In our annual Industry Survey, leaders cite patient noncompliance and lack of responsibility as the fifth-greatest driver of healthcare costs at their organizations. Naturally, labor costs, government mandates, and clinical technology top the list, but a quarter of respondents pointed to patients as among the top three cost drivers, ahead of health plan overhead, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and malpractice litigation. What do healthcare leaders need to do to effectively engage patients and get them to become responsible healthcare partners?

As healthcare reform influences compensation models, many doctors expect relatively small pay increases in 2012.

A fully integrated accountable care organization may be the goal, but for now, many healthcare leaders are focused on developing scale through alliances.

Providers’ goals for achieving meaningful use are at risk, in part, because of a shortage of IT techs. Now leaders are considering in-house efforts. But supply continues to trail demand.

Providers who don't meet HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 deadlines could blow their margins to smithereens. That should set healthcare leaders on contingency planning alert.

Whether inside the hospital wall or beyond, initiatives large and small can improve care and reduce costs.

Health systems are adopting technological improvements and clinical changes to improve outcomes while participating in educational campaigns to reduce a rising trend of late preterm births and resultant complications.   

Gary Lees, director of the department since 1983, has seen the technology and science revolutionize medical illustration. Through it all, he says, the interpretive skill of the artist remains a constant.