ASHHRA eNews Pulse

All I can say is "wow." For those who missed our annual conference in Phoenix, I am happy to report it was well attended by our members, and the many supportive exhibitors and sponsors, and our speakers were absolutely "flat out on the mark!"

Many thanks to Karmen Reid and Tom McCawley and their committee for an absolutely terrific ASHHRA Chapter Leadership Workshop on Saturday. We played Jeopardy, courtesy of Sharon Allen, and found out exactly what we don’t know about ASHHRA! Kidding, of course!

The Advocacy Committee, led by Mike Paruta and with guest speakers Roger King and Jim Trivisonno, conducted yet another powerhouse legislative session on Saturday afternoon. This is always the best session to hear the latest information and to be in tune with all the latest in the world of labor and legislation.

On Sunday morning I was led into the conference hall with a great marching band, Boomtown Percussion, for the Opening Ceremony. They were wonderful and led us in singing our national anthem, and shortly after their departure from the hall we took time to remember our victims and heroes with a tribute to 9/11.

Immediate Past President Jeff Payne unveiled our new brand and discussed the history of why and how the board chose this new look! Great job, Jeff, and kudos to Past President Dan Zuhlke and the entire ASHHRA staff for their efforts with this initiative! The highlight of the morning was our keynote opening speaker Chip Madera. I have heard Chip speak on many occasions and his material is always crisp and state of the art. He smacked a grand slam with the group! We were all engaged after his presentation, and we were then led to the exhibit hall opening by our great marching band!

Monday’s highlight was the Motivational Breakfast with keynoter, actor, producer, and author Henry Winkler. "The Fonz" gave us an inspiring story of his early challenges and learning disability towards his successful career and took time for a Q and A session. He was given a standing ovation at the close of his very motivational speech. In the green room, after his presentation, Henry told me that the questions he received were the most challenging and best ones he has ever received! Way to go ASHHRA! I told him that his responses were superb.

Tuesday’s general session presentation was delivered by health care futurist and author Ian Morrison. Ian’s portrayal of the future of health care in America was insightful and thought provoking. His keen sense of humor in the delivery of such a serious and sobering topic helped to make the entire experience very worthwhile. Ian was very well received and appreciated.

There are so many aspects of the conference that were so important including all of the awards that were presented to individuals and chapters. I was deeply moved to observe the presentation of the very first Gary Willis awards by ASHHRA and AHA Solutions. Gary was a dedicated board member and ASHHRA member for many years, but most importantly, he was my dear friend and was a "big brother" to me during our time on the board together. I know that he is smiling that great big Montana smile, in heaven, seeing that his memory was honored in such a way.

I would like to personally thank everyone involved with the tremendous success of our conference, including our top notch ASHHRA staff, a highly engaged board of directors, our annual conference committee led by Nancy Dinon, and all of our ASHHRA Committee chairs. Most importantly, I would like to thank the many exhibitors and vendors who make the conference possible. ASHHRA member attendees, you are the best and we certainly appreciate you spending your time with us in Phoenix. As we all said goodbye in Phoenix, I must tell you that there was a tremendous emptiness in me knowing that it will be some time before we meet again as friends in such a dynamic learning environment. However, I look forward to seeing all of you in Denver next year! President-Elect Irma Pye, the board, ASHHRA staff, and committees will be working hard to make it the best conference ever!

Phoenix is a wrap!

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

 

By Stephen Moulton

Would your chapter members value getting HRCI credits for programs they attend? Here’s a combination of how to make it happen and learning experiences.

Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/pdf/ASHHRA_News_HRCI_Credit_Article.pdf to view the full article online.

 

Fidelity survey finds nurses feeling secure about their jobs, but many reveal economy has impacted their retirement plans. See the full report, and download the Executive Summary of Key Findings.

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

 

Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria will implement an anti-tobacco policy for its entire campus starting July 1 of next year, expanding the policy put in place two years ago for employees of the women's and children's areas. The Town Talk reports the policy will prohibit the use of tobacco products by employees while on their shifts, including when they are on breaks. It also will not allow employees to work if their clothing smells like smoke.

SOURCE: FOXNEWS.COM

Visit http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/03/louisiana-hospital-to-ban-odor-smoke-on-workers-clothes/?test=latestnews to view the full article online.

 

The sluggish economy and looming provider payment cuts have driven more hospitals to consider reducing staff as a way to stabilize their bottom lines. According to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, there were 13 hospital mass layoffs—defined as involving 50 or more employees—in August, resulting in 1,085 initial unemployment benefit claims. If the layoff pace continues, BLS analysts say hospitals in 2011 will post 127 mass layoffs involving 8,257 people, which would give 2011 the third-highest number of mass layoff incidents in the last decade.

SOURCE: THE ADVISORY BOARD COMPANY

Visit http://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/2011/09/30/Hospital-mass-layoffs-on-the-rise to view the full article online.

 

Healthcare spending is 10 percent higher for hospital employees than it is for the general employee population, according to a study released by the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.

