November 2017 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
On the Cover
50 Hospitals with Innovation Programs
Becker's Hospital Review is pleased to recognize the following 50 hospitals and health systems with innovation programs. Click here to continue.
Geisinger CEO Dr. David Feinberg Talks 1 Year of Patient Refunds
Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., implemented a satisfaction-guaranteed patient refund program in November 2015 under the mantle of President and CEO David Feinberg, MD. Click here to continue.
The MACRA Final Rule: 10 Things to Know
After a listening tour and nearly 4,000 public comments, CMS released the final rule Friday for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, a landmark payment system for Medicare physician fees that replaces the sustainable growth rate formula. Click here to continue.
CEO/Strategy
ABA Announces Top 10 Regional Health Law Firms
The American Bar Association Health Law Section and Becker's Hospital Review announce the Fourth Annual Law Firm Regional Top 10 Recognition lists for the Midwest, Northeast, South, Southeast & DC and West regions. Click here to continue.
Trump, Clinton's Healthcare Plans Would Achieve Opposite Results, Studies Find
Voters know Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's healthcare plans are dramatically different, but they may not realize just how distinct they are: A pair of studies conducted by Rand Corp., and released by The Commonwealth Fund suggests the candidates' plans would achieve almost opposite outcomes. Click here to continue.
Carolinas HealthCare CEO Gene Woods Launches National Search for COO
Charlotte, N.C.-based Carolinas HealthCare System CEO Gene Woods said Wednesday the health system is launching a national search for a COO, a position that has been vacant since Joe Piemont departed in April 2015, according to The Charlotte Observer. Click here to continue.
Want To Be a CEO? Diversify Your Experience, Study Says
Imagine three workers: Richard, Charles and Anne. Click here to continue.
Board of Allina-Run Hospital Votes to Dissolve
The North Suburban Hospital District Board, which owns Unity Hospital in Fridley, Minn., voted Wednesday to disband and stop collecting taxes to support the hospital. Click here to continue.
Former Mayo CEO Gene Mayberry Dies at 87
W. Eugene Mayberry, MD, a former CEO of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, died Sept. 18, according to the Post Bulletin. Click here to continue.
The Rise of the 'Freelance Consultant' — 7 Things to Know
Once linked to established firms, consultants are increasingly breaking ties with these enterprises in favor of working independently in the gig economy as "freelance consultants," reports Financial Times. Click here to continue.
Providence Health Services Eliminates CEO Role at St. Mary to Reduce Overhead
In a move to cut costs, Providence Health & Services in Renton, Wash., eliminated the CEO position at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash., reports Union Bulletin. Click here to continue.
A CEO's Job Interview Checklist: 5 Questions to Better Identify the Best Employer for You
Just as boards and executive teams develop lists of qualifications for CEO candidates, the candidate too should have a list of criteria to assess a possible new employer. Click here to continue.
CFO/Finance
20 Financial Benchmarks for Hospital Executives
Here are 20 benchmarks related to one of the most important day-to-day areas hospital executives oversee — finance. Click here to continue.
20% of Physician Respondents are Familiar with MACRA: 5 Survey Takeaways
Only 20 percent of physicians said they were somewhat or very familiar with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, according to a new survey conducted by Merritt Hawkins on behalf of The Physicians Foundation. Click here to continue.
Parkland Memorial Hospital To Lay Off 108 Amid Budget Cuts
Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas will lay off 108 employees and eliminate 200 more unfilled jobs, according to The Dallas Morning News. Click here to continue.
10 High-Spend Drugs Affecting Hospitals Most
Between 2013 and 2015, inpatient hospital drug costs jumped an average of 38.7 percent per admission, making it difficult for many hospitals to manage their budgets, according to a recent analysis from the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. Click here to continue.
CHS Adopts Short-Term Poison Pill to Protect Stockholders' Rights
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is adopting a "poison pill" roughly two weeks after a notable Chinese billionaire increased his holding in the for-profit hospital operator. Click here to continue.
Massachusetts Hospital Association Admits Price Variation 'Problematic'
After a several month-long investigation, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association issued a report that acknowledges the problem of "unwarranted price variation among providers" in the Commonwealth, The Boston Globe reports Click here to continue.
What This Year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics Means for ACOs, Physician Compensation
Two economists were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Monday for their work in contract theory — work that could inform physician-hospital, compensation and value-based care agreements. Click here to continue.
