May 2022 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
17 'overpaid' healthcare CEOs
Despite many CEOs cutting their base salaries last year due to the pandemic, those moves had little effect on overall CEO pay, according to an annual report from the nonprofit shareholder advocacy group As You Sow.
892 hospitals at risk of closure, state by state
More than 500 rural hospitals in the U.S. are at immediate risk of closing because of financial losses and lack of financial reserves to sustain operations, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.
10 things Gen Z, millennial nurses want from their hospitals
A survey released March 1 from the American Nurses Foundation and Joslin Insight showed Generation Z and millennial nurses — who belong to the generations born between 1981 and 2012 — have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many suffering from mental health issues and about 60 percent saying they will leave or are considering leaving their positions.
The dangers of 'glass cliff' for women in leadership roles
Research shows that women and people of color are more likely to be placed into leadership positions when an organization is in crisis mode, leaving them in a precarious situation, at risk of falling over the "glass cliff" the BBC reported Feb. 6.
What does Amazon Care mean for hospitals? Execs from Geisinger and more answer
In February, Amazon Care rolled out its virtual health services nationwide and said its in-person services would be rolled out in more than 20 new cities in 2022. The announcement was one of many efforts to disrupt the traditional healthcare that the industry has witnessed from tech and retail companies over the past decade.
2 minutes — and traffic — may have cost Tufts Health $400M
A two-minute document filing delay may have caused Tufts Health to lose a $400 million Medicaid contract, according to CBS affiliate WPRI.
7 health systems reported profits over $1B in 2021
While many hospitals face financial hardships and rising expenses from the COVID-19 pandemic, several large health systems ended 2021 with profits above $1 billion.
'We had to beg her to not show up': Hospitals' on-the-ground leaders in your words
Earlier this month, I wrote about hospitals' ivory tower problem, in which leaders who spent time in the trenches at some point in their career gradually move into ivory towers shielded from the pain points, dynamics and ideas pulsing throughout their organization — and rarely realize it.
27 thoughts on leadership from women in healthcare
In honor of International Women's Day on March 8, Becker's Hospital Review asked women in the healthcare industry to share their insights on leadership.
'Safe, happy and cheap': Inside Mayo Clinic's Hybrid Care Hotel
Mayo Clinic's Hybrid Care Hotel in Jacksonville, Fla., challenges the idea that low-risk surgical patients are better off recovering in a conventional hospital setting.
5 overlooked trends CIOs should address
Hospital CIOs must stay on top of trends to maintain successful digital strategies, as technology and the culture around it are constantly evolving. Becker's talked with five healthcare CIOs to highlight trends they think other CIOs are overlooking:
'We can't punish our way to safer medical practices': 2 experts on criminalization of medical errors
Healthcare workers are burned out and exhausted from juggling pandemic-related stressors and additional burdens linked to workforce shortages for more than two years. These issues pose serious consequences for employees and patients, as numerous studies link clinician burnout and stress to an increased likelihood of medical errors.
10 infection control upgrades needed before next pandemic
The U.S. needs to bolster its infection prevention and control infrastructure to prepare for future pandemics and the rise of healthcare-associated infections, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology said in a March 8 report.
Michael Dowling, President and CEO, Northwell Health
As a baby boomer who worked as a manual laborer for many years before taking on a job in which I work 16-hour days, I admit that I have struggled adapting to the remote-work environment that COVID-19 forced upon us.
Claudia Fegan, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Cook County Health
Each day, Claudia Fegan, MD, brings her passions about healthcare reform and social justice to her role as chief medical officer of one of the nation's largest public safety-net systems.
Matthew Love, President and CEO, Nicklaus Children's Health System
Matthew Love accepted the permanent role of president and CEO of Miami-based Nicklaus Children's Health System in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began — but he said his focus never wavered.
Jeffrey Cohen, MD, Chief Physician Executive for Community Health and Innovation, Allegheny Health Network
No longer a city known only for its production of steel and Heinz condiments, Pittsburgh's innovation economy is taking off. And Allegheny Health Network is positioning itself at the center of that growth, according to Jeffrey Cohen, MD, the Pittsburgh-based system's chief physician executive for community health and innovation.
Elie Bahou, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer, Providence
Hospitals have had to adjust the way they operate at an unprecedented speed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pharmacy department is no exception.
