ASHHRA eNews Pulse

Dear ASHHRA Members,

In late July, I had the opportunity to attend the AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego on behalf of ASHHRA. During the summit, two events made a big impact on me. The first was the ASHHRA Thought Leader Forum which this year was co-hosted with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), one of our sister AHA Personal Membership Groups (PMGs). The topic of this year's thought leader forum was Workplace Intimidation—and what health care human resources and risk management department could and should be doing about it. 

The second was a luncheon sponsored by Liz Summy, the VP of PMGs for the AHA. The luncheon featured many of the various PMG executive directors plus board members from a variety of the AHA PMGs: American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES), Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals (AHVRP), and Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD). It was an excellent opportunity for the executive committee of ASHHRA to 'meet and greet' our counterparts at the other PMGs.

Why did these events make such an impact on me? It hammered home the reality that health care is truly unique regardless of the professions we gravitate toward. Take engineering—retail engineering departments obviously are concerned about the safety and welfare of department store shoppers—but health care engineering departments have to consider how to keep oxygen flowing for surgeries in the event of power failures. 

Human resource management is like that, too. When I worked in HR for Macy's, we had a mission to find the very best people who could provide excellent customer service...a tall order indeed. But in health care, we need people who can provide care and compassion to a mother giving birth as well as an elderly person who is dying, an extraordinary mission for an HR professional.

Health care is different. And health care HR is different. And of all the HR groups out there, ASHHRA is the largest and most capable organization that can provide you with the knowledge and community that you, the health care HR professional, need.

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

 

The American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA), and IRI Consultants have partnered to administer a labor activity survey, which should take about 15–20 minutes to complete. The purpose is to assess and analyze recent labor activity and trends in the healthcare industry and, based on member responses, provide you with an up-to-date report to keep you informed and to guide decision-making. The report will be distributed by ASHHRA and posted on its website. Survey deadline: Friday, August 13, 2010.

Visit https://www.iriconsultants.com/forms/Ashhra_2010/welcome.htm to view the full article online.

 

This is your exclusive invitation to peer-to-peer roundtable on Innovative Workforce Strategies: Addressing Employee Engagement, HR Leadership, and Cultural Change to Achieve Operational Excellence. Join this discussion from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. central time. The roundtable will include:
• Hospital presentations showcasing case studies, hard facts, and winning strategies that make these organizations leaders in their community and nationally.
• Exclusive AHA update on workforce initiatives—the latest developments.
• Panel discussion on health reform and its impact on the workforce—what does it mean to HR?

Visit http://www.aha-solutions.org/aha-solutions/events/EDUCATION%20SERIES.html to view the full article online.

 

Authored by Becky Brown and Kevin Haeberle
Given the rapidly changing landscape, health care leaders have a window of opportunity over the next six months to take proactive, protective steps to ensure they are positioned appropriately to continue with the normal course of business while effectively responding should a union come knocking, rather than operating on the defensive on a playing field that is certain to become more tilted in favor of the opponent.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=123593&issueID=22495 to view the full article online.

 

Dr. Kathleen Dodaro
Some say social networking is the best thing that has happened to recruiting. After all, what every employer is looking for is the finest talent available because the success of an organization depends upon the skills and dedication of its employees. More importantly, individuals and organizations are most effective when their respective values, goals, and interests are aligned. It is a well-known fact that the industry of recruiting and interviewing needed to change drastically to address the issues businesses face when they do not properly match an individual to the position.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=123607&issueID=22495 to view the full article online.

 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed new regulations to modernize Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The proposed ADA regulations address the accessibility of websites, accessible equipment and furniture, the ability of 911 centers to take text and video calls, and provision of captioning and video description in movies shown in theaters.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Discrimination/Disabilities-ADA/New-ADA-Regulations-Proposed-by-DOJ/ to view the full article online.

 

Ever see an executive fumble an answer to a question from a reporter, or maybe even an employee? Of course, it happens all the time. There are times when we simply may not want to answer a question, but the key reason for flubs is that we are unprepared to speak. One way to become more articulate is to prepare yourself in advance.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/baldoni/2009/09/how_to_develop_your_leadership.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a38:g26:r14:c0.017798:b36223760:z6 to view the full article online.