Parents Charged $39 to Hold Baby After Birth, Itemized Bill Shows
Utah father Ryan Grassley posted a photo of a hospital bill on Reddit showing a $39.95 charge that he characterized as a fee "to hold my baby after he was born." Click here to continue.
KPMG Ends Contract with Broward Health Over Audit Dispute
Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., split with accounting firm KPMG after the firm refused a contract addendum that would have extensively restricted its inquiry powers into Broward's activities, reports Sun Sentinel. Click here to continue.
Fitch: Change in Political Environment Could Disrupt Healthcare Business Models
Many major healthcare issues are hanging on the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, according to a Fitch Ratings report. Click here to continue.
Geisinger to Buy Medical School, Deal Will Close by 2017
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System has plans to purchase Scranton, Pa.-based The Commonwealth Medical College, reports The Citizens' Voice. Click here to continue.
The Best and Worst Commercial Health Plans in 2016
The National Committee for Quality Assurance released its 2016 Health Insurance Plan Ratings providing information on how health insurance plans performed in regards to consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. Click here to continue.
Oklahoma Hospital Files for Bankruptcy
The public trust that operates Atoka (Okla.) County Medical Center filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy Tuesday. Click here to continue.
Geisinger Gets Revenue Boost From Acquisitions
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System recorded an operating surplus of $167.5 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up nearly 5 percent from an operating surplus of $159.8 million in the year prior. Click here to continue.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Lowers Layoffs to 84
Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock will lay off 84 employees to reduce costs, according to a Valley News report. Click here to continue.
Tenet, Humana Rift Affects 750,000 in South Florida
Nearly three-quarters of a million south Florida residents may be affected by a contract dispute between Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and payer Humana, Sun Sentinel reports. Click here to continue.
CIO/Health IT
Down the Rabbit Hole at Epic: 9 Key Points From the Users Group Meeting
Close to 18,000 people gathered at Epic Systems' headquarters in Verona, Wis., this week for the vendor's annual Users Group Meeting. Click here to continue.
Physicians' Opinions of EHR Vendors: 8 Findings
The latest report from healthcare technology market research firm peer60 finds physicians remain highly dissatisfied with their EHRs, some providers still seeking to switch vendors and Epic gaining traction in the ambulatory EHR market, making other vendors more vulnerable for replacement. Click here to continue.
Survey Indicates Half of Organizations Unprepared to Meet Health Data Security Standard
The Health Information Trust Alliance offers a framework standard for the healthcare industry to secure healthcare data and manage compliance, but a recent poll conducted by KPMG shows half of organizations are not prepared to implement the standard. Click here to continue.
6 Things to Know About Apple's Foray into Healthcare
Rumors have long swirled around Apple's push into the healthcare industry. After all, prior to Steve Jobs' death in 2011 from pancreatic cancer, he made it Apple's goal to fix some of healthcare's challenges. Click here to continue.
Boston Children's 2014 Hacker Explains Why He Did It
In April 2014, Boston Children's Hospital was struck with a series of cyberattacks attempting to infiltrate and crash the hospital's website by overwhelming its capacity. Click here to continue.
CIOs Say Mobile Devices are Organizations' Weakest Cybersecurity Link
As mobile devices proliferate, employees' use of them is the biggest threat to corporate security, but knowing where the threats is can help inform cybersecurity protocols, according to a Harvard Business Review report. Click here to continue.
Banner Health Algorithm Unintentionally Forecasts Which Patients are Most Likely to Die
In 2009, a team of researchers at Phoenix-based Banner Health set out to create an algorithm that would warn providers when patients were most at risk for contracting sepsis. Click here to continue.
5 Thoughts From HHS CTO Susannah Fox on Technology in Healthcare
As the chief technology officer of HHS, Susannah Fox helps leadership harness data, technology and innovation to improve healthcare nationwide. Click here to continue.
The Best, Worst States for EHR Adoption, HIE, Interoperability: 4 Findings From ONC
The ONC has released the latest data available of health IT adoption and use, broken down in a state-by-state format. Click here to continue.
Halifax Health's CIO Sees Delayed EHR Go-Live as a Good Thing: Here's Why
Five years ago, Halifax Health was working with an unreliable IT system while working toward meaningful use attestation. Click here to continue.
Some Hackers Say Hospitals are Off-Limits for Ransomware Attacks
While the threat of ransomware and cyberattacks in healthcare is growing, targeting hospitals and health systems has drawn criticisms from perhaps an unlikely group: hackers themselves. Click here to continue.
