ASHHRA eNews Pulse

Hello, ASHHRA Members:

By now, for those of you who, like me, are on an October fiscal year, you're deeply enmeshed in the fiscal year 2011 budget preparation. And it's likely you're finding it a challenging, and in some cases, a daunting proposition.

Two of the largest components of any budget, labor and benefits, land right at HR's feet as our organizations struggle for answers and strategies. Often we in HR can only offer blank looks in response to their questions. Well, take heart! ASHHRA continues to be the source of health care HR information and connection for you, equipping you with vital information for you and your organization.

And the capstone of all of the ASHHRA knowledge and community is just around the corner, at our annual conference and exposition this September in Tampa, Florida. Tap into ASHHRA for answers you need today... and tap into the ASHHRA conference in September for the answers you'll need for tomorrow.

Jeff Payne, SPHR
Vice President, Human Resources
Lakeland Regional Medical Center
1324 Lakeland Hills Boulevard
Lakeland, FL 33805-4500
P: 863-687-1045
F: 863-284-1971

 

This 18-page guide illustrates that workforce and human resource practices can positively impact the quality of hospitals and health care institutions. Although research in this field is ongoing, this guide posits 14 high-performance work practices (HPWPs) that fall into four categories: organizational engagement, staff acquisition and development, frontline empowerment, and leadership alignment and development. Each category is explained in detail and is supported by a story from the field that illustrates specific practices at work. An organizational assessment checklist and an extensive resources list are also included.

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

 

Employers have heavy responsibilities when it comes to the ADA and FMLA, but a recent court decision illustrates that employees have responsibilities, too. The case involves an employee of a midwestern college who was diagnosed with depression and fired after excessive absenteeism, only after the employer made many attempts to offer FMLA leave.

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/employees-have-responsibilities-under-leave-and-disability-laws-too/ to view the full article online.

 

Gay and lesbian workers will be able to take FMLA leave to care for their partners' sick or newborn children, under a new ruling expected from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/obama-oks-fmla-child-care-leave-for-domestic-partners/ to view the full article online.

 

We know that you know that managers and supervisors need to understand what they can and can't do in order to keep their treatment of subordinates within the limits of legal constraints. So you're giving them the requisite HR and employment law framework, right? But consultant Tom Terez suggests you add training to help them avoid what he calls "the top 10 mistakes of well-meaning managers." Here's what he's talking about.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/newsAlternate.aspx?category=7&topic=171&id=82810 to view the full article online.

 

Effective guidance from nurse leadership is priceless when it comes to establishing work systems that refine nursing care and the direction of the profession. Tomorrow and further into the future, nurses will continue to look for direction and support from their leaders. Nurse leaders will be expected to guide their teams to focus on patient care as trials, such as economic instability, the nursing shortage, and proposed health care reform, whether mandated by Congress or spearheaded by individual facilities, health care systems or professional associations, loom ahead.

Visit http://news.nurse.com/article/20100326/ML01/100326001 to view the full article online.

 

In their new book, "The Female Vision-Women's Real Power at Work" (Berrett-Koehler, June 2010), writers Sally Helgesen and Julie Johnson researched how each sex perceives their value of work -- with some interesting results. The authors initiated a "Satisfaction Profile Survey," conducted by Harris Interactive, of over 800 mid-level and higher managers at companies with more than 50 employees. The survey asked respondents to rate 84 items related to their perception of their work experience.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/newsAlternate.aspx?category=2&topic=29&id=82532 to view the full article online.

 

The Senate agreed recently to rescind a 21 percent pay cut that went into effect earlier this month for doctors treating patients under the Medicare health program for the elderly.

Visit http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65H4WB20100618?type=politicsNews to view the full article online.

 

A new federal government website focusing on health care is now available to the public. The new website, healthcare.gov, is a tool to help consumers, including employers, understand and "take control" of their health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) manages the website.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/newsAlternate.aspx?category=1&topic=77&id=82798 to view the full article online.

 

Seattle Children's Hospital has improved patient care, and its bottom line, by using kaizen practices made famous by Toyota and others. The main goals of the approach, which Seattle Children's called continuous performance improvement (CPI), are to reduce waste and to increase value for customers through continuous small improvements. Last year, amid rising health care expenses nationally, CPI helped cut Seattle Children's costs per patient by 3.7 percent, for a total savings of $23 million.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11seattle.html?pagewanted=1&sq=Healthcare&st=Search&scp=8 to view the full article online.

 

The man made famous after losing weight by eating Subway sandwiches is the latest celebrity to share plans to join the Bellin Run, one of the largest 10K races in the nation. LaForce, a Green Bay-headquartered employer, preaches wellness and offers strong support for employees and their families in the pursuit of healthier lifestyles. LaForce, a Bellin Run Corporate Challenge participant, typically signs up more than 30 percent of its employees for the 10K run.

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

 

It appears as though employees will bear most of the brunt of health reform's impact on coverage costs in 2011.

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/reform-to-impact-workers-wallets/ to view the full article online.

 

Long before the economy foundered, Energizer Battery Company was looking for ways to cut its travel costs. After all, two-thirds of the company's 5,000 to 6,000 employees travel for work, many of them overseas. Its solution was an incentive program: it pays employees to fly coach, instead of business class, when traveling overseas. It is a method of cutting travel costs that builds loyalty rather than dissension among staff, and Energizer has found that this is a very successful program.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/business/22saving.html?_r=2&scp=9&sq=human%20resources&st=cse to view the full article online.

 

From checklists to surgical robots, new approaches to health care are making their way into practice – with some stunning results – though for many the jury is still out. Here are 10 innovations that will have a big impact, only if they can prove themselves and make it into the mainstream.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/03/health_care_of_the_future.html to view the full article online.

 

In the June edition of the ASHHRA e-News Brief, we featured, "12 Things Good Bosses Believe." This article is about the fourth belief: "One of the most important, and most difficult, parts of my job is to strike the delicate balance between being too assertive and not assertive enough."

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/06/the_delicate_art_of_being_perf.html to view the full article online.

 

The prevailing belief among managers is that having an open door policy is enough to encourage employees' input. But, research shows these aren't enough, because they're passive and require employees to initiate the conversation. Employees are much more likely to be forthcoming when their input is solicited.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/research/2010/05/good-communication-goes-beyond.html to view the full article online.

 

By Kathy B. Dempsey, CSP

Lizards grow by shedding their skin. If they don't shed, they die! The same is true with organizations. If they don't shed, they die! Shedding is a two-part process. The first part is letting go of the old; all those things that are unhealthy or are no longer useful. The second part of shedding is taking on the new; all the knowledge/skills or healthy habits that will nurture growth. Learn about the four different SHED styles and find out which one you are.

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

 

By Kevin Haeberle and Martina Young

Every initiative, every issue, and every success in a health care organization involves people. To be successful, all organizations have internal experts to provide direction and insight on key components of the organization. Being the expert on setting a direction, creating a culture of leadership, and balancing the myriad of competing interests requires a CEO. And being an expert on how to lead, manage, and motivate people requires a Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO).

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=121507&issueID=22494 to view the full article online.