September 2022 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
91 statistics on physician compensation | 2022
With healthcare workforce shortages persisting as a significant problem for hospitals and health systems, it is important to look at how physician compensation has been evolving.
Providence streamlines exec team as part of new operating model
Providence, a 52-hospital organization with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif., is changing to a new operating model that includes a leaner executive team and a new divisional structure.
How hospitals should prepare for the PHE's end
Officials at all U.S. hospitals should be looking deep into their unique positions, paying attention to their financial situations, mix of patients and distinct geographies when assessing how the end of the public health emergency, whenever that may be, finally comes. This is according to McKinsey consultants Stephanie Carlton, a Dallas-based partner at the firm focusing on health system reform, and Pooja Kumar, MD, a Philadelphia-based senior partner. They discussed what changes might be coming for hospitals when the public health emergency does end.
'Billions of dollars wasted': What CIOs think of digital health startups
Digital health startups have raised billions of dollars over the last two years as telemedicine, virtual care and digital capabilities were thrust into the forefront of healthcare during the pandemic. But not every startup adds value.
Mass General Brigham plans huge expansion of remote patient monitoring
Boston-based Mass General Brigham has appointed a new executive to lead a vast expansion of its remote patient monitoring, the health system said July 11.
What an increasingly anxious workforce means for patient care
Whether a school in Uvalde, Texas, or a hospital campus in Tulsa, Okla., a recent series of violent events are constant reminders of the potential for what could unfold on healthcare workers' home campuses. The omnipresent anxiety over gun violence in the workplace — a possibility that increasingly seems more likely — has negative consequences for care delivery and the patient experience.
OhioHealth to eliminate 637 jobs, its biggest layoff ever
Columbus-based OhioHealth is eliminating 637 jobs, its biggest layoff ever, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The move is part of a plan to engage external partners to provide some services the system currently provides in house.
Pennsylvania hospital to close
Berwick (Pa.) Hospital Center is slated to close within 90 days after its affiliated clinics abruptly shut down last week, Newswatch 16 reported July 26 citing information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center plans $500M expansion
Vanderbilt University Medical Center unveiled plans July 25 for its first major addition since 2009 and largest expansion to date: a 15-level inpatient tower slated for completion in 2027.
Teladoc hires former Providence exec Mike Waters as COO
Teladoc named Mike Waters as chief operating officer. In this role, Mr. Waters will work with Jason Gorevic, CEO of Teladoc, on the company's overall operations and execution, according to a July 25 press release. He will also take responsibility for Teladoc's member services and relations, supply chain and provider network.
Why Amazon wants to buy One Medical
Amazon's plan to buy One Medical for $3.9 billion will give the retailer a larger foothold in selling healthcare services to employers, an arena the company entered in 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported July 22.
How hospitals fight physician loneliness
Pre-pandemic, hospitals' physician lounges were already desolate spaces. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with a growing to-do list have further encroached on physicians' ability to interact with colleagues, which can exacerbate burnout. Now, hospitals are investing in other efforts to reinvigorate connection among physicians.
Why PAs aren't using the term 'physician associate' yet
The American Academy of Physician Assistants has officially changed its name to the American Academy of Physician Associates as part of a larger rebranding effort for the profession, but the association is not advising PAs to use the new term in a professional capacity yet.
Walmart heir's medical school moves forward
It's been more than a year since Alice Walton announced her plans for a national medical school in northwest Arkansas. New details about the facility and its goals are available.
Dana Erickson President and CEO, BCBS of Minnesota
Dana Erickson has been president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota since October 2021. She sat down with Becker's to discuss the latest trends across the health insurance industry and what her company is doing to lower care costs, drive health equity and navigate the healthcare landscape in a post-pandemic world.
Michael Dowling President and CEO, Northwell Health
In nearly every facet of our lives, all of us are routinely put in the position of trying to settle disputes or disagreements, whether it be with our spouses or significant others, our children, our siblings, co-workers, neighbors, contractors — you name it. It's part of everyday life. Conflicts arise and we figure out how to resolve them.
