ASHHRA eNews Pulse

I am thrilled to have served this wonderful organization as your president for 2011. In everything I do, I learn and grow, and always benefit from the formation of relationships with terrific people who I know will be lifelong friends.

I am proud to report that ASHHRA is in the best shape ever, a condition that has been continuously improved by many outstanding past presidents and boards of directors and the best ASHHRA staff this organization has ever had! Our Regional Consultants and committee chairs and committee members this year were in high gear with some of the best initiatives and ideas this ASHHRA member has ever seen. I have worked with them, learned from them, had great fun and many laughs with them, and they have earned my respect many times over!

But... the ASHHRA Executive Committee of the board this year was extra special, so I thought it appropriate to leave them in great shape for the future with a big request to someone I still firmly believe in!

Dear Santa,

The ASHHRA Executive Committee and Stephanie Drake were extra good boys and girls this year and I hope you can fulfill their every wish. Here they are, so don’t let me down, oh bearded one.

Jeff Payne – Please provide Jeff new challenges each and every year, because we have enjoyed watching Jeff adapt to the changes while working extremely hard for ASHHRA. We all know Jeff is a high energy guy, who works extremely hard, and we like him that way! He was a good boy this year and the Thought Leader Forum and Nominating Committee process were the best ever!

Irma Pye – New "birding" binoculars that can easily fit in her luggage. Birding has been her fun hobby and they will come in handy as she leads ASHHRA to the mountains of Denver next year. But Santa, you might need to carve some time out for her in Denver so she can get to the mountains. As ASHHRA President, she will have little time to "bird"!

Joe Micucci – A 2012 World Series win for the Philadelphia Phillies. This year, they did not eat enough Tastykakes (a Philadelphia special treat) to finish the job and make it to the World Series! With that incredible pitching staff they should have been there hands down! Give Joe some Tastykakes too, and... and Tom McCawley too... and... me too! We are all from Pennsyl-tucky!

Stephanie Drake – More hours in a day! I really think Stephanie needs more than 24 hours in a day because she is so committed to what she does. Since she is so engaged in her work, I think she could use some hours at the end of the workday to do some non-ASHHRA stuff, like training for marathons. Santa, tread lightly on this because Stephanie is so highly organized and efficient that we wouldn’t want you to mess up the current DNA!

For me, Santa... my wish is for the board, staff, and committees of ASHHRA to have smooth sailing next year. They deserve it!

To my ASHHRA friends, remember, Santa comes from the heart! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Bob Walters, MS, 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

 

The ASHHRA website has resources from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to make sure that hospitals and staff are aware of PCIP, and have information about PCIP should patients be interested.  Click here to access these ASHHRA member resources.  Among those resources is the introduction Video for the public created by CMS.  It provides a snapshot of PCIP, and can be accessed directly at the following link.

Visit http://www.youtube.com/cmshhsgov#p/u/0/-1HMMoGZTV4 to view the full article online.

 

The AHA's Committee on Performance Improvement this year undertook an ambitious new report. "Hospitals and Care Systems of the Future" helps to focus on and confirm the challenges and opportunities ahead for hospitals and to inform your planning process in terms of desired strategies and competencies. See the report.

Visit http://www.aha.org/about/org/hospitals-care-systems-future.shtml to view the full article online.

 

DDI recently polled over 800 HR professionals and leaders in the health care industry. When we compared health care responses to a sample representing those in other U.S. industries, the health care sample frequently came out ahead. The report details the health care’s highest highs and lowest lows when it comes to talent management.

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

 

By Rebecca Hendren
A nursing study out this week brings hospitals some welcome good news: The nursing shortage may not be as bad we feared it would be.
SOURCE: HEALTH LEADERS MEDIA

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/NRS-274024/Nursing-Workforce-Stats-Take-a-Surprising-Turn to view the full article online.

 

By Bernie Monegain

Despite concerns that the current drop in unemployment is temporary, the long-term numbers suggest that recent employment statistics can be attributed to an overall recovery pattern, and health IT is among the leading markets in that recovery, according to MedZilla.com, a healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech employment information website.
SOURCE: HEALTHCARE IT NEWS

Visit http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/health-it-leads-new-job-markets-making to view the full article online.

 

By Karen Minich-Pourshadi

With a struggling economy and imminent Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts, physician practices nationwide are embracing employment at the hospitals and health systems they once eschewed. Doctors are being warmly welcomed by health care organizations eager to augment market share and leverage large numbers of employed physicians for payer rate negotiations. With growing numbers of physicians joining hospitals and health systems, how does the shift from independence affect the physician, the hospital, and the patient?
SOURCE: HEALTH LEADERS MEDIA

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-2/FIN-272609/How-Physician-Employment-Affects-Hospitals-Patients to view the full article online.

 

By Yasmin Anwar

A nurse refuses to help an ailing alcoholic who is upset to find a hospital detox unit closed. A hospital clerk brushes off a deceased woman’s grieving family as they try to pay her bills and claim her belongings. A charge nurse keeps the mother of gunshot victim from seeing her son, saying the emergency room is "too busy." These harsh, real-life scenarios helped inspire Eve Ekman, a doctoral student in social welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, to study empathy burnout in the workplace, a condition expected to skyrocket this year due to the stress caused by the nation’s financial crisis.
SOURCE: UC BERKLEY NEWS CENTER

Visit http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/12/06/compassionfatigue/ to view the full article online.

 

By Suzanna Mahler

On November 30, the Chicago Tribune ran an informative health care feature that discussed the truth about second opinions in patient care. Interestingly, many patients refrain from requesting second opinions, fearing they might insult primary care physicians. However, a study had found the opposite to be true; most physician service professionals encourage them.
SOURCE: HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS

Visit http://hospitalphysicians.com/2011/12/03/physicians-urge-second-opinions/ to view the full article online.

 

By Karen M. Cheung

With reimbursements on the line, hospitals are paying more attention to keeping their patients happy. At the University of Kansas Hospital, customer service training helped the organization boost patient satisfaction scores to 80 to 90 percent, according to its weekly reports.
SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTHCARE

Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/train-hospitals-customer-service-boost-patient-satisfaction/2011-12-08 to view the full article online.

 

By Alicia Caramenico

As the industry shifts toward more transparent and accountable health care, hospitals should take note of Lake of the Woods District Hospital for motivation. The Ontario, Canada-based hospital posts executive travel expenses on its website, and as a result, has the second lowest travel expenditures in the area, reports the Daily Miner and News.
SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTHCARE

Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/transparent-expenses-keep-hospital-overhead-low/2011-12-07 to view the full article online.