March 2023 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health
Consistent with their core mission, all healthcare providers have been steadily focused on a series of key priorities: enhancing access to all, improving quality and outcomes, investing in employee engagement and satisfaction, managing their financial condition, improving their infrastructure and working collaboratively with the government.
Mike Slubowski, President and CEO of Trinity Health
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health plans to roll out virtual nurses at its hospitals around the state of Michigan — and nationwide.
David Lubarsky, MD, CEO of UC Davis Health
Around one in five Americans live in rural areas, but only 5 percent of physicians practice in these same areas. UC Davis has made it a priority to help close this gap in rural healthcare by incentivizing medical school graduates to practice in rural communities. We have built a number of clinical and education partnerships to both increase providers in these communities and bring in, via virtual technologies, advanced and specialty practices from regional academic medical centers.
Johnese Spisso, RN, President of UCLA Health and CEO of UCLA Hospital System
While some progress has been made in improving access to primary care in rural areas, access to specialty care remains a challenge. One of the opportunities to increase access is through the use of telemedicine and video visits with highly trained specialists who are available at academic medical centers and other large health systems. One of the ways we have expanded access at UCLA Health is through telemedicine. Additionally, through operating an interfacility transfer center, we serve as a resource to rural hospitals in our region, which rely on us to accept transfers of complex patients that have needs that exceed the level of care that can be provided in the rural facilities
BIll Gassen, President and CEO of Sanford Health
Protecting rural health care starts with reimagining how we deliver care for the 1.5 million patients we have the privilege of serving at Sanford Health, two-thirds of whom live in rural communities. Sanford’s landmark $350 million virtual care initiative aims to expand access to convenient, high-quality care regardless of zip code, improve the patient experience, advance innovation through new research and attract and train a new generation of clinicians.
Candice Saunders, CEO of Wellstar Health System
Candice Saunders, BSN, has served as president and CEO of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System for nearly a decade. But her healthcare journey has origins at the bedside.
What will save rural healthcare?
Rural hospitals and healthcare facilities face amplified financial challenges amid persisting workforce shortages, rising costs and leveling reimbursement. Reserves are dwindling and without urgent action, hundreds of facilities face closure.
CEOs, CFOs don't see recession as a barrier to growth
Hospital and health system executives aim to strengthen resilience and readiness in preparation for an economic downturn, but most CEOs and CFOs do not see a recession as a barrier to growth, according to Mercer's "2023 Executive Outlook" survey.
Hospitals raising nurse pay: Why now?
Inflation, nurse contracts opening up and a decrease in contract worker utilization are among the factors behind a spate of recent pay raises across hospitals and health systems. But such raises are hardly enough to remain competitive and improve retention in today's market, experts say.
Texas raising salaries, starting pay for state hospital workers
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is increasing salaries and starting pay at state hospitals and state-supported living centers to address staffing shortages, maintain competitive wages and bring hospital beds back online.
A peek into healthcare's future? AI passes medical licensing exam
An artificial intelligence chatbot that generates humanlike responses passed all three parts of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, according to findings published in the preprint server medRxiv.
How Gen Z sees healthcare: 10 stats
difference: different workplace norms, different social initiatives, different technological approaches. They'll want a different healthcare industry, too, as many literally wear their health metrics on their sleeve.
The case against mandatory nurse staffing ratios
Washington state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would limit the number of patients a nurse can legally care for in hospitals, reigniting a long-standing debate over the benefits and consequences of mandated staffing ratios.
20 hospitals with highest contract labor expenses
The average contract labor spend among hospitals more than doubled between 2011 and 2020, with many hospitals and health systems now making concerted efforts to curb this expense category.
Trinity Health plans to institute virtual nurses across its 88 hospitals in 26 states
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health plans to roll out virtual nurses at its hospitals around the state of Michigan — and nationwide.
Dollar General offers healthcare in 3 store parking lots
Dollar General customers at three locations in Tennessee can now see a healthcare provider in the store's parking lot for preventative care, urgent care and chronic condition management services.
How much 3 health systems are paying for EHR installs
Here is how much three health systems are expected to pay for the cost of purchasing, installing and upgrading a new or current electronic health record system:
CFO / FINANCE
Lawmakers go after UPMC
Two Pennsylvania lawmakers are setting their sights on UPMC, elevating allegations published in a report from the American Economic Liberties Project that accuses the Pittsburgh-based health system of building a monopoly.
Consolidated health systems offer 'marginally better care at significantly higher costs': Study
Consolidated health systems have led to "marginally better care at significantly higher costs," according to a study published Jan. 24 in JAMA.
Hospitals raising nurse pay: Why now?
Inflation, nurse contracts opening up and a decrease in contract worker utilization are among the factors behind a spate of recent pay raises across hospitals and health systems. But such raises are hardly enough to remain competitive and improve retention in today's market, experts say.
UPMC to transition rural hospital to outpatient emergency department
Pittsburgh-based UPMC is transitioning the 25-bed rural hospital UPMC Lock Haven (Pa.) to an outpatient emergency department.
