HealthLeadersMedia.com - HealthLeaders Magazine

Cardiovascular Performance

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:02:00 GMT

Patients who seek treatment at one of the Thomson Reuters 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have better outcomes: They are released from the hospital sooner and have lower 30-day mortality. And these hospitals manage clinical gains while keeping costs lower. The typical winning hospital spent approximately $4,000 less per bypass surgery patient and nearly $1,500 less per heart attack patient admitted.

Preventive Care

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:02:00 GMT

Despite CDC data that 33.8% of American adults are obese, and that pre-diabetes affects 35% of Americans age 20 and up, only 20% of Americans perceive themselves to be in fair or poor health, according to the Thomson Reuters 2010 PULSE™ Healthcare Survey; fully 80% of respondents assess themselves to be in good, very good, or excellent health. The survey also finds, however, that for most standard preventive care screenings, there is considerable room for improvement in participation rates.

Reform Readiness

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:02:00 GMT

Healthcare reform has become such an overused term that healthcare leaders are almost numbed by it. It encompasses so many changes—from the way healthcare is paid for to how it's accessed—that it calls into question almost everything leaders think they know about how to best run a hospital, health system, or physician group practice. The term also references a multiyear change, so leaders are doing the best they can to break down strategies necessary to survive and thrive under new rules into more easily digestible steps. In October, we held a roundtable with some of the industry's top strategists to discuss findings in the latest HealthLeaders Media survey on reform readiness and to come up with several sharable insights into how to frame and enact many of the strategies that will ensure survival in the turbulent environment to come.

Mergers & Acquisitions: Ingredients for a Successful Union

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:02:00 GMT

With a growing number of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures among healthcare organizations, leaders must recognize the effect of these agreements beyond financial support and growth opportunity. HealthLeaders Media recently convened a panel of experts to discuss how to evaluate joint ventures and partnerships. The insights our panelists share include understanding partnership options, performing a thorough due diligence process, and dealing with the breadth of the cultural changes. Following are highlights from that conversation.

The Cost Containment Struggle

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:02:00 GMT

With reliable predictions that reimbursements will decline steadily in coming years, hospitals and health systems are working to eliminate waste and excess cost in order to position themselves to be competitive long term. In August 2011, HealthLeaders Media conducted a detailed survey among senior leaders at these institutions in an attempt to better understand their motivations, their pressure points, and, most important, their strategies for gaining control of their organization's cost structure. In September, we held a roundtable with several key executives to discuss the findings in an effort to identify strategies that yield the best results in this time of rapid change.

Hospital Selection

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:02:00 GMT

Most Americans say they would look for a hospital rating, although less than half are "very likely" to do so. But if their hospital receives a bad rating, nearly 75% say they would change hospitals rather than stay put. If specialty care is needed, slightly more than half would seek out the best-rated facility rather than go to their community hospital. If a serious illness is involved, nearly 60% would rely on ratings rather than community location in seeking care.

Margins in Jeopardy as 5010, ICD-10 Deadlines Loom

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:06:00 GMT

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.

Do-It-Yourself IT Solutions

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:38:00 GMT

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.

Physician Compensation Incentives Shifting

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:10:00 GMT

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

Alliances: Pathways to an ACO

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:14:00 GMT

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

Patient Engagement Takes Physician Leadership

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:58:00 GMT

As providers become increasingly accountable for healthcare outcomes, patient engagement grows in significance. Individuals should take responsibility for their health, but what role do the providers play in turning consumers of care into partners in care?

Treating Patient as Partner

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:19:00 GMT

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?

Angel Eye

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:14:00 GMT

The 436-staffed-bed University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock runs a webcam program that allows families to view infants in the NICU, no matter how far away they are.

Supply Fails to Meet Demand

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Industrywide efforts to provide more qualified IT staff may yield improvements, but that won’t solve the problem overnight, say those familiar with the many programs now sprouting up in response to government funding.

Once You Have Them, Don't Let IT Staff Get Away

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:41:00 GMT

Hiring tech staff or retraining your own people is only half the battle, says Subra Sripada, senior vice president and chief information officer at Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, MI. You also have to keep them.

NICU: Tiny Patients, Big Concerns

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:37:00 GMT

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.

Experience Matters

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:28:00 GMT

Humana and Norton Healthcare, after two years in a payer-provider partnership to create an ACO, share their experiences—and what other organizations can learn from their struggles.

Managing the Continuum

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:22:00 GMT

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

Resolute Decisions

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Committing to a bold goal and following through with determination are essential to success.

Demonstrating Quality

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:49:00 GMT

Hard data reveals the real value of electronic health records.