Articles
Governance Effectiveness
New members of the AHAs Committee on Governance
The American Hospital Association announced appointments to the 2016 Committee on Governance, a specialty committee of the board that provides input for the AHA’s policy development, leads involvement of hospital trustees in grassroots advocacy, provides advice on trustee initiatives and enhances involvement of trustees in the AHA.
Margaret Wagner Dahl is the 2016 COG chair and Andrew M. Stern is chair-elect.
Delivery System Transformation, Financial Oversight, Governance Effectiveness, Operational Excellence, Strategic Planning, Issues & Trends
3 lessons about health care transformation from the Center for Healthcare Governance symposium
The Center for Healthcare Governance winter symposium in February was a terrific event, and not only because it gave some of us a chance to thaw out in the Phoenix sunshine. This was my first CHG meeting since becoming editor of Trustee in the fall, and what impressed me most was how eager attendees were to get their arms around all the changes now going on in health care.
Delivery System Transformation, Governance Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends
AHA annual meeting, governance white paper, grants for rural telemedicine
The American Hospital Association will hold its Annual Membership Meeting May 1–4 in Washington, D.C. The event brings together hospital and health system leaders from around the country to hear from some of the top names in health care, government and media. One track will focus on issues of particular interest to trustees and will feature well-known experts like Jamie Orlikoff, John Combes, M.D., JoAnn McNutt, Rick de Filippi and Constance Howes. On the final day, members will travel to Capitol Hill to meet with their state legislative delegations.
Delivery System Transformation, Financial Oversight, Governance Effectiveness, Operational Excellence, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends
Two to get started
When you agreed to serve on the board of a hospital, you probably knew that health care was changing. But I bet you didn't anticipate how sweeping that transformation would be — from how providers are reimbursed to how and where care is delivered; from medical technology that's continuously evolving to breakthrough treatments for all kinds of diseases; from skyrocketing drug prices to the rise of consumerism.
Delivery System Transformation, Nurses, Operational Excellence, Care Delivery, Quality & Patient Safety, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends, Workforce
Health care data on infant mortality, online health information, nurses, drunk driving
Infant mortality hits record low
The U.S. mortality rate fell 2.3% in 2014, to a record low 582.1 deaths per 100,000 live births. The drop was led by a 13.5% decline in deaths from respiratory illness.
Care Delivery, Quality & Patient Safety, Strategic Planning, Issues & Trends
Diabetes rates decline
The number of new cases of diabetes diagnosed in the United States declined significantly from 2009 to 2014 after steadily rising for 25 years, according to data released in December by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country recorded 1.4 million new cases in 2014, down from 1.7 million in 2008, a decline of about 20 percent. The drop was largest among whites, who had a lower incidence rate overall.
Governance Effectiveness, Nurses, Physician Workforce, Strategic Planning, Issues & Trends, Workforce
OSHA webpage on workplace violence in health care
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has created a Web page featuring strategies and tools to support OSHA’s “Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers.” Visit www.osha.gov/dsg/hospitals/workplace_violence.html.
Delivery System Transformation, Strategic Planning
Heroes All
Whenever something truly terrible happens on a large scale somewhere in our nation — whether it’s Newtown, Boston, Charleston, San Bernardino or one of the hundreds of other communities shaken in recent years by acts of human cruelty and violence — our editors and writers always look for the hospital angle. We report on how the local hospital immediately goes into crisis mode by sending staff to the scene, freeing up the emergency department, and making sure there are enough beds, supplies and personnel to meet the awful challenge.
Delivery System Transformation, Governance Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends
HIMSS conference Feb. 29-May 4 in Las Vegas
More than 40,000 health care information management professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world will attend HIMSS annual conference and exhibition Feb. 29-March 4 in Las Vegas. Peyton Manning, the National Football League’s five-time most valuable player, will present the closing keynote address. Visit www.himssconference.org.