Dara Bartels, CEO, Mile Bluff Medical Center
When Dara Bartels became CEO of Mile Bluff Medical Center on Dec. 1, she brought with her financial acumen and a passion for rural healthcare.
Rick Evans, Senior Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Experience Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
As I have written about over the last few months, many healthcare organizations including my own, are redefining our approaches to assessing and improving patient experience. This reevaluation of our approach stems from several factors.
Peter Banko, President and CEO, Centura Health
Peter D. Banko serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at Centura Health.
Kate Walsh, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center
Kate Walsh considers two pieces of advice to inform her leadership style — one practical and one spiritual.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Michael J. Dowling: Embracing a hybrid workplace for non-clinical staff
As a baby boomer who worked as a manual laborer for many years before taking on a job in which I work 16-hour days, I admit that I have struggled adapting to the remote-work environment that COVID-19 forced upon us.
Cook County Health chief medical officer encourages healthcare leaders to be staunch patient advocates
Each day, Claudia Fegan, MD, brings her passions about healthcare reform and social justice to her role as chief medical officer of one of the nation's largest public safety-net systems.
How Nicklaus Children's CEO recruits talent, harnesses finance experience
Matthew Love accepted the permanent role of president and CEO of Miami-based Nicklaus Children's Health System in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began — but he said his focus never wavered.
Inside the 'game-changing ideas' at Allegheny Health's innovation lab
No longer a city known only for its production of steel and Heinz condiments, Pittsburgh's innovation economy is taking off. And Allegheny Health Network is positioning itself at the center of that growth, according to Jeffrey Cohen, MD, the Pittsburgh-based system's chief physician executive for community health and innovation.
Providence chief pharmacy officer on how his team has succeeded through the COVID-19 pandemic
Hospitals have had to adjust the way they operate at an unprecedented speed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pharmacy department is no exception.
CFO / FINANCE
IU Health, facing profit questions, gives med school $416M
Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health donated $416 million to the Indiana University School of Medicine, more than any donations it's given the school in the last decade, as it faces questions about its prices and profits, Indiana Business Journal reported recently.
3 health systems that recorded annual operating losses
Despite seeing stable or higher revenue year over year, several health systems that recorded results in March ended 2021 with significant operating losses.
'How do regular people with low income pay for that?': $36K hospital bill goes viral on TikTok
A video discussing the cost of delivering a baby in California has gone viral on TikTok.
2 minutes — and traffic — may have cost Tufts Health $400M
A two-minute document filing delay may have caused Tufts Health to lose a $400 million Medicaid contract, according to CBS affiliate WPRI.
Altru won't be sold, CEO says
Following rumors that Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health System may be acquired after the sudden departure of President Steven Weiser, MD, the system's new CEO told the Grand Forks Herald in a March 5 article that Altru is not for sale.
CEO/STRATEGY
17 'overpaid' healthcare CEOs
Despite many CEOs cutting their base salaries last year due to the pandemic, those moves had little effect on overall CEO pay, according to an annual report from the nonprofit shareholder advocacy group As You Sow.
Want to cut back but not ready to retire? Popular semi-retirement plans may be the solution
After the pandemic's push toward flexible work and employee wellbeing, more organizations are embracing phased retirement plans for workers nearing the end of their careers, The Wall Street Journal reported March 15.
'We had to beg her to not show up': Hospitals' on-the-ground leaders in your words
Earlier this month, I wrote about hospitals' ivory tower problem, in which leaders who spent time in the trenches at some point in their career gradually move into ivory towers shielded from the pain points, dynamics and ideas pulsing throughout their organization — and rarely realize it.
Board member calls for change in leadership at Minnesota health system linked to racist incidents
Hennepin County Commissioner Irene Fernando is calling on Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare to fire employees and demote supervisors over what she called "deeply rooted" racism within the organization, the Star Tribune reported March 3.
Viewpoint: The problem with interim CEOs
Interim CEOs should be the last option for a company and usually indicate poor succession planning, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, PhD, professor at New Haven, Conn.-based Yale School of Management, wrote in a Yale Insights article.
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
The dangers of 'glass cliff' for women in leadership roles
Research shows that women and people of color are more likely to be placed into leadership positions when an organization is in crisis mode, leaving them in a precarious situation, at risk of falling over the "glass cliff" the BBC reported Feb. 6.