CMO/Care Delivery
Hospital Beds Antibiotic History Can Put Future Patients at Risk for C. Diff
When a patient in a hospital bed receives antibiotics, it puts the beds' next occupant at an increased risk of a Clostridium difficile infection, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Click here to continue.
The Pervasiveness of Nurse Bullying: 7 Key Thoughts
Nurse bullying and incivility in the operating room is a real and seemingly ubiquitous problem, as evidenced by a recent discussion hosted by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and streamed live on Facebook. Click here to continue.
U of Vermont College of Medicine to Scrap All Lecture Courses by 2022
Following a $66M gift and a name change, Burlington-based University of Vermont College of Medicine plans to eliminate all lecture classes by 2022, reports Inside Higher Ed. Click here to continue.
How Physician Misconduct Affects a Hospital's Bottom Line: 4 Thoughts From Healthcare Litigator Rafael Villalobos
Hospital and health system earnings are continually threatened by outside sources like rising healthcare costs and revenue cycle management issues Click here to continue.
Ransomware Encrypts Data at Keck Medicine of USC, No Ransom Paid
Keck Medicine in Los Angeles, part of University of Southern California, has reported two servers were hit with ransomware in August, encrypting files and making them inaccessible to employees. The hospitals did not pay any ransom. Click here to continue.
Physicians in These 14 Specialties More Likely to Vote Republican
While physicians are generally split 50/50 between the Democrat and Republican parties, partisanship is less evenly divided when looking at individual specialties. Click here to continue.
Bridal Shop Sues Texas Health Resources for $1M Over Ebola- Infected Nurse's Visit
A bridal shop in Akron, Ohio, is suing Texas Health Resources for more than $1 million, alleging a THR hospital was negligent by allowing a nurse who had contracted Ebola in 2014 to freely interact with others despite exposure to the virus, according to the Dallas Morning News. Click here to continue.
RN Average Hourly Wage and Salary For All 50 States
Registered nurses in California earn the highest average annual salary of RNs in the U.S. at $101,260, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Click here to continue.
6 Findings on the State of Physician Practice, Employment
As the physician employment trend continues, the word is out on its progress. Click here to continue.
Wisconsin ACO Lays Off 40% of Staff
Integrated Health Network of Wisconsin, an accountable care organization based in Brookfield, has laid of 21 employees as a result of a decision to shift certain functions from ACO administrators to participating healthcare organizations, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Click here to continue.
How 3 Health System Executives Weighed Decisions About Armed Security
Violence in hospitals is a growing public health concern. Click here to continue.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to Double Number of Physicians Following Complaints of Delays
Cleveland Clinic plans to double the number of physicians staffing its Abu Dhabi hospital after some patients complained it took too long to get appointments, according to The National. Click here to continue.
Hospitals With High Patient Experience Star Ratings Don't Have Better Outcomes, New Analysis Finds
CMS started awarding five-star ratings to hospitals based solely on HCAHPS scores in April of last year, and one year later, a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine claimed the patient satisfaction-based ratings actually are associated with patient outcomes. However, a recently released study from Quantros produced contrary findings. Click here to continue.
Fear of Stigma, Sanctions Keep Some Female Physicians From Reporting Mental Health Issues, Study Says
A new study by researchers at the Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System published in General Hospital Psychiatry, suggests that some female physicians, who are also mothers, may be less likely to report mental health issues for fear of being unable to keep up with daily work or because of the stigma associated with mental conditions. Click here to continue.
Thought Leadership
Chuck Lauer: Naming the No. 1 Challenge for Health System CEOs is Now a Challenge in Itself
As many readers know, I like to keep a close eye on what healthcare CEOs and other top leaders are thinking. Click here to continue.
Up for the Challenge: How Allegheny Health's CEO Plans to Make Healthcare More Convenient in Pittsburgh
Cynthia Hundorfean went out on a limb when she interviewed for Allegheny Health Network's president and CEO position — she had never been to Pittsburgh, where the system is headquartered, but she was looking for a new challenge after more than three decades working in Cleveland. Click here to continue.
Geisinger CEO Dr. David Feinberg Talks 1 Year of Patient Refunds
Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., implemented a satisfaction-guaranteed patient refund program in November 2015 under the mantle of President and CEO David Feinberg, MD. After one year of refunds, Dr. Feinberg says the health system could have actually returned less money to patients compared to years prior. Click here to continue.
