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ASHHRA eNews Brief: April 2013Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ahh-nwl/articles/index-v3.asp?aid=214289&issueID=25981 to view the full article online.
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In the years to come, experts may look back on health care reform as the time that not only made improvements in the quality of patient care and sparked efforts to reduce costs, but also when doctors traded their independent practices for hospital employment. There's been a marked uptick in the pace with which physicians are being employed by hospitals; in fact, employment of physicians and surgeons is expected to grow by 24 percent from 2010 to 2020, nearly twice the rate of growth for all other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SOURCE: HEALTHLEADERS MEDIA
Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-290705/DoctorHiring-Rush-is-On to view the full article online.
SOURCE: AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS
Visit http://www.amednews.com/article/20130401/business/130409994/9/ to view the full article online.
Between February and March, the hospital sector added roughly 7,900 jobs, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospitals have steadily added jobs each month so far this year, as has most of the health care sector. In total, roughly 23,400 health care jobs were added in March.
SOURCE: BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/hospital-jobs-jump-by-7900-in-march.html to view the full article online.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty and staff won't accrue vacation time for three months or receive pay increases as the program works to cut costs in the face of "unprecedented financial challenges" posed by the federal budget sequestration, employees were told Tuesday. The medical center needs to make up for a $20 million shortfall by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
SOURCE: THE TENNESSEAN
Visit http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130403/NEWS01/304030146/2275/RSS05?nclick_check=1 to view the full article online.
The vast majority of payments to U.S. physicians continues to be based only on the volume of services the doctors provide rather than the quality of those services, according to a nonprofit employer coalition that released its first annual national payment reform scorecard. The national scorecard by the Catalyst for Payment Reform, a coalition of large corporations and other health care purchasers, offers a preliminary snapshot of how the concept of value-oriented payments is progressing in the U.S.
SOURCE: AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS
Visit http://www.amednews.com/article/20130408/government/130409958/4/ to view the full article online.
Some members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) suggested Medicare take stronger steps to recognize and reward the work of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs). Medicare payments generally follow along with states' scope-of-practice laws for APRNs and PAs, which vary widely in what they allow the lower-level providers to do and, hence, can bill Medicare for.
SOURCE: MEDPAGE TODAY
Visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/38287 to view the full article online.
A new blog post from global employee assessment firm Select International, based in Pittsburgh, shares three strategies for organizations to retain their top talent. "Salary, retirement plans, and vacation benefits are all high on the list of why those great employees took the job, but they are not reasons enough to keep them employed at your organization for the long haul. Job satisfaction will increase your employee retention rate," blog author Amber Knabb wrote.
SOURCE: BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/3-strategies-to-hold-onto-top-talent.html to view the full article online.
With hospitals cracking down on disruptive workers, health care leaders must be armed with information on how to handle disruptive and inappropriate behaviors. Consider the following tips to prevent unprofessional conduct from interfering with the safety and well-being of patients and staff.
SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTHCARE
Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/3-tips-defuse-disruptive-behavior-healthcare/2013-04-02 to view the full article online.
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/strategic-physician-onboarding-7-tactics-for-minimizing-losses-on-employed-medical-practices.html to view the full article online.
A changing health care system has many physicians thinking about a new job environment — or retirement. A recent survey determined that the improving economy is allowing more doctors to make those dreams a reality. The physician departure rate at large practices was 6.8 percent in 2012, the highest it has been in the eight years that the American Medical Group Association and Cejka Search have conducted their Physician Retention Survey. MGMA-ACMPE, which represents smaller practices than does AMGA, said it believes the turnover rate for its members is about the same, though it conducts no survey.
SOURCE: AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS
Visit http://www.amednews.com/article/20130401/business/130409979/2/ to view the full article online.
As many doctors struggle to keep their practices financially sound, some are buckling under money woes and being pushed into bankruptcy. It's a trend that's accelerated in recent years, industry experts say, with potentially serious consequences for doctors and patients. Some physicians are still able to keep practicing after bankruptcy, but for others, it's a career-ending event. And when a practice shuts its doors, patients can find it harder to get the health care they need nearby.
SOURCE: CNNMONEY
Visit http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/08/smallbusiness/doctors-bankruptcy/ to view the full article online.
Physician executives are a hot commodity for hospitals and health systems. Having physician input in the C-suite and other senior leadership positions critical for organizations as they move toward clinical integration and pay-for-performance compensation models. "It's made the role a priority," says Linda Komnick, a consultant with Witt/Kieffer, an executive search firm.
