ASHHRA eNews Pulse

I am happy to report that the ASHHRA presence at the American Hospital Association Leadership Summit in San Diego was quite impressive and worthy of note this year! On Sunday morning, ASHHRA Executive Director Stephanie Drake and I were quite fortunate to be invited guests at the AHA Board meeting. It was a great experience to meet with leaders of this distinguished group and to observe their board proceedings.

Congratulations to Immediate Past President Jeff Payne, Past President Dan Zuhlke, and Corey Heller, VP, CHRO for Baptist Health South Florida, as they gave an early morning three-hour workshop on "Culture of Health – Transformative Models of Wellness in Health Care Institutions." The room was full and the information and presentation were well received. That afternoon we were treated to some great opening keynote presentations—in what I can only describe as a "powerhouse afternoon"—from former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw and legendary Duke University Head Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski. There were many great takeaways, and, Tom Brokaw, in discussing the social media and Twitter, asked all of us to remember that "a tweet will never replace a kiss!" Too funny, but true!

Congratulations also to Past ASHHRA President Dan Zuhlke for his presentation with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) Past President Theresa Zimmerman on the topic of "Insidious Intimidation: The Underestimated Threat to Patient Safety," which was also well received. Jeff and Dan joined members of our Executive Committee, including Treasurer Joe Miccucci, President-Elect Irma Pye, and yours truly on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. as we participated in our Fifth Annual Thought Leader Forum entitled "Health Reform Engagement" with moderator Larry Walker and members from the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) of the American Hospital Association. This program was in partnership with Buck Consulting.

The entire experience at the Summit was amazing. Our plates were full at this meeting and ASHHRA was well represented. Special kudos to Stephanie Drake and Sharon Allen who made it all possible! Your efforts and hard work are truly appreciated.

Upon leaving the Summit, I was pleased to visit the Region 5 ASHHRA Conference in Indianapolis where I delivered the opening keynote address, "Why I Dislike Those Who Hate HR," and thanks to Carol Bank’s initiative and ability to procure an acoustic guitar, I was actually able to sing a few HR tunes, including "On the Cover of the HR Pulse" to the Dr. Hook song, "On the Cover of the Rolling Stone," and "Gonna Get Sued," to the tune of "Gonna Get Drunk" by Willie Nelson. Thanks Carol and Region 5 for having me again.
As I left Indianapolis headed for the airport, my next stop was to my son’s freshman college orientation weekend in Kentucky. That’s when I was able to collect my thoughts and remember some famous and accurate advice given to many musicians, which simply states, "Don’t give up your day job!" Believe me; I know better! After 31 years in HR, I am happy that my guitar is only an accessory. HR suits me just fine!

Until next month,
Bob 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

 

Learn how to provide Tax Advantaged Asset Protection for Physicians and Executives by attending a webinar sponsored by AHA Associate members, LTC Financial Partners.

Visit http://www.ashhra.org/learning/webinars.shtml#081011 to view the full article online.

 

Stephanie Drake and Bob Walters will present at, "Workforce Roundtable: 'Must Do' Strategies in an Era of Accountable Care" to discuss the talent implications of health care reform, including the employee engagement strategies and models of physician leadership programs that are required to support cultural transformation. See the full agenda.

Visit http://www.ashhra.org/resources/general_resources.shtml to view the full article online.

 

ASHHRA members can access this recorded webcast by DrinkerBiddle. Many employers inadvertently make mistakes in employment decisions that can negatively impact employee relations and increase the employer’s potential liability for either regulatory action or litigation. Even with the best of intentions, employers may run into problems if they are unaware of changes in the laws or regulations or misunderstand the requirements.

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

 

By Anahad O’Connor

Does an influx of medical trainees mean a spike in medical mistakes? Every July, a new class of medical school graduates begins residency programs at teaching hospitals, giving rise to a popular belief that this month is a bad time to go in for treatment. Researchers call it the "July effect," referring to the idea that mishaps and mortality rates rise when a fresh group of residents arrives at a hospital.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Visit http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/really-the-claim-hospital-mortality-rates-rise-in-july/?scp=5&sq=hospital&st=cse to view the full article online.

 

By Megan M. Krischke

July 22, 2011 - With the push to obtain the full incentive payout for meaningful use of electronic medical records (EMR)/electronic health records (EHR) created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, many hospitals are in the early stages of developing and implementing their EMR. These organizations need the assistance of nurses, both with and without technical backgrounds, to make the implementation and ongoing use of these new systems a success.

SOURCE: NURSEZONE

Visit http://www.nursezone.com/Nursing-News-Events/more-news/Electronic-Medical-Record-Implementation-Creates-Opportunities-for-Nurses_37442.aspx to view the full article online.

 

By Eileen P. Williamson, RN, MSN

Since transcultural nursing movement founder Madeleine Leininger began teaching about transcultural care more than a half century ago, cultural competence has been studied, discussed and practiced by nurses. Understanding and including the importance of varied patient beliefs and traditions in nursing care, particularly when the patient is part of a smaller, minority, underrepresented group, has become the norm.