7 Thoughts on Leadership With One of Yale-New Haven's Youngest Administrators
At 28-years-old, Stephanie Beauton already has quite a list of accomplishments to her name. Click here to continue.
Michael Dowling: Building a Culture of Innovation to Avoid the Complacency Trap
It is dangerous to believe anything in healthcare works perfectly. Click here to continue.
The Corner Office: GBMC HealthCare System CEO Dr. John Chessare on Getting Beyond 'Hard Work and Good Intentions' in Healthcare
John Chessare, MD, knew from a young age that he wanted to spend his career doing something that would improve others' lives. Click here to continue.
Strategy/Innovation
How Mercy Created a $54M Virtual Hospital in St. Louis
In October 2015, Mercy Hospital St. Louis opened a $54 million, four-story hospital — and it doesn't have any beds, according to CNN Money. Click here to continue.
Yale-New Haven Physician to Debut 'Price is Right' Game — For Hospital Charges
A New Haven, Conn.-based physician will take on a new role as "Dr. Bob Barker" in a hospital price guessing game modeled after The Price Is Right, Yale Daily News reports. Click here to continue.
87% of CFOs Say Outcome of Presidential Election Will Affect Future Business Growth
More than 80 percent of CFOs in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries say their companies' future performance depends, at least in part, on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, according to a Deloitte survey. Click here to continue.
Kaufman Hall: 2016 Hospital M&A Activity Keeping Pace With 2015
Kaufman Hall, a provider of strategic, capital, financial and transaction advisory services and software tools, identified 77 hospital and health system transactions in the first three quarters of 2016, compared with 78 transactions announced in the same period of 2015. Click here to continue.
In Desperate Attempt to Prevent Gun Violence, NY Hospital Exec Hosts Teen Seminar in Morgue
As part of an effort to rally teens who have been "desensitized to violence," an executive of New York City-based Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center launched a seminar that culminates with a visit to the hospital morgue, according to The Trace. Click here to continue.
Hospital Executives May Want to Keep an Eye on Lake Nona, Florida
Developers of a 14-square-mile project in Florida are working to turn Orlando's Lake Nona into an oasis of wellness and cutting-edge healthcare, reports The New York Times. Click here to continue.
Intermountain Healthcare Plans $55M Transformation Center, Dr. Sorenson to Lead
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare will break ground early next year on a $55 million, four-story Transformation Center, according to KSL.com. Click here to continue.
Hungry No More: This Coalition Tackling Food Insecurity is One for Healthcare Leaders to Watch
Last year, 42.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, including 13.1 million children, according to Feeding America. Minorities, children, single-parent families and senior citizens are most affected by food insecurity, which is especially widespread in the South. Click here to continue.
UnitedHealthcare, Moffitt Cancer Center Partner for Lung Cancer Payment Model
Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and payer UnitedHealthcare launched a value-based payment model for lung cancer treatment effective Oct. 1. Click here to continue.
NQF Announces Winners of Innovation Challenge to Improve Quality Measures
Five healthcare organizations have been named winners of the National Quality Forum's Innovation Challenge, a contest to promote innovation in healthcare quality measure development. Click here to continue.
Ascension Launches National Rebranding Campaign, Creates New Divisional Structure
St. Louis-based Ascension is implementing a new structure that organizes the system's areas of expertise into two divisions — healthcare and solutions. Click here to continue.
Precision Medicine Trial 'First of its Kind' to Demonstrate Improved Patient Outcomes
Tailoring medical treatments to the needs of specific patients seems like a no-brainer for improving outcomes, but it's a reality that has eluded healthcare as it stands today, and has become the primary focus of the precision medicine movement. Click here to continue.
BJC HealthCare CEO: 5 Recommendations for Improving Direction of US Healthcare
To address the evolving needs of the U.S. healthcare system, Steven Lipstein, president and CEO of St. Louis-based BJC Health Care. Click here to continue.
Dr. Toby Cosgrove: How Medical Innovation is Transforming More Than Healthcare
Beyond the goal of improving care quality, efficiency and patient and provider satisfaction, medical innovation is having larger affects on economies, suggests Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, MD, president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. Click here to continue.
How Tech Companies are Using an NFL Strategy to Hire More Women
In efforts to be more inclusive in hiring, the NFL implemented the Rooney Rule in 2003, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for all head coach and general manager positions. Click here to continue.
5 Force Reshaping US Healthcare
The $5 trillion U.S. health industry is in the midst of transformative change generated by what PwC describes as a collision of forces. Click here to continue.