Articles
The most vexing problem in IT
The once-arcane concept of interoperability among information technology systems has become a mainstream issue, rising from the backrooms of IT departments up to C-suites and the boardroom. Health systems nationwide have invested billions of dollars in electronic health records and information technology only to realize the EHR data troves they own now have to work with others’.
For the most part, they can’t.
Financial Oversight, Governance Effectiveness, Health Information Technology (HIT), Legislation and Legislative Advocacy, Operational Excellence, Financial Management, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends, Workforce
How Hospitals Can Prepare for Inevitable Breaches of Patient Data
Snapshot
A series of high-profile breaches underscored the vulnerability of online records and the ability of cyber-criminals to quickly adapt their tactics. Providers and vendors are intensifying efforts to protect data from prying eyes.
The Cost of Value-based Care
Snapshot
Sophisticated systems that link payer, financial and clinical data will drive population health efforts. More IT spending and a learning curve lie ahead.
After spending big bucks on new or upgraded electronic health record systems that can meet meaningful use criteria and other benchmarks, trustees now are getting an unwelcome surprise. It turns out that their EHR investments are only one part of the information technology equation needed to succeed with population health.
Governance Effectiveness, Care Delivery, Quality & Patient Safety
The Path to Lower Readmissions Lies in Patient Support
Snapshot
A crucial part of population health is keeping patients healthy outside the hospital. But certain patients, due to their surroundings or their illnesses, often bounce back to the emergency department or to an inpatient stay after discharge. To get a handle on their most challenging populations, three hospitals