Dennis Pullin President and CEO, Virtua Health/ Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD and Kevin M. O'Dowd, JD, Co-presidents and CEOs, Cooper University Health Care
The right to bear arms has existed since we became a nation. So, too, has the risk of violence that extensive gun ownership creates in our society.
Greg Burke, MD Chief Patient Experience Officer, Geisinger
In the middle of a patient experience crisis, the logical assumption for a health system that gives patients the opportunity to request a refund is that those expenses will skyrocket. Geisinger has seen the opposite, with patient refunds on the decline in recent years.
Diane Comer Chief Information and Technology Officer, Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente has long been known as one of the leading health systems for IT and digital innovation. So Diane Comer was excited to take over as the Oakland, Calif.-based provider and health plan's executive vice president and chief information and technology officer in April 2021, having been with the organization since 2007.
Rick Evans Chief Experience Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
The last few weeks have brought stunning developments and potentially ominous signs for our country. Recent Supreme Court rulings have stripped away protections related to women’s reproductive rights and gun violence. Threats to rights for the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable populations also appear to be on the horizon. We are facing an unprecedented rollback of rights for members of our communities.
CFO / FINANCE
10 health systems with strong finances
Here are 10 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from Fitch Ratings and Moody's Investors Service.
Hospitals push for PHE extension into 2023
The Federation of American Hospitals, which represents investor-owned or managed hospitals, is urging HHS "in the strongest terms possible" to renew the COVID-19 public health emergency through 2023.
HCA, Tenet profits sink: 10 things to know
HCA Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare, two of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the U.S., reported lower net income in the second quarter of this year than in the same period of 2021.
8 hospitals laying off workers
Several hospitals and health systems are trimming their workforces due to financial and operational challenges.
CMS releases final inpatient payment rule: 6 takeaways
CMS released its annual Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule Aug. 1, which raises Medicare payment rates for acute care hospitals.
CEO/STRATEGY
US News' Best Hospitals 2022-23 Honor Roll
For the seventh consecutive year, Mayo Clinic earned the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report best hospitals rankings.
Providence streamlines exec team as part of new operating model
Providence, a 52-hospital organization with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif., is changing to a new operating model that includes a leaner executive team and a new divisional structure.
America's 25 healthiest communities, per US News
A New Mexico county for the third consecutive year took the top spot in U.S. News & World Report and CVS Health's 2022 "Healthiest Communities Rankings." This marks the fifth annual edition of the rankings.
Ascension executive to exit for top job at Jefferson
Joseph Cacchione, MD, has been named CEO of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University, effective Sept. 6.
62 hospital CEOs stepped down this year
Sixty-two hospital CEOs have exited their roles this year, up from 42 during the same period of 2021, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas report released July 20.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Q&A: BCBS Minnesota President and CEO Dana Erickson
Dana Erickson has been president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota since October 2021. She sat down with Becker's to discuss the latest trends across the health insurance industry and what her company is doing to lower care costs, drive health equity and navigate the healthcare landscape in a post-pandemic world.
Providence's CIO zeros in on patient loyalty
Improving the patient experience is a top strategic priority for Renton, Wash.-based Providence, even as finances tighten and health systems in general are struggling to generate free cash flow.
Michael Dowling: The lost art of compromise
In nearly every facet of our lives, all of us are routinely put in the position of trying to settle disputes or disagreements, whether it be with our spouses or significant others, our children, our siblings, co-workers, neighbors, contractors — you name it. It's part of everyday life. Conflicts arise and we figure out how to resolve them.
Speaking up about the unspeakable
The right to bear arms has existed since we became a nation. So, too, has the risk of violence that extensive gun ownership creates in our society.
