October 2016 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
On the Cover
110 Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems
Becker's Hospital Review is pleased to recognize the following leaders in the 2016 edition of the Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems list. Click Here to Continue
10 Things Keeping Health System CEOs Up at Night
Health system CEOs are asked to perform the highwire act of managing change in the industry while keeping operations steady and finances healthy. Click Here to Continue
Executive Briefings
Making the Transition to Population Health: Healthcare Leaders Share Challenges, Opportunities and a Roadmap for Success
Fortune-Telling in Revenue Cycle Management: Patient Personas and Propensities to Pay
Positive Patient Identification: The Key to Improving Revenue Cycle Efficiency and Reducing Denied Claims
The New Practitioner: 3 Health System Leaders on How Teams are Changing the Value of Care
How Identifying the Right Revenue Cycle Solutions Partner Can Save Hospitals Millions: A Case Study
Population Health
Stark Law: The 27-Year-Old Act Killing Healthcare Reform Before It Can Begin?
Enacted more than two decades ago to curb physician self-referral, Stark Law has evolved to become so complex that health system CEOs and even the law's namesake are calling for its repeal. Click Here to Continue
Could ACOs Inadvertently Be Making Healthcare Disparities Worse?
Accountable care organizations — which are designed to help improve healthcare quality and constrain costs — could be exacerbating disparities in healthcare, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs. Click Here to Continue
17 Hospitals and Health Systems with Unique Population Health Incentives
Here are 19 population health programs from hospitals and health systems. The hospitals have reported success in achieving their goals and creating healthier communities. Click Here to Continue
CMS Unveils 2015 Medicare ACO Quality, Financial Performance: 12 Things to Know
CMS on Thursday released the 2015 quality and financial results for its Pioneer and Medicare Shared Savings Programs. Click Here to Continue
Weighing the Cost of Care: How Hospitals Accommodate Obese Patients
"It's a struggle for all hospitals. It's something we talk about nearly every day." Click Here to Continue
Interventions to Keep Chronic Illness Patients on their Meds Could Save Billions
Interventions to keep patients with chronic disease medication adherent leads to improved health outcomes and lower medical spending, according to a new study from the CVS Health Research Institute. Click Here to Continue
Not Your Usual Hospital Ad: 'If Our Beds Are Filled, It Means We've Failed'
The transition to value-based care and subsequent focus on preventive health has hospitals making new investments, particularly in advertising. Click Here to Continue
CEO/Strategy
There are 4 Leadership Styles. What's Yours?
To be a great leader, one must first understand his or her own leadership qualities and tendencies. Click Here to Continue
32 Nurses Who Transitioned to Hospital CEOs
Hospital executives may come from many walks of life, with many leaders also having experience in nursing. Click Here to Continue
Power of Words- 9 Hospital Leaders Take the TED Talks' Stage
These hospital CEOs, executives and physician leaders dug deep, sharing their insight on how to solve major healthcare industry challenges during various TED Talks throughout the years. Click Here to Continue
The Magic Number: How Many Partners Should a Health System Consider Before Merging?
Last year was a record year for acquisitions across all industries, especially in heathcare. Click Here to Continue
CEOs Influence Employee Political Leanings: 4 Findings
The political leanings of CEOs hold clout over employee election outlooks, an academic study led by three business professors found. Click Here to Continue
Cleveland Clinic Files Plans for London Hospital
Cleveland Clinic has submitted plans to Westminster City Council in London to convert a six-story office block into a 205-bed hospital overlooking Buckingham Palace, according to the Evening Standard. Click Here to Continue
Geisinger to Hire 1,500
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System plans to hire more than 1,500 physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses and support staff as part of its new nationwide recruitment effort. Click Here to Continue
Business Strategy- a Focus on 5 Questions
When I look at strategy for businesses of any sort, including healthcare companies, ASC chains, practices and/or hospitals and healthcare systems, I believe business leadership is well served when starting with five key questions. Click Here to Continue
CFO/Finance
CMS Says Providers Can 'Pick Their Pace' for MACRA: 6 Things to Know
CMS is offering flexibility to providers participating in the Quality Payment Program under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, outlining multiple options as to how they can participate in the first year. Click Here to Continue
A State-by-State Breakdown of 77 Rural Hospital Closures
Of the 25 states that have seen at least one rural hospital close since 2010, those with the most closures are located in the South, according to research from the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program. Click Here to Continue
Patients Desert Texas' Costliest Hospital Following Pricing Report
Texas General Hospital in Grand Prairie may be struggling to attract patients for elective services after a report named it the most costly hospital in the state, reports Dallas Observer. Click Here to Continue
7 Things to Know About Aetna's ACA Exchange Exit
Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna will leave a majority of state exchanges next year, adding to a tumultuous year for Affordable Care Act exchanges nationwide. Click Here to Continue
35 NJ Hospitals Sued Over Tax-Exempt Status
The tax-exempt status of 35 hospitals in New Jersey are uncertain due to a flurry of tax appeals filed in the state. Click Here to Continue
Indiana Women Released From Cancun Hospital After Paying $67k Toward Bill
An elderly woman from Lafayette, Ind., has been released from a hospital in Cancún, Mexico, after paying $67,000 toward her bill of more than $100,000, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier. Click Here to Continue
11 Recent Transactions and Partnerships
The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships took place or were announced in the past week. Click Here to Continue
Why Billing After Death Is Complicated
Death is inevitable. Click Here to Continue
MD Anderson POints to Epic Implementation for 77% Drop in Adjusted Income
Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center reported a 76.9 percent drop in adjusted income for the 10 months ended June 30, a downfall it largely attributes to its Epic EHR implementation project. Click Here to Continue
8 of the Most Memorable Quotes about Hospital Prices
Hospital pricing has drawn increased scrutiny from parties within and outside the healthcare industry as patients experience higher out-of-pocket costs. Click Here to Continue
CIO/Health IT
33 Health IT and Revenue Cycle Wiz Kids
Here are 33 young up-and-comers in the health IT and revenue cycle space. Click Here to Continue
Appalachian Regional Healthcare Back Online 3 Weeks After Cyberattack
Appalachian Regional Healthcare this week is bringing its computer systems back online three weeks after shutting them down to stop the spread of a computer virus. Click Here to Continue
Banner Health May Face 3 New Lawsuits After Security Breach
Three law firms are investigating the possibility of filing a lawsuit against Phoenix-based Banner Health over the data breach that affected 3.7 million individuals earlier this month, according to the Greeley Tribune. Click Here to Continue
CMO/Care Delivery
Why 100 Florida Hospital Physicians Are Learning 'Table Manners' at Gettysburg
Physicians from Orlando-based Florida Hospital are getting schooled in military history — and it's helping them lead differently. Click Here to Continue
The 49 Hospitals Facing the Highest Readmission Penalties from Medicare
As part of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, Medicare will cut payments to 2,597 hospitals by anywhere from 0.01 percent to the maximum of 3 percent for fiscal year 2017. Click Here to Continue
Why Are the Hospitals With 1 Star From CMS?
The 129 hospitals that received a one-star rating from CMS' new Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating program are located in 26 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Click Here to Continue
Pediatric Office Drops 8 Families After Negative Facebook Comments
As eight Florida families can attest, be careful about what you write on social media. It could cost you more than you think, NBC 2 reported. Click Here to Continue
10 Things to Know about Hospitalists
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the title "hospitalist," or physicians whose work centers around a location of care — the hospital — rather than a disease, patient type or organ. Click Here to Continue
Successfully Choosing New Hand Hygiene Products: 4 Key Points
Hospitals consider changing hand hygiene products for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to upgrade the quality of soap or sanitizer while saving money or finding a product compatible with new electronic dispensers. Click Here to Continue
Wayne State May Lose 37 Medical School Faculty Members
Detroit-based Wayne State University School of Medicine could be down 37 faculty members due to retirement and termination, according to The Detroit News. Click Here to Continue
Ice Maker, Sinks Linked to UW Medical Center Legionnaires' Outbreak; 2 Dead
After extensive testing throughout University of Washington Medical Center, the source of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak was located in the Seattle-based hospital Tuesday evening, according to the Seattle Times, but not before a second patient with the infection died. Click Here to Continue
Thought Leadership
Intermountain's CNO on Maximizing Nurse Talent, Optimizing Care Transitions and More
According to the American Nurses Association, miscommunication during care transitions is a well-known cause of medical errors. Click Here to Continue
Corner Office: Virginia Mason Health System Chairman and CEO Dr.Gary S. Kaplan on Relentlessly Fighting Waste and What He Learned Working in a Hardware Store
Providing high-quality healthcare requires a balance between clinical expertise, technical management systems and effective communication. Click Here to Continue
Michael Dowling: How to Make Population Health a Robust Strategy- Not a One-Off Project
To effectively manage population health, related initiatives must be central components of a health system's overall strategy. Click Here to Continue
Treating the Community: Cook County Health CEO Dr. John Jay Shannon Answers 5 Questions on the Opioid Epidemic
From June 2015 to June 2016, as the rate of opioid overdoses nationwide continued to swell at record levels, the state of Illinois operated without a budget. Click Here to Continue
Reducing the Stigma: 5 Questions With Boston Medical Center CEO Kate Walsh on the Opioid Crisis
Boston Medical Center is the largest safety-net hospital and busiest trauma and emergency services center in New England and provides essential care to Boston's most vulnerable patients. Click Here to Continue