ASHHRA eNews Pulse

Hello ASHHRA Members,
As we near the half-way point of my journey as your ASHHRA 2011 President, I am very pleased to report that we are making great strides toward our goals and in shaping the future of how we can support the most important facet of our organization ...our members. Your board is working diligently on meeting our assigned 2011 goals. Here is a progress report with some of the key items on each of our goals to date:

• AHA (Stephanie Drake, Melissa Kinnaird, and Bob Walters)
  At the AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego, a Thought Leader event has been planned with American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Society for Healthcare Marketing & Development (SHSMD), and ASHHRA to address health care reform engagement. A Workplace Intimidation Session and a Culture of Health Workshop has also been set.
• Chapters/Regions (Tom McCawley and Karmen Reid)
  Monthly meetings are being conducted with the Regional Consultants to ensure better partnering with the Chapters and at the Chapter Leadership Workshop. Affiliation agreements are being revamped for board approval later in the year. All affiliation agreements expire at the end of this year. Working to improve membership numbers from chapter collaborations.
• Concierge Program (Paul Morlock and Irma Pye)
  On hold for arrival of new ASHHRA staff member who will be supporting this initiative.
• Non-Hospital (Marit Brock and John Ostrom) 
  Non Hospital member ListServ is up and running. Exploring more membership lists in order to expand prospects for membership. A Non-Hospital Page has been created on the website.
• Certification (Grace Moffitt and Maureen O’Keefe)
  Efforts are underway to evaluate all aspects of establishing a health care HR certification program and the necessary training and educational components of making this a reality.
• Technology (Joe Micucci and Tom McCawley)
  We are looking at the best practices in the field and taking advantage of what the AHA has to offer. We are also exploring templates for state chapter websites.
• Culture of Health (Jeff Payne, Nicole Morin-Scribner, and Paul Morlock)
  Presenting a workshop at the AHA Leadership Summit and the ASHHRA annual conference.

Our national committees have been extremely busy and their progress against goals to date, include:

• Regional, Chapter, and Member Services Committee (Karmen Reid)
  Monthly meetings are being conducted with the Regional Consultants to ensure better partnering with the Chapters and at the Chapter Leadership Workshop. Affiliation agreements are being revamped for board approval later in the year. All affiliation agreements expire at the end of this year. Also this group is working to improve membership numbers from chapter collaborations.
• Annual Conference Committee (Nancy Dinon)
  ASHHRA has begun a new partnership with The Advisory Board/HR Investment Center and offering an Advisory Board/HR Investment Center learning track during each learning session time. A list of back up speakers has also been prepared for the conference.
• Learning and Education Committee (Debbie Rubens)
  The committee is selling a few courses and programs on the eLearning Network. They also have quite a few upcoming webinars scheduled and are also working on setting up a mentoring call – topic TBD.
• Advocacy Committee (Mike Paruta)
  Merged five new members to the Advocacy team, oriented them, and prepared them for a very successful Hill visit. Continued "relationship building" with the members of the Senate and Congress. Delivered the approved "Position Papers" to the members of Congress and the Senate. Details and results of the Hill Visit will be communicated by the Committee in the near future.

I look forward to continuing progress toward goals and submitting a favorable report to you in Phoenix. Hope to see you all there!

Sincerely,

Robert Walters, SPHR
Corporate Director, HR Operations
Health First, Inc.
3550 North Harbor City Blvd.
Melbourne, FL 32932-0069
(321) 434-1957
bob.walters@health-first.org

 

New discount available for conference registration before June 30, 2011. Save up to $30!

Visit http://www.ashhra.org/conference/2011/registration.shtml to view the full article online.

 

The May/June 2011 issue of the Health Care Labor Report is now available for ASHHRA members. Articles include, "Social Media in Employee Engagement," and "Overcoming State Barriers to Ensure Access to Care: Pennsylvania's Experience."

Visit http://www.hospitalconnect.com/oam/login.jsp?domain=ASHHRA to view the full article online.

 

Earn up to 18.5 Recertification Credit Hours at the ASHHRA Annual Conference & Exposition, Sept. 10–13, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. Check out the learning sessions and secure your spot!

Visit http://www.ashhra.org/conference/2011/index.shtml to view the full article online.