SOURCE: THOMSON REUTERS

Visit http://www.factsforhealthcare.com/workforce/ to view the full article online.

 

By Kimberley Kasper

Healthcare organizations constantly face a unique need to add new staff while challenging and satisfying their existing employees. By harnessing the power of integrated talent management systems, health care institutions can successfully address both issues.

Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/pdf/OMHS_Gaining_WF_Insight_with_Talent_Management_Technology.pdf to view the full article online.

 

By Richard Tolstrup

While hospital physicians in America reportedly get higher pay than worldwide counterparts, a recent article says they won’t be apologizing any time soon. According to several leaders in the medical community who responded to the recent "Health Affairs" study, "higher pay is necessary to draw the best and brightest in physicians services to practice here."

SOURCE: HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS ONLINE

Visit http://hospitalphysicians.com/2011/09/17/american-hospital-physicians-paid-higher-than-worldwide-counterparts/ to view the full article online.

 

By Daniel M. Bernick, Esq., M.B.A

When I first started as a health care attorney and consultant 20 years ago, my mentor remarked that compensation planning for physician groups was probably the most challenging type of consulting assignment that our firm handled. In the years since, after performing many such assignments, I agree.

SOURCE: PHYSICIANS NEWS DIGEST

Visit http://www.physiciansnews.com/2011/09/27/how-to-develop-a-fair-physician-compensation-plan/ to view the full article online.

 

By Anne Polta

Each year, every single one of the nine family medicine doctors at Family Practice Medical Center rolls up his or her sleeve for a flu shot. The annual vaccine is offered to the rest of the staff too, and more than 90 percent take it, says Stacey Zondervan, patient services supervisor. "They realize the importance of not spreading the flu virus," she said. For the past month, local health providers have been busy doling out the flu vaccine to their employees. Reaching this group is increasingly seen as critical.

SOURCE: WEST CENTRAL TRIBUNE

Visit http://www.wctrib.com/event/article/id/85414/ to view the full article online.

 

By Dr. W. Giffordjones

A report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says it's much safer to time your sickness. If not, there is a good risk of ending up with inferior medical care. So when should you get ill? And what is the prime time to have an operation? Jesse Gruman, president of the Washington, DC, based non-profit Center for Advancing Health, says, "Anybody who's been in hospital knows that it's a kind of banker's hours after six o'clock. You feel really vulnerable if something happens at night because of the sparseness and responsiveness of the night staff."

SOURCE: THE WINDSOR STAR

Visit http://www.windsorstar.com/health/Late+hours+affect+hospital+care/5509850/story.html to view the full article online.

 

By Debra Sherman

Hospital employees spend 10 percent more on health care, consume more medical services, and are generally sicker than the rest of the U.S. workforce, according to a study. The cost difference was even greater when dependents were taken into account, with health care costs 13 percent higher, including medical care and prescription drugs.

SOURCE: EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS

Visit http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/hospital-employees-highest-healthcare-spenders-thomson-reuters-2717571-1.html to view the full article online.

 

By Michael Nurok, MD, PhD

Sleep deprivation has been shown to adversely affect clinical performance and impair psychomotor function. It can be challenging for medical systems to ensure that physicians are not fatigued from sleep deprivation because continuity of care and around-the-clock coverage of clinical services are often competing needs. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has revised its regulations on resident work hours to restrict trainees in their first postgraduate year to a maximum of 16 hours of continuous work, followed by a minimum of eight hours off duty. "Unfortunately," says Michael Nurok, MD, PhD, "there are no such regulations for fully trained physicians."

SOURCE: PHYSICIANS WEEKLY

Visit http://www.physiciansweekly.com/Features/11_34/surgeon_sleep_deprivation.html to view the full article online.

 

By Gienna Shaw

There’s no doubt that a decade from now healthcare will look a lot different than it does today. There will be new business models, new government regulations, new reimbursement schemes, and an explosion of data and new technologies to manage. The trick is not just to develop general strategies and tactics to prepare for that future, but to determine which ones are the best fit for your organization, and then take decisive action.

SOURCE: HEALTH LEADERS MEDIA

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/MAG-268318/The-Hospital-of-the-Future to view the full article online.

 

By Jordan Rau

Rating the best hospitals has become commonplace, with U.S. News, research firms and various Internet sites routinely issuing detailed rankings. Now some health researchers have come up with a way to evaluate which hospitals are the worst.

SOURCE: KAISER HEALTH NEWS

Visit http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2011/10/things-may-get-worse-for-worst-hospitals-study-warns/ to view the full article online.

 

By Steve Walls

For hospitals and health care facilities, the potential of employing sanctioned, excluded, debarred and disciplined individuals is an issue that keeps administrators awake at night. The risks are high for patients and the hospital. And there has been no sure-fire way to assure that such sanctioned individuals would not be hired. But now there is a bright light at the end of that tunnel because screening providers are developing what are called compliance assurance solutions that eliminate much of the risk that comes with hiring the wrong personnel.

Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/pdf/Hire_Right_HR_HRPulse_article_rev.pdf to view the full article online.