Massachusetts budget cuts will hit two of the state's safety-net hospitals particularly hard: Boston Medical Center has been notified it will not be reimbursed $64 million for care delivered to low-income Medicaid patients last fiscal year, and Cambridge Health Alliance will lose out on $40 million it had been expecting. An executive at Boston Medical said the hospital will be forced to cut services. Officials at Cambridge Health Alliance said they had not yet been notified of the cuts, but earlier this year the Boston Globe reported that the hospital was on track to lose $26 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Alabama hospitals were told by the Alabama Medicaid Agency last week they faced drastic cuts, according to the Alabama Hospital Association. Fearing the cuts would be catastrophic for many hospitals, the association had an emergency meeting with Gov. Bob Riley and Medicaid Commissioner Carol Steckel. Panicked hospital executives told Riley and Steckel the cuts, which were supposed to be effective retroactively to Oct. 1, would put many hospitals out of business or force them to reduce services.
Southern Regional Medical Center, Clayton County, GA's only hospital, has lost money for two years and is depending on the county government to help offset a decline in patients and rising costs to treat the uninsured. An ongoing political feud and concerns about the struggling economy have delayed that help, however. The 331-bed hospital Riverdale hospital has asked the County Commission to back a $95 million bond. County commissioners initially agreed to back the bond, but have began having second thoughts.
Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child healthcare program in the country just seven months after it launched. Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available healthcare options for eliminating funding. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.
Lawmakers Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin have sent a letter asking the nonprofit group that sponsors the Cardiovascular Research Foundation conference for information about its financial relationships with device manufacturers and drug producers. The letter is part of a recent wave of inquiries by Senators Grassley and Kohl into potential conflicts of interests between medical researchers and drug and device companies. The lawmakers are also among those sponsoring legislation that would require the industry to more fully disclose such financial ties.
Makati City, acknowledged as the Philippine's premier financial district, has launched a program promoting medical tourism. Mayor Jejomar Binay said the Medical Tourism Makati program aims to encourage locals, foreigners, and overseas Filipino workers to make use of the affordable products and services of the city's world-class hospitals, spas, and health centers.
One in four GPs in the United Kingdom said patients' lives are being put at risk because hospitals are failing to provide essential information about medication or treatment when a patient is discharged, according to a survey. The NHS Alliance, which represents English GPs, nurses, and managers in primary care, contacted 1,000 GP practices for the survey. NHS Alliance chairman, Michael Dixon, MD, said hospitals should not be paid unless they have delivered fast, accurate discharge information, and that lateness should mean financial penalties.
Up to 2,000 uninsured Cincinnati residents can get healthcare under a pilot program approved by the Cincinnati City Council. CincyCare will give employed people access to care at the city's health centers, generate some revenue for the Cincinnati Health Department, and stop some unnecessary hospital use. The initial two-year test will be funded with $600,000 in federal money, with clients enrolling for free to get basic medical and prescription drug coverage.
I'm in Chicago today at our Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare conference, so I thought it was only fitting to examine what traits and skill sets CEOs need to be successful in the current healthcare environment.
Although there are leadership traits that every CEO should possess—and these haven't changed all that much throughout the years—there are some skill sets that are more important today than they were 10 years ago. Recently, I asked healthcare CEOs and industry experts what skills are a must-have in today's healthcare environment. Here are the most common answers.
CEOs Need to Be Collaborative. This skill fits in nicely with our awards program, which celebrates teamwork in healthcare. But today's CEOs should also know how to collaborate beyond their hospitals' walls. Developing relationships with medical and nursing schools, governmental authorities, and key organizations and businesses in the community will be increasingly important. CEOs should also be open to building alliances with other providers, as well—yes, even with your competitors. These partnerships may be the best way to provide services to the greatest number of people in the community. They may also be the most economically responsible way to provide care. Unfortunately, collaboration isn't an ability that you can just pick up in management school. It's one of those competencies that you usually have to learn while on the job.
CEOs Need Technological Acumen CEOs don't have to be Bill Gates, but they can't be a Luddite either in today's healthcare system. There have been numerous technological advances both clinically and in the care-delivery process; for example, there is telemedicine, barcode technology, infrared and radio-frequency asset-tracking systems. Not to mention the push for electronic medical records. CEOs should be familiar with technology, so that they can discuss organizationwide issues and direct their IT department effectively.
CEOs Need to Be Visible. It has always been good practice to be involved with the community, walk the floors of the hospital, visit the physicians' lounge, and round on patients. And now more than ever CEOs should break free from the executive suites and be visible. In fact, some CEOs are finding that staff members don't just think it's nice that the CEO rounds, they expect the CEO to round. They want to be able to meet with the CEO regularly and express concerns, or at least know that he or she is out there learning the challenges that they encounter on a daily basis.
With the current financial crisis and tightening credit markets, healthcare organizations will likely be turning to their communities more frequently for capital to expand or renovate the existing plant or purchase that new MRI or CT scanner. Although today may not be the best time to ask for a donation, CEOs should still make sure that they are developing relationships with key members of the community.
CEOs Need to Be Political Advocates. As the feds become more involved in healthcare, it's crucial that CEOs are able to effectively advocate for their organizations to local, state, and federal legislators and regulators.
CEOs Need to Be a Negotiator. CEOs should hone their negotiating prowess so that they can secure better contracts with payers, and develop partnerships or service agreements with other providers that will be successful for their organizations long term.
CEOs Need to Be Creative. The healthcare paradigm is changing, and CEOs will have to adapt, act quickly, be decisive, and—dare I say it—think outside the box, if they are to not only survive but be successful in the years ahead.
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