Dear Colleagues,

Happy Health Care HR Week! I hope your week is off to a great start, celebrating health care HR professionals at your organizations! While we know it’s important to regularly step back and reflect on the significant work of health care HR teams, this week is one of the BEST times to do so!

Join ASHHRA this week as we celebrate and recognize human resources professionals across the continuum of care. ASHHRA is sharing exciting news each day, from recognition of noteworthy health care HR teams and initiatives, daily reveals about the 2019 ASHHRA annual conference and special Health Care HR Week promotions. Pay attention to your inbox and ASHHRA’s social media so you don’t miss a thing!

Tuesday, March 26, 2:00 p.m. CT
Throughout 2018, many providers navigated increasingly competitive environments by achieving greater scale through mergers and acquisition, a trend that continues in 2019. Ensuring that diversity and inclusion are kept in mind during a merger or acquisition can help address cross-cultural integration issues at your health care organization. Join presenter Charlotte Hughes as she equips participants with the skills and awareness to effectively identify and navigate these issues that may arise throughout a mergers and acquisition process. BONUS: the first 100 people to register for this webinar during Health Care HR Week pay only $20!

The Spring 2019 issue of HR Pulse magazine is now available. ASHHRA members receive a print copy and have access to the digital version. The issue explores mental health in the work place: how to support your workforce while still managing your business. 

Adjusting for social risk factors such as poverty, disability and housing could level the playing field for hospitals that serve the most vulnerable patients, according to a study published Friday in Health Services Research. 

AHA News
This week is Patient Safety Awareness Week, initiated by the National Patient Safety Foundation, providing an opportunity for health care organizations to highlight their patient safety work and resources. It is also Health Care Human Resources Week, sponsored by ASHHRA, highlighting exemplary teamwork and innovative initiatives by HR professionals across the care continuum.

Health care is undergoing tremendous transformation. Among the forces at play is the rise in consumerism — patients taking on increasing responsibility in selecting plans, providers and treatment options — which will require the next generation of leaders to think and adapt in new ways.

Care management has emerged as an evidenced-based practice for improving patient care outcomes across the continuum of health. The responsibilities and scope of practice for care managers continue to evolve and become more complex. Therefore, having a care management platform that can keep up with these and other rapid changes within health care is crucial.  

Risk appetite statements, governance frameworks and password-less authentication are among the growing trends that will impact security, privacy and risk leaders, says a new report from Gartner.

The health care industry should be looking at what some of the tech giants are doing to determine how to move forward.

Becker's Hospital Review
Newly licensed nurses are predominantly working 12-hour shifts, nearly half work overtime and more than 1 in 10 have a second job, a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found.

Workforce

Lawmakers and witnesses alike cited the ill-effects of hospital mergers and acquisitions in a long list of industry behavior they find troubling.

Modern Healthcare
Prices increased 13 percent, as utilization dropped by 17 percent from 2012 to 2016, according to a new iteration of the Health Care Cost Institute's analysis. Metro areas with higher prices tended to have lower use.