SOURCE: BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/fierce-competition-for-physician-executives-how-hospitals-can-get-ahead.html to view the full article online.
Since January, at least 114 local doctors have traded their independence for steady paychecks from hospitals. The move, part of a nationwide trend, has wide implications not only for doctors but also for patients' pocketbooks. Often, patients don't realize their physician has become a hospital employee until they get their bill. These often will be higher because hospitals can negotiate higher reimbursement rates with insurers, according to comparisons on insurance Websites.
SOURCE: ORLANDO SENTINEL
Visit http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-doctors-unite-20130403,0,4558664.story to view the full article online.
SOURCE: PHYSICIAN'S WEEKLY
Visit http://www.physiciansweekly.com/young-docs-pessimistic-about-the-future/ to view the full article online.
The 2 percent Medicare reimbursement cuts mandated by the federal sequestration over the next 10 years pose a big threat to not-for-profit hospitals, says a report from Moody's Investors Service. In its report,The Sequester Series: Sequestration's Medicare Reductions Present New Headwinds for Not-for-Profit Hospitals, Moody's finds that not-for-profit hospitals are generally vulnerable to the cuts because they rely heavily on Medicare reimbursements. Hospitals are especially at risk if they have not already budgeted for the cuts or made spending adjustments in preparation for reduced Medicare payments.
SOURCE: HEALTHLEADERS MEDIA
Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-290958/Moodys-Sequestration-Threatens-NotForProfit-Hospitals to view the full article online.
The chairman of the American Hospital Association board of trustees says hospitals are pushing forward with efforts to transform care delivery, but he urges lawmakers to take a long-term view rather than seek short-term fixes.
SOURCE: HOSPITALS & HEALTH NETWORKS
Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/04APR2013/0413HHN_Feature_TheInterview&domain=HHNMAG to view the full article online.
Servant leadership was first described by Robert Greenleaf, a top executive from AT&T, when he proposed that the "great leader is seen as servant first." He advocated for organizations in the fields of health care, business, education, and religion to become servant in nature. Servant leadership begins with an individual desire to serve, followed by a conscious choice to lead. It depends on the first priority of service, to ensure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. Greenleaf believed that because servant leaders take care of their followers' greatest needs first, followers become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servant leaders. In contrast to traditional hierarchical leadership theories, the servant leader understands that change within oneself is the first step to leading others. Servant leaders allow people to see and act and grow beyond what they think possible.
SOURCE: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
Visit http://www.jaapa.com/servant-leadership-a-framework-for-team-based-health-care/article/286791/ to view the full article online.
Hospital CEOs are struggling to bridge the gap between fee-for-service and value-based care, according to Huron Healthcare's third annual CEO forum. Despite growing pressure for hospitals to deliver higher quality, more patient-centered care, the fee-for-service model isn't dead yet — putting CEOs in the tough spot of continuing current fee-for-service reimbursement while simultaneously moving toward payment reform.
SOURCE: FIERCE HEALTHCARE
Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/hospital-ceos-navigate-transition-volume-value/2013-04-05 to view the full article online.
Findings from the 2012 Healthcare Talent Management Survey from Dr. Kevin Groves, associate professor of Theory and Management, Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management and principal of Talent Management Consulting, reveals that hospital management shows that the cost to hire new workers in management roles far exceeds the cost to retain existing staff.
SOURCE: PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY GRAZIADIO SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Visit http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/newsroom/index.php/2013/04/hospital-managers-are-facing-a-healthcare-leadership-crisis/ to view the full article online.
Reader response to my blog post a couple of weeks ago, "Why Do We Still Have Women Issues?" was a provocative mix, ranging from those who say gender bias in hospital executive suites remains a critical problem to others who pooh-pooh the idea that the still mostly male power-brokers are anything but welcoming to would-be leaders of either gender. I selected a few of the reactions from various health care Linkedin discussion groups to share with you.
SOURCE: HOSPITALS & HEALTH NETWORKS
Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=2360002111 to view the full article online.
A new study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health published in Health Affairs suggests that hospital board members at U.S. hospitals are less engaged in quality issues than board members of English hospitals.
SOURCE: BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW
Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/study-us-hospital-boards-less-engaged-in-quality-than-english-counterparts.html to view the full article online.
