permanently in January.
Denise Brooks-Williams
For two years, Denise Brooks-Williams has served as senior vice president and CEO of Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System's north market, the first person in this role.
CFO / FINANCE
Tenet must pay whistleblowing cardiologists $10M, court rules
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare must pay two cardiologists who filed a False Claims Act lawsuit $10 million and reinstate their medical staff privileges for one year, a Michigan federal court ruled Feb. 1, according to Bloomberg Law.
Heights Hospital in Houston closes over unpaid rent
Physicians and patients were locked out of Heights Hospital in Houston on Jan. 18 after its management failed to pay rent, according to a notice posted on the door of the building.
Inspector general urges CMS to take action against 100 'error-prone' providers
CMS should take action against 100 healthcare providers who had high rates of improper Medicare payments, the HHS Office of Inspector General said in a report released Jan. 19.
The most, least expensive states for an ER visit
New Jersey hospitals charge the most for a moderate-severity emergency room visit requiring a single surgery, according to data from Hospital Pricing Specialists provided to Becker's Hospital Review.
CommonSpirit to sell 14 hospitals to Essentia Health
Fourteen hospitals owned by Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health could join Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health as early as this summer.
CEO/STRATEGY
Glassdoor: Best places to work in healthcare for 2021
Glassdoor released its list of "Best Places to Work" in 2021, and 18 hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies made the list.
Hospitals questioned for including board members in 1st rounds of COVID-19 vaccines
In some instances, hospital board members and trustees have received the COVID-19 vaccine alongside front-line workers, raising questions about whether some systems are following guidelines for distribution.
Healthcare execs, physicians pardoned by Trump
Healthcare executives convicted of fraud were among the 143 people who received pardons or sentence commutations from former President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, his last day in office.
Ex-Broward Health exec facing bribery, money-laundering charges
A former executive at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health is facing charges of bribery and money-laundering, according to an indictment made public last week.
Cleveland Clinic changes mission statement
"Caring for life, researching for health and educating those who serve" is the mission statement Cleveland Clinic intends to use for the next 100 years, CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, MD, said Jan. 13.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
Psychologist sues, claims Maine hospital paid her half of male colleagues' salary
A clinical psychologist at Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, says she earned $50 an hour compared to the $90 and $95 hourly earnings of her two male colleagues, according to the Bangor Daily News.
What Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on her first day as CDC director
Rochelle Walensky, MD, said on her first day as the new CDC director that she is proud to join the agency, and also recognizes the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former employee sues Alliance Healthcare Services over claims of unequal pay, whistleblower retaliation
A former account executive claims Irvine, Calif.-based Alliance Healthcare Services fired her after she requested to reduce her hours to accommodate breast cancer treatment demands and raised concerns that she was not paid equitably compared to her male colleagues, according to a lawsuit filed against the healthcare services provider.
How leadership criteria leaves out women of color
Current conceptions of leadership often exclude women of color from positions of power in organizations, but this issue can be remedied given the right steps, according to a Harvard Business Review article.
How supporting gender equity benefits organizations
Not only is fighting for gender equity a moral imperative, it's also a competitive boon for organizations, according to a Harvard Business Review article.
INNOVATION
Health innovation insider: 7 rapid-fire Qs with Memorial Sloan Kettering digital chief Dr. Claus Torp Jensen
Claus Torp Jensen, PhD, leads Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's digital transformation and data strategies at time when innovations are rapidly accelerating in wake of COVID-19.
4 tools to predict COVID-19 death risk, place on vaccine waitlist & more
Throughout the pandemic, healthcare and tech organizations have been creating interactive tools to help individuals predict their likelihood of contracting COVID-19 or even dying from the virus.
BayCare to equip 2,500 hospital rooms with Amazon Alexa-powered platform: 6 details
Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System is deploying Amazon Alexa devices in 2,500 rooms across its 14 hospitals.
UPMC innovation arm spins out data analytics company: 4 details
Pittsburgh-based UPMC Enterprises, the innovation and commercialization arm of UPMC, has incubated and launched a digital healthcare quality company that uses natural language processing and data analytics to improve value-based care.
CVS Health launches voice-powered home care monitoring platform: 4 things to know
CVS Health has launched a new medical alert system designed to protect seniors living at home, the company said Jan. 14.
CIO/HEALTH IT
The next evolution of EHRs: What to expect in 2021 and beyond
EHRs have become an integral part of the healthcare delivery system in the past decade and will continue to evolve in the coming years to alleviate the tech burden on healthcare providers and add to the clinical decision-making process.
MD Anderson avoids $4.3M HIPAA penalty
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Jan. 14 vacated University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's $4.3 million HIPAA fine for losing more than 35,000 patients' protected health information.
Cerner shakes up C-suite as 2 execs depart
Cerner's Executive Vice President and Chief Client and Services Officer John Peterzalek and Chief Legal Officer Randy Sims are leaving the Kansas City, Mo.-based EHR company, according to a Jan. 15 announcement from CEO Brent Shafer shared with Becker's.
Excellus BCBS pays $5.1M to settle data breach affecting 9.3 million people
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield agreed to pay the Office for Civil Rights $5.1 million to settle potential HIPAA violations related to a data breach, HHS said Jan. 15.
'This discovery is a little disturbing': Centura Health data reports miss 2,500 COVID-19 hospitalizations since April
Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health failed to report almost 2,500 COVID-19 hospitalizations dating back to last April because of a system coding issue, according to a Jan. 8 The Journal report.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
When will smell, taste come back? 5 COVID-19 questions answered
Temporary loss of smell, known as anosmia, is a commonly reported indicator of COVID-19.
76% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have symptoms for 6 months, study finds
Many hospitalized COVID-19 patients may experience symptoms for up to six months, according to a study published Jan. 8 in The Lancet.
Rhode Island physician deliberately exposed patients, staff to COVID-19, health director finds
Rhode Island Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, has ordered an emergency suspension of a physician's license after investigators determined he deliberately exposed clinic staff and patients to COVID-19 and presented a danger to the public, according to The Providence Journal.
St. Peter's oncologist incorrectly treated patient for lung cancer for 11 years, hospital says
Helena, Mont.-based St. Peter's Health claims a former oncologist at the health system incorrectly treated a patient for lung cancer for 11 years when, at the time of the patient's death, it was determined they did not have the disease, the Independent Record reported Jan. 20.
CDC: Tight-fitting masks, two masks maximize protection against infectious aerosols
Double masking or knotting and tucking a single medical procedure mask helps prevent air leakage and improve mask performance, according to the CDC's Feb. 10 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Pennsylvania Hospital CMO Dr. Daniel Feinberg's advice for aspiring physician leaders
Daniel Feinberg, MD, chief medical officer of Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Hospital, sees the CMO role becoming more operational in the next few years.
AI in healthcare in 2021: What should CIOs expect?
Joel Klein, MD, senior vice president and CIO of University of Maryland Medical System, joined the Becker's Healthcare Podcast to share his key priorities in the coming year and discuss the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Michael Dowling: No one said it would be easy
Hardly one month into 2021, the pressing priorities facing healthcare leaders are abundantly clear.
Providence CFO Greg Hoffman's 2021 focuses for spending, investments
Greg Hoffman took over as interim CFO of Renton, Wash.-based Providence health system in August and was named to the position permanently in January.
Corner Office: Henry Ford Health System exec says she's driven by golden rule
For two years, Denise Brooks-Williams has served as senior vice president and CEO of Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System's north market, the first person in this role.