How Geisinger's refund program is faring amid patient experience crisis
In the middle of a patient experience crisis, the logical assumption for a health system that gives patients the opportunity to request a refund is that those expenses will skyrocket. Geisinger has seen the opposite, with patient refunds on the decline in recent years.
INNOVATION
'There are billions of dollars being wasted': What CIOs think of digital health startups
Digital health startups have raised billions of dollars over the last two years as telemedicine, virtual care and digital capabilities were thrust into the forefront of healthcare during the pandemic. But not every startup adds value.
10 most active private equity firms in healthcare
Private equity firms that invest in healthcare had a busy first quarter of 2022, continuing a series of megadeals that started last year.
Mayo Clinic Platform leader Dr. John Halamka is turning 'healthcare data into wisdom'
Mayo Clinic Platform, the data analytics and digital health arm of the Rochester, Minn.-based medical center, is trying to stop diseases in patients before they emerge, its leader told Becker's.
Penn Medicine, Optum Labs fund 10 innovation projects
Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine's Center for Health Care Innovation and University of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics will fund 10 one-year projects aimed at creating innovation for healthcare delivery.
Mass General Brigham plans huge expansion of remote patient monitoring
Boston-based Mass General Brigham has appointed a new executive to lead a vast expansion of its remote patient monitoring, the health system said July 11.
CIO/HEALTH IT
What Epic has done since Oracle bought Cerner
Oracle's $28.4 billion deal to buy Cerner and plans for a nationwide healthcare database have captured the attention of health IT executives since the deal was announced in December. But Epic, which has the largest hospital EHR market share, has also been active in the last six months.
Teladoc hires former Providence exec Mike Waters as COO
Teladoc named Mike Waters as chief operating officer. In this role, Mr. Waters will work with Jason Gorevic, CEO of Teladoc, on the company's overall operations and execution, according to a July 25 press release. He will also take responsibility for Teladoc's member services and relations, supply chain and provider network.
California hospitals must begin sharing patient data in the next year
California passed legislation a year ago requiring all healthcare and human services providers to sign a data-sharing agreement, which will be posted July 1. CalMatters, a nonprofit news source, outlined the goals of the legislation in a June 30 report.
Patients losing access to physicians as telehealth access rolls back
State by state, telehealth access is rolling back as the pandemic-era emergency orders, which allowed physicians to see patients in multiple states, are lapsing causing some patients to lose access to physicians, NBC News reported June 19.
Tower Health employee fired for record snooping, hospital says
Phoenixville (Pa.) Hospital has fired an employee for accessing patient medical records without authorization, the Reading Eagle reported July 8.
CMO/CARE DELIVERY
Physician lounges are dying: How hospitals now foster connection
Pre-pandemic, hospitals' physician lounges were already desolate spaces. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with a growing to-do list have further encroached on physicians' ability to interact with colleagues, which can exacerbate burnout. Now, hospitals are investing in other efforts to reinvigorate connection among physicians.
A Cleveland hospital employs the world's oldest practicing physician
Neurologist Howard Tucker, MD, who turned 100 on July 10, teaches medical residents at Cleveland-based St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and has held the Guinness World Record for oldest practicing physician since February 2021, Cleveland Jewish News reported July 8.
Why PAs aren't using the term 'physician associate' yet
The American Academy of Physician Assistants has officially changed its name to the American Academy of Physician Associates as part of a larger rebranding effort for the profession, but the association is not advising PAs to use the new term in a professional capacity yet.
Physician viewpoint: How to care for patients you resent
Many clinicians may not want to acknowledge when they have negative feelings about a patient in their care, but such resentment or frustration is important to recognize and address, as studies show it can affect care quality, Joan Naidorf, DO, a Virginia-based emergency physician, wrote in a June 30 op-ed for The Washington Post.
Edward-Elmhurst Health debuts medical group with 650 clinicians
Naperville, Ill.-based Edward-Elmhurst Health system announced the formation of its new medical group, Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group, on July 6.