Single women at disadvantage for leadership at work
Although working mothers have always known it is more challenging to ascend the leadership ranks at work, new studies suggest that single women also sit at a disadvantage, Bloomberg reported March 10.
4 figures showing the effect of female leaders
Women's participation in the workforce was hit hard during the pandemic, affecting organizations across the nation and reducing female representation in leadership positions. When women at the top leave, everybody loses out, according to a March 8 report from the Harvard Business Review.
It's lonely at the top for female leaders
Women, especially women of color, are less likely to feel included and taken seriously as they enter leadership roles, a new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found.
5 healthcare companies get 'F' in racial and gender pay equity
Of 57 companies examined on a 2022 "Racial and Gender Pay Scorecard," 24 companies received an "F" grade, including five in healthcare.
INNOVATION
10 top healthcare companies for innovation, per Drucker Institute
Ten healthcare companies were ranked among the most innovative in 2021 by the Drucker Institute, according to a ranking published in The Wall Street Journal.
Atrium Health's new innovation district to be called 'the Pearl'
The new innovation district in Charlotte, N.C., has been named "the Pearl" by leaders from Atrium Health and Wexford Science & Technology.
Sanford Health wants other systems to use its homegrown AI tool for nurse scheduling
Sanford Health will soon schedule its more than 10,000 nurses using its internally developed artificial intelligence tool, the Sioux Falls, S.D.-based system said Feb. 24 on its website.
OSF HealthCare innovation CMO sees C-suite, innovation team relationship as integral to growth
Despite being a midsize health system, OSF HealthCare pumps a lot of time, effort and investment into innovation and technology. Its chief medical officer for innovation and digital health, John Vozenilek, MD, discussed with Becker's how the system approaches innovation.
Providence exec leaving for Amazon
Aaron Martin, former chief digital officer at Renton, Wash.-based Providence, is leaving the health system March 25 to join Amazon as a vice president of health, Bloomberg reported March 11.
CIO/HEALTH IT
What Cerner's CEO envisions for EHRs 10 years from now
Healthcare would benefit from more exploration of the vast amounts of EHR data available to clinicians and researchers, Cerner CEO David Feinberg, MD, wrote in a March 7 company blog post.
FBI, CISA warn of Russian exploitation of multifactor authentication, PrintNightmare vulnerability
The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint advisory March 15 that Russian state-sponsored cyber actors gained network access through exploitation of default multifactor authentication protocols and a known vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler.
Intermountain 1st organization to earn triple stage 7 under new HIMSS model
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare on March 14 became the first organization in the world to achieve triple stage 7 under the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's new requirements.
5 overlooked trends CIOs should address
Hospital CIOs must stay on top of trends to maintain successful digital strategies, as technology and the culture around it are constantly evolving. Becker's talked with five healthcare CIOs to highlight trends they think other CIOs are overlooking:
HHS taps new CIO as AI chief departs
The Department of Health and Human Services' first chief artificial intelligence officer departed the agency, and a new CIO was appointed, FedScoop reported March 2.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
'Can anyone blame nurses for turning the tables?'
Expensive reliance on traveling nursing is a symptom of a longer-running, self-inflicted disaster: hospitals' failure to hire and support enough nurses to weather crises, an op-ed contends in The Washington Post.
1 in 3 clinicians considering leaving role by 2024, study shows
Thirty-one percent of clinicians participating in a global study said they were considering leaving their current role by 2024, with nearly half of participating U.S. clinicians reporting these plans, according to a report released March 15 by analytics firm Elsevier Health.
10 things Gen Z, millennial nurses want from their hospitals
A survey released March 1 from the American Nurses Foundation and Joslin Insight showed Generation Z and millennial nurses — who belong to the generations born between 1981 and 2012 — have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many suffering from mental health issues and about 60 percent saying they will leave or are considering leaving their positions.
Why hospitals are likely to lean on travel nurses after pandemic threat ends
Hospitals' reliance on travel nurses to fill workforce gaps is certain to continue after the COVID-19 pandemic threat ends as organizations grapple with demand for care unrelated to the virus and the departure of nurses from full-time staff jobs, Bloomberg News reported March 15.
Nurses to Joint Commission: Require safe staffing levels for accreditation
Nurses across the country are calling on The Joint Commission to require "safe staffing ratios" as a condition of accreditation for healthcare facilities, the Chicago Tribune reported March 15.