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The AHA American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration welcomes as its new executive director Catherine Carruth, a certified association executive with more than 10 years of experience at the AHA. We are delighted to have Catherine join the ASHHRA team, said Dale Woodin, vice president of AHA personal membership groups. Her strong background in membership engagement and association leadership in conjunction with her outstanding interpersonal and communication skills make her well-suited for this position.

Learning Sessions by competency are up on our website and there are still discount codes left, use TAKE50 for $50 off!

Take a lunch break with us and join fellow human resources and organizational development professionals in this lively monthly chat about the hottest topics in the field! Sponsored by the Learning & Education Committee of ASHHRA, we meet online the first Thursday of every month from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CT.

You are a health care human resources professional—it’s time to recognize your expertise and get certified through the AHA Certification Center to gain the recognition you deserve! ASHHRA members who apply for a CHHR Scholarship between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016, will receive a voucher for the full CHHR exam fee (a $295 value). This is a limited-time, exclusive offer only available to active ASHHRA members who meet the eligibility requirements.

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on ways to improve and reform the Stark physician self-referral law. Witnesses unanimously recommended that the compensation portion of the Stark law be removed.

Hospitals with different issues and concerns find something they like in the House-passed Helping Hospitals to Improve Patient Care Act, H.R. 5273 – and hope the Senate will make consideration of the bill a priority. But an abbreviated election-year legislative calendar could possibly push any Senate action on the bill into the fall.

Five hospital-led partnerships to improve community health will receive 2016 AHA NOVA Awards July 19 at the Health Forum/AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego. The winning programs are: Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute – Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas; Bon Secours Healthy Communities Initiative – Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System, Norfolk, Virginia; Memorial Hermann Mobile Dental Program – Memorial Hermann Health System, Houston; Strong Beginnings – Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Get Healthy, Live Well – Tanner Health System, Carrollton, Georgia.

The ongoing physician shortage and the aging of the baby boomer population continue to drive demand and starting salaries upward for primary care and specialty physicians alike, according to a survey released by Merritt Hawkins, a physician search and consulting firm.

"Hot jobs" is a term HR professionals are certainly familiar with, but what does it really mean? And how can you determine whether these hot jobs are critical to your organization? Finally, what kinds of rewards or compensation should you be giving those employees in hot jobs who are critical to your company?

There are a combination of issues coming together to create the "perfect storm" in health care recruitment today and contribute to the growing nursing shortage, according to Jim D’Amico, ‎vice president of talent acquisition at ‎Signature Health. Here, D’Amico shares how ‎Signature Health is dealing with the challenge.

Cost saving strategies vary from health system to health system, but experts say close monitoring of labor costs is one of the most important areas that can affect an organization's finance structure.

The worldwide business environment has become one of fierce competition, high risk, erratic markets, constrained resources, and unpredictable resource needs. Organizations and individuals are forced to adjust to the new normal of constant change and uncertainty.

The ransomware attack that paralyzed MedStar Health computer systems in March taught some painful lessons, according to Craig DeAtley, the organization's director of emergency management. In a recent interview, DeAtley explained that the Columbia, Maryland-based health system was caught off guard by the speed in which most of its systems were compromised and locked down.

Stronger patient-provider communication and education initiatives are key to boosting patient satisfaction and shared decision-making, shows a recent study conducted by FAIR Health. The study, which surveyed a sample of 1,000 adults regarding their health care wants and needs, ultimately breaks down care preferences and creates the following list of recommendations to deliver better patient-centered care.

More than payers and hospitals, physicians—who are on the frontlines of delivering patient care and therefore are critical to the success of all value-based contracts—have mixed feelings about data and analytics. Undoubtedly, many physicians have had challenging experiences with electronic health records, which have colored their view of technology in health care.

Geisinger Medical Center will no longer allow its nurses to wear casual clothing to work after a patient survey revealed a decline in the professional appearance of its nursing staff. But the need for a single dress code became evident when a survey of 400 patients found that many patients couldn't distinguish between a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or nursing assistant.

Imagine you were opening your very own medical practice from scratch. It would be your chance to build a practice just the way you had always wanted. You would have a lot of decisions to make about things like clinic layout, staffing, electronic health record selection, etc. One seemingly trivial item you would ultimately arrive at is this: what do you and your colleagues wear to work?

Current workforce is inadequately trained and inadequately prepared to deal with what's been called the silver tsunami—a tidal wave of elderly people. The deficit of properly trained physicians is expected to get worse. By 2030, one in five Americans will be eligible for Medicare, the government health insurance for those 65 and older.

The healthcare industry continues to drive job growth in the United States, contributing 39,000 of the 287,000 total jobs employers added to the economy in June, the Department of Labor announced Friday. The June numbers are the latest in what's been consistent growth for the sector for several months. In May, healthcare businesses added 46,000 jobs to the economy, and in April the industry contributed 44,000 jobs.

Hospitals are buying up medical practices at a feverish pace. According to data from the American Hospital Association, the number of physicians employed by hospitals grew by 34 percent between 2000 and 2010, and the pace shows no signs of slackening. There are a number of reasons hospitals want to employ physicians.