 

By Amy Goble While most industries have reduced headcount during the recession, the health care sector has continuously added new jobs that require specific skills and experience. Despite millions of job seekers, health care employers report having many challenges filling critical openings. Though advertising on general job boards can yield hundreds, possibly thousands of applicants, few have the credentials and background needed.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=147038&issueID=22505 to view the full article online.

 

It’s official. Connecticut is the first state to pass legislation mandating paid sick leave for employees. SOURCE: HR MORNING

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/connecticut-oks-mandated-paid-sick-days-for-service-employees/#more-20376 to view the full article online.

 

Summer is around the corner and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have published a fact sheet for employers promoting safe working conditions in hot temperatures. SOURCE: HR.BLR.COM

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Health-Safety/Safety-and-Health/Protecting-Workers-from-Heat-Illness-Govt-Offers-F/ to view the full article online.

 

As a group, white straight males are no longer the highest salary earners in the country. That distinction now goes to the lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender workers, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder.com. The survey asked 2,527 full-time workers about their salaries, their job responsibilities, and their plans for career advancement. SOURCE: BNET.COM

Visit http://www.bnet.com/blog/business-research/study-straight-white-males-no-longer-the-highest-paid/1674 to view the full article online.

 

Whether an employer can make deductions from an employee's pay for lost or damaged equipment depends on whether the employee is exempt or non-exempt, Kathy R. Neal explained in an M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC webinar titled "Overcoming the 8 Toughest Wage & Hour Problems: How to Avoid DOL's Ramped Up Enforcement." SOURCE: HR.BLR.COM

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Wage-and-Hour-Investigations/11zdd03-Payroll-Laws-Can-You-Make-Pay-Deductions-f/ to view the full article online.

 

What does it mean to be rewarded fairly? I would submit that this is one of the biggest and most loaded questions of our time. Just look at the manner and levels at which it is driving our national dialogue and defining the reach of our regulatory efforts – from the decrying of executive compensation excesses to the push for gender equity, from the debate about public versus private sector pay packages to the increasing attention on wage and hour compliance matters. SOURCE: COMPENSATION FORCE

Visit http://www.compensationforce.com/2011/06/pay-fairness-its-complicated.html to view the full article online.

 

By Jared Shelly Organizations that use meritocracy could be unknowingly discriminating against women, according to new research. HR can fight against disparate treatment by ensuring there are checks and balances in place as well as by making certain managers use objective data, are well trained and give employees a way to appeal. SOURCE: HUMAN RESOURCE EXECUTIVE ONLINE

Visit http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=533338989 to view the full article online.

 

By Christian Schappel How much are you anticipating your health care costs to increase next year? PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Health Research Institute estimates that healthcare costs will increase 8.5 percent in 2012 – and that’s on top of the 8 percent increase PwC says employers will endure this year. SOURCE: HR MORNING

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/study-predicts-how-much-health-costs-will-rise-in-2012/ to view the full article online.

 

As employers prepare for open enrollment this fall, many are stepping up their efforts to educate employees about the value of their company-provided benefits. Benefits currently comprise an estimated 30 to 40 percent of an employee’s total compensation package, but most employees do not realize that, according to Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. SOURCE: HR.BLR.COM

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Staffing-Training/Employee-Manager-Training/Educate-Employees-on-the-Value-of-Their-Benefits/ to view the full article online.

 

By Michael G. Calahan, PA, MBA No longer just a rumor, the switch-over from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM is now a sure deal and the established start date remains October 1, 2013. Providers must be an active part of the conversion process, as many of the issues to be tackled are provider-driven. With recovery funds now actively worked into the front-end of the government’s budget versus being considered "found" money, the advent of ICD-10 will not slow down or alter the federal government’s plans to audit providers. SOURCE: PHYSICIANS NEWS DIGEST ONLINE

Visit http://www.physiciansnews.com/2011/06/08/preparing-for-icd-10-performing-a-baseline-mr-documentation-assessment/ to view the full article online.

 

By Bill George In recent months, several high-level leaders have mysteriously lost their way. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund and a leading French politician, was arraigned on charges of sexual assault. Before that, David Sokol, rumored to be Warren Buffett's successor, was forced to resign for trading in Lubrizol stock prior to recommending that Berkshire Hathaway purchase the company. SOURCE: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/hbsfaculty/2011/06/why-leaders-lose-their-way.html to view the full article online.