Executives outlined strategies to address intensifying demands at the recent HealthLeaders CEO Exchange.
As the landscape in healthcare continues to shift and evolve, it's on hospital CEOs to meet the moment by proactively attacking challenges head-on.
With pressure mounting from workforce shortages, cybersecurity threats, and rising violence in care settings, leaders know that it's crucial to identify and implement the right solutions.
Here are four strategic imperatives executives at last week's HealthLeaders CEO Exchange discussed to solve for some of the major concerns currently facing decision-makers.
Invest in your people
Every organization wants to strengthen its workforce and while there are several ways to tackle staffing issues, CEOs at the Exchange highlighted that a people-focused approach should be at the forefront.
Reigniting joy and purpose for healthcare workers is key, especially with aftereffects of the pandemic still being felt. Fostering a positive culture to create more enthusiasm, especially by celebrating high performers and supporting career growth, can go a long way.
Technology should be used to support clinical workers, not add to their burden. Organizations are adopting tools like ambient documentation and AI-driven radiology, but success depends on involving frontline staff in testing and selecting solutions that work for them.
Reinforce workplace safety
The unfortunate reality for the healthcare workplace is that it's impossible to prevent violence completely.
However, the growing threat of violence is prompting organizations to take layered, often discreet approaches to staff and patient safety. Monthly workplace violence committees, active shooter drills, and panic buttons embedded in employee badges are part of wider strategies Exchange members are utilizing.
Though some hospitals employ armed guards, most security measures are designed to be non-intrusive. Enhancements in waiting areas, psychiatric support, and facial recognition tools help mitigate potential incidents, while staff de-escalation and support initiatives aim to address daily aggression.
Prepare cybersecurity response
Executives at the Exchange agreed that cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern, but a core leadership priority.
Though prevention is still necessary, the focus for organizations is shifting to rapid response, with cyberattacks all but inevitable. In the wake of an attack, it's vital that hospitals can recover as quickly as possible to keep operations running, including having a communication plan ready to go. By staying in a hybrid environment that includes both data centers and the cloud for data storage, leaders won't be overcommitted one way or the other and can balance speed with control.
In terms of prevention, email remains the top entry point for cyberattacks, which is why health systems should be educating staff through phishing simulations. The rise of AI-driven attacks is also putting more emphasis on social psychology, with bad actors gaining access through impersonation like never before. To combat this, one leader suggested that their peers ask off-the-wall questions to verify identities during conversations.
Embrace change
Finally, CEOs recognize that resilience is vital right now with change becoming the norm in healthcare.
Organizations are investing in regular leadership gatherings and enterprise-wide training to empower teams through volatility. Frontline management resiliency training, trust-building, and open dialogue with regional leaders are seen as essential for maintaining stability and morale in an increasingly dynamic environment.
Ultimately, the next seismic event will eventually occur, whether it's at the scale of a pandemic or provider-specific like site-neutral payment policy. How leaders weather those storms will determine long-term success.
Are you a CEO or executive leader interested in attending an upcoming event? To inquire about attending the HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
Jay Asser is the CEO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Supporting and empowering healthcare workers is central to workforce sustainability.
Cybersecurity is now a leadership issue, with response readiness taking priority to deal with inevitable attacks.
Change in healthcare is constant, making resilience, communication, and flexibility essential at every level of an organization.