 

In the most effective teams in organizations, people fight with each other. As the boss, is it your job to try to stop that? No, quite the contrary: Creating conditions where people feel safe to fight is a hallmark of the greatest bosses. In this post I'll offer some Queensbury rules to make sure the fights stay focused on ideas and take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect. But first I'll come out swinging, by taking on anyone who thinks fighting should be suppressed.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/08/its_up_to_you_to_start_a_good.html to view the full article online.

 

The average planned merit increase for next year is 1.98 percent, according to BLR's 2011 Pay Budget Survey. The survey reveals that the weakened economy is still affecting pay increases. For example, respondents from a previous survey reported an average planned merit increase of 3.71 percent for 2009, which is significantly higher than this year's projections (1.98 percent).

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Compensation-Administration/Planned-Merit-Increases-Near-2-Economy-Still-Affec/ to view the full article online.

 

In a recent seminar sponsored by Jackson Lewis, LLC, William J. Anthony, Esq. discussed how, even with the best of intentions, some companies go awry of wage and hour laws. These two situations are of particular interest.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Wage-and-Hour-Investigations/Wage-and-Hour-Violations-Sometimes-Follow-Good-Int/ to view the full article online.

 

One of our workers just failed his drug test, but he informed us that he’s using medical marijuana. Problem is, we have a pretty strict anti-drug use policy. Can we fire him, or do we have to accommodate him?

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-can-we-fire-worker-on-medical-marijuana/ to view the full article online.

 

According to the results of the Gallup Organization's 2009 employee engagement surveys reported at the end of that year, more than 25 million people were actively disengaged with their jobs and workplace at a cost to U.S. employers of $416 billion in lost productivity.

Visit http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/HR-Administration/HR-Management/Disengaged-Employees-Cost-U.S.-Businesses-Billions/ to view the full article online.

 

Here are some examples of employers’ policies you can read when you’re deciding what, if anything, to include in a policy about employees’ use of Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/writing-a-social-network-policy-read-some-examples/ to view the full article online.

 

Why should you post your benefits info on the web—and not just the company’s intranet system?

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/4-reasons-to-make-your-benefits-info-public/ to view the full article online.

 

It can seem like a no-win situation: You work hard to provide the best benefits package your company can possibly afford, and employees still aren’t satisfied. But there is hope. Things can get better. The experts at Entrepreneur.com have some suggestions.

Visit http://www.hrmorning.com/4-ways-to-boost-employee-appreciation-for-benefits/ to view the full article online.

 

By Fran Durekas, Founder and Chief Development Officer, Children’s Creative Learning Centers (CCLC)
It is common knowledge the healthcare industry is facing a workforce crisis due to an aging population and fewer primary care physicians and nurses entering the field. To solve this dilemma, many leading healthcare organizations have found success through a comprehensive work/life benefits strategy. Organizations today are working diligently to create a better work environment through increased flexibility in scheduling, sponsoring child care, backup care, and providing assistance with elder care.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=123622&issueID=22495 to view the full article online.

 

Increasingly, health plans and independent groups are making physician information available online to help consumers make these choices more methodically. But experts caution that most doctor-rating systems are still rudimentary, and a four-star rating or other high-performance designation may not reliably reflect a doctor’s abilities. While ratings can provide helpful information, consumers still need to dig a little to find the best doctors for their needs.

Visit http://www.physiciansnews.com/2010/08/03/rating-the-doctors/ to view the full article online.

 

The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action—an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign—even as the rest of the world wonders why you're not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/taylor/2010/08/pass_leadership_test.html to view the full article online.

 

It would be easy, as the leaders of a hospital system in a state with the country's highest unemployment rate, for Henry Ford executives to hunker down, cut back, and squeeze out enough improvements to avoid financial intensive care. But rather than think small, CEO Nancy Schlichting and her colleagues made a huge bet. They built the organization's first new hospital since 1915, and they built it around a set of ideas meant to redefine what's possible in healthcare.

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/taylor/2010/06/going_radical--one_hospitals_p.html to view the full article online.