SOURCE: NURSE.COM

Visit http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011307250015 to view the full article online.

 

The health care industry added 31,300 jobs last month, higher than its average monthly increase since 2007.

SOURCE: KAISER HEALTH NEWS

Visit http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2011/August/08/health-care-jobs.aspx to view the full article online.

 

By Parija Kav

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies might not get paid for products and services if the federal government defaults on its debt next week. Some physician groups, anticipating this scenario, have started to warn their members that a possible default means their Medicare paychecks may not get mailed.

SOURCE: CNN.COM

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/29/news/economy/debt_default_medicare/index.htm?hpt=he_c2 to view the full article online.

 

By Catherine Rampell

In terms of patient care, "patients are more likely to be hospitalized, use medications inappropriately, receive fewer recommended vaccines, and make worse health-related decisions," according to a recently published report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, referring to what happens when patients do not fully understand medical advice given to them by their physicians.

SOURCE: HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS ONLINE

Visit http://hospitalphysicians.com/2011/07/26/physicians-urged-to-avoid-medical-lingo-with-patients/ to view the full article online.

 

Mayor Jack Porter rode up to the sole post office here on a red motorcycle, wearing all black, his long hair tucked under a baseball cap. Getting off, he walked with a slight limp, the only lingering effect of a frightening morning last July when Porter awoke with numbness in his right side and slurred speech.

SOURCE: KAISER HEALTH NEWS

Visit http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/August/03/bisbee-arizona-community-hospital.aspx to view the full article online.

 

By Megan M. Krischke

With the rising costs of health insurance, many organizations are looking for innovative ways to decrease costs. A number of successful measures have focused on employee wellness programs. Scripps Health, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and St. Petersburg General Hospital have all found that financial rewards motivate employees toward better health and result in cost savings.

SOURCE: NURSEZONE.COM

Visit http://www.nursezone.com/Nursing-News-Events/more-features/Employee-Wellness-Programs-Shrink-Waistlines-Improve-Bottom-Lines_37324.aspx to view the full article online.

 

By Stephen Barlas

Bob Melendy, human capital services executive at Scripps Health in San Diego, could not believe what he had just learned. One of the hospital system's 13,000 employees, a member of Scripps’ self-insured health benefits plan, had been filling prescriptions for Factor 8 (an expensive hemophilia drug) at the outpatient pharmacy of another local hospital. That hospital was qualified under the federal government's 340B drug discount program and therefore able to buy Factor 8 at roughly half the average wholesale price. This in turn gave the hospital’s outpatient pharmacy a competitive advantage and significant revenue when it dispensed expensive drugs. Based on usual and customary reimbursement rates, the nearby hospital’s pharmacy was earning about $400,000 each year from this single patient, all paid by Scripps’ health plan. But the real "ah-ha moment" for Melendy came with the realization that two hospitals of Scripps’ five hospital campuses were also 340B eligible and could buy and dispense discounted 340B prescriptions as well.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=150937&issueID=22507 to view the full article online.

 

By Patricia A. Costante

The American Hospital Association has launched its Physician Leadership Forum, an organization that will work closely with physicians to identify best practices in value-based care and strengthen physician leadership in hospitals, according to the PLF website.

SOURCE: HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS ONLINE

Visit http://hospitalphysicians.com/2011/07/21/aha-launches-organization-for-hospital-physicians/ to view the full article online.

 

By Anthony Youn, M.D.

What do you call a chain-smoking, morbidly obese, soda addict who just graduated medical school? Yep. Doctor. How would you feel if he were your doctor? Would you listen to him if he asked you to adopt a healthier lifestyle?

SOURCE: CNN HEALTH

Visit http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/26/should-doctors-practice-what-they-preach/?hpt=he_c1 to view the full article online.

 

By Thomas H. Lee

Health care delivery is fragmented and chaotic, principally because of an explosion of knowledge and technological advances. Taming this chaos requires a new breed of leaders at every level. Health care’s new leaders must organize doctors into teams; measure their performance not by how much they do but by how their patients fare; deftly apply financial and behavioral incentives; improve processes; and dismantle dysfunctional cultures. By organizing care delivery around patients’ needs – an idea more radical than it sounds – the leaders of cutting-edge health care organizations are raising the quality, efficiency, and value of the services they provide.

SOURCE: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Visit http://hbr.org/hbrg-main/resources/pdfs/comm/accenture/turning-doctors-into-leaders.pdf to view the full article online.

 

By Phil Galewitz

Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., sent its 900 employees back to school in June to learn how to provide better service. Their instructor: The Walt Disney Co. "Disney understands guest services," said Kathy Cocking, Barton’s vice president of operations. "And we’re not as good as we want to be."

SOURCE: PHYSICIANS NEWS DIGEST ONLINE

Visit http://www.physiciansnews.com/2011/07/22/hospitals-look-for-disney-magic-to-make-customers-happy/ to view the full article online.