CEOs, CFOs don't see recession as a barrier to growth
Hospital and health system executives aim to strengthen resilience and readiness in preparation for an economic downturn, but most CEOs and CFOs do not see a recession as a barrier to growth, according to Mercer's "2023 Executive Outlook" survey.
CEO/STRATEGY
The case against mandatory nurse staffing ratios
Washington state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would limit the number of patients a nurse can legally care for in hospitals, reigniting a long-standing debate over the benefits and consequences of mandated staffing ratios.
MetroWest Medical Center CEO, CNO resign after less than 1 year
The CEO and chief nursing officer at Framingham, Mass.-based MetroWest Medical Center have stepped down after less than one year in their respective roles.
How Gen Z sees healthcare: 10 stats
difference: different workplace norms, different social initiatives, different technological approaches. They'll want a different healthcare industry, too, as many literally wear their health metrics on their sleeve.
'CEO pessimism' at a decade high: report
About 73 percent of CEOs believe economic growth will decline over the next year, the most pessimistic outlook since PwC began asking the question as part of its annual CEO survey 12 years ago.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
What will save rural healthcare?
Rural hospitals and healthcare facilities face amplified financial challenges amid persisting workforce shortages, rising costs and leveling reimbursement. Reserves are dwindling and without urgent action, hundreds of facilities face closure.
Michael Dowling: The unthinkable priority now facing hospitals
Consistent with their core mission, all healthcare providers have been steadily focused on a series of key priorities: enhancing access to all, improving quality and outcomes, investing in employee engagement and satisfaction, managing their financial condition, improving their infrastructure and working collaboratively with the government.
INNOVATION
Marshfield's Cerner install led to revenue cycle issues, ratings downgrade
Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System's IT standardization efforts over the last few years disrupted operations and were a contributing factor in Fitch's decision to issue a ratings downgrade from an "A-" to "BBB+" rating.
A peek into healthcare's future? AI passes medical licensing exam
An artificial intelligence chatbot that generates humanlike responses passed all three parts of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, according to findings published in the preprint server medRxiv.
Trinity Health plans to institute virtual nurses across its 88 hospitals in 26 states
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health plans to roll out virtual nurses at its hospitals around the state of Michigan — and nationwide.
Why Amazon, Alphabet are letting some healthcare employees go
Amazon and Alphabet's healthcare arm Verily said it would let go some of its healthcare employees as an uncertain economy has been causing financial and operational challenges for tech companies.
CVS Health debuts new virtual primary care
CVS Health launchednew virtual care offerings Jan. 23 focused on primary care and mental health services.
CMO/Care Delivery
Texas raising salaries, starting pay for state hospital workers
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is increasing salaries and starting pay at state hospitals and state-supported living centers to address staffing shortages, maintain competitive wages and bring hospital beds back online.
48% of physicians are happy at work, survey finds
Physicians' happiness fell amid the pandemic and is not rebounding easily, according to Medscape's 2023 Physician Lifestyle and Happiness Report.
25% of critical healthcare staff willing to quit over workplace violence
Most healthcare workers in critical care settings experience on-the-job violence, with 25 percent saying they were willing to quit because of the issue, according to a global survey presented Jan. 21 at the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 2023 Critical Care Congress.
The top items on 5 chief medical officers' to-do lists
Clinical leaders across the country know employee burnout, medication shortages and respiratory infections, among a wealth of other challenges, have created the not-so-perfect storm in hospitals.
'Operation Nightingale': Feds charge 25 in sweeping nurse diploma scheme
Twenty-five people have been charged for their alleged participation in a coordinated scheme to sell aspiring nurses thousands of fake nursing degree documents, the Justice Department said Jan. 25.
CIO/HEALTH IT
Mass General Brigham, Northwell and Mayo: Where hospitals are spending their innovation dollars
From virtual nurses to artificial intelligence-powered scheduling to pill-sized robots, hospitals and health systems have started 2023 with an eye on innovation.
Cleveland Clinic bills for less than 1% of weekly MyChart messages
Cleveland Clinic began billing patients for electronic messages through Epic's MyChart patient portal in November. Since then, it has charged fees for responses to less than 1 percent of the 110,000 weekly emails its providers received, The New York Times reported Jan. 24.
How much 3 health systems are paying for EHR installs
Here is how much three health systems are expected to pay for the cost of purchasing, installing and upgrading a new or current electronic health record system:
New CPT codes added for AI, virtual reality
With the increasing use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in healthcare, the American Medical Association unveiled new Current Procedural Terminology codes for these services.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
Corner Office: How Wellstar CEO Candice Saunders' nursing background gives her an edge up
Candice Saunders, BSN, has served as president and CEO of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System for nearly a decade. But her healthcare journey has origins at the bedside.
Gaslighting' is 2022's word of the year. Healthcare is not immune to its flame.
"Gaslighting" was Merriam-Webster's word of the year in 2022, the dictionary announced Nov. 28. As "gaslighting" has become more pervasive in the English language, it has gained associations with the medical field — albeit less obvious ones than last year's word, "vaccine."