ASHHRA eNews Pulse

Each day, as I walk in to my office from the parking lot, I walk past some tall oak trees that are home for some birds found in our area called Western Kingbirds. You guessed it! I am a birdwatcher complete with binoculars and a goofy hat. These beautiful birds live there because we provide the three things that are essential for a great birding habitat: shelter, food, and water. I bring this up because at ASHHRA we also have three things that are essential for great human resources (HR) learning. They are: the Mentoring Program led by Maureen O’Keefe, SPHR, system vice president, human resources, St. Luke’s Health System, Boise, Idaho; the Learning and Education Committee led by Debbie Rubens, SPHR-CA, director, human resources, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Northern California, Sacramento, Calif.; and the Annual Conference Committee led by Nancy Dinon, vice president, human resources, Orlando Health, Orlando, Fla.

Do you remember when you first started out in HR or when you transitioned from a non-health care position? Sometimes what you need is a pal to help you navigate health care waters, help answer questions, point you in the right direction on all things health care HR. Even if you are an experienced HR administrator from a non-health care industry, the mentoring program provides a buddy who can help you combine your HR skills with those specific to health care. It is a wonderful program currently providing support and resources to 22 mentees. Maureen and the mentors enrolled in this program have done such an outstanding job that we would like to grow this program. If you are interested in joining as a mentor or if you feel that you could use a mentor and would like to sign up as a mentee, please email ASHHRA partner Ursula Pawlowski, HR membership specialist, or call her at 312-422-3720 and she will get you started.

Have you ever attended a webinar sponsored by ASHHRA? There is a whole team of people behind the scenes who plan our webinar education. From selecting the programs and ensuring that they are just in time, to selecting the presenters and monitoring the quality of the education. These men and women work year round to provide the education that keeps us all abreast of health care human resource issues. Debbie’s team includes Karen Faught, MSA, SPHR; Melissa Frederick; Kathy Dudley Helms; Francine Miguel; and Willis E. Tisdale, PHR. Do you have ideas for future programs? Have you enjoyed a program in particular and would like to see more like it? Debbie and her team would love to hear from you. Feel free to call on ASHHRA Liaison Jamie Macander, senior education specialist, and share your ideas.

Last but not least is our ASHHRA Annual Conference Committee led by Nancy. Like the Learning and Education Committee, this group of volunteers also plans our education each year. On the committee are Carol Anderson; Kathy Dudley Helms; Gwen Hill, SPHR; and Joan Rodriguez. They help choose programs, vet presentations, and oversee the schedule. It is through their efforts that we are able to squeeze so much into a few days of being together; we learn, laugh, visit, share stories, we eat (a lot), and we visit our vendors and get lots of goodies. Are you interested in helping out in the future? Would you like to share your thoughts on the conference? Our ASHHRA partner is also Liaison Jamie Macander, and you are welcome to reach out to her with your thoughts or comments.

Like the Western Kingbirds in the trees outside my office, we also need three essential items. For us, they are these great committees who provide a wealth of knowledge and information on health care human resources. I invite you to come to the annual conference and meet Maureen, Debbie, and Nancy. Let them know how much you appreciate the work that they and their committees do for ASHHRA. If you haven’t registered yet, you still have time. Register now! Join us at the ASHHRA Conference! See you in Denver from September 22-25.

Leading People Through Change,

Irma L. Pye, SPHR
ASHHRA 2012 President
Senior Vice President & CHRO
Valley Baptist Health System
Harlingen, Texas

 

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Visit https://www.research.net/s/2012ASHHRACultureOfHealthProject to view the full article online.

 

By John Commins

The health care industry created 13,000 jobs in June, a significant drop from the sector's 33,300 new jobs in May. The overall unemployment rate, however, remained unchanged at 8.2 percent.

SOURCE: HEALTHLEADERS MEDIA

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HR-282064/Healthcare-Creates-169K-Jobs-Halfway-Through-2012 to view the full article online.

 

By Victoria Stagg Elliott

The nurse practitioner population will nearly double by 2025, according to an analysis published in the July Medical Care, the official journal of the medical care section of the American Public Health Association.

SOURCE: AMEDNEWS.COM

Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/07/02/bisb0702.htm to view the full article online.

 

By Frederik Joelving

Many doctors-in-training have gone to work with flu symptoms, ignoring the risks of passing on illnesses to vulnerable patients, a new survey shows. Half of 150 Illinois resident physicians said they'd worked sick during the previous year, and one in six had done so three or more times.

SOURCE: MSNBC HEALTH

Visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47878971/ns/health-health_care/ to view the full article online.

 

By Bob Herman

Civilian workers—such as nurses, management, and other general workers—employed at hospitals earned $38.81 per hour in total compensation this past March, and wages and salaries represented two-thirds of that total, according to a news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

SOURCE: BECKER’S HOSPITAL REVIEW

Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/compensation-issues/hospital-employee-compensation-averages-almost-39-per-hour-in-march.html to view the full article online.

 

By Nicole Nicoloff

First impressions are extremely important and rather difficult to predict. Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and author of "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking," said of first impressions, "We don't know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don't always appreciate their fragility." This fragility is important to understand because it will not take much to sway a patient's opinion.

SOURCE: BECKER’S HOSPITAL REVIEW

Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/creating-a-culture-of-first-impressions-and-a-continuum-of-patient-care.html to view the full article online.

 

By Debra Beaulieu

It's summertime, and the livin' is easy. No? Well, while you may not be able to close up shop and take your whole staff to the beach, the warmer months are a good time to explore how making life a little easier or more fun for employees can have a big impact on office morale, according to a new survey of employees and HR managers from staffing firm OfficeTeam, the Society for Human Resource Management reported.

SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTHCARE

Visit http://www.fiercepracticemanagement.com/story/employee-engagement-get-year-round-benefits-seasonal-perks/2012-06-27 to view the full article online.

 

By John Commins

If trends hold true, there will be a time in the near future when the only place to find a solo medical practice will be on You Tube. The 2012 Review of Physician Recruiting Incentives from Merritt Hawkins found that recruiting doctors into solo practice "has almost entirely abated."

SOURCE: HEALTHLEADERS MEDIA

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/PHY-282004/Solo-Physician-Practice-Recruiting-Dwindling to view the full article online.

 

By Michelle Andrews

Physicians have long been prickly about websites that assign them points or letter grades or even smiley and frowny faces based on patient reviews of their experiences. Picking a physician is more complicated than buying a toaster, they say, and doctors can’t be accurately evaluated solely on the basis of whether they’re good communicators, for example, or keep appointments punctually.

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST

Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/doctors-may-fear-being-rated-but-they-often-score-high-with-their-patients/2012/07/02/gJQAe2bcIW_story.html to view the full article online.

 

By Annemarie Mannion

With obesity on the rise and a new law on the books, facilities invest in getting patients safely from bed to chair.

SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Visit http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-04/news/ct-x-0704-moving-patients-20120704_1_patient-safety-health-care-hospitals to view the full article online.

 

By Steven Garfinkel

In their search for higher quality and efficiency, many health care organizations have implemented Lean, an industrial improvement approach rooted in Toyota Production Systems. To find out how Lean fits health care, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality commissioned the first independent comparative study of Lean implementation among organized delivery systems. Our findings from 13 projects in diverse delivery systems should help top executives decide whether Lean is right for their organizations.

SOURCE: HOSPITALS & HEALTH NETWORKS

Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=4920002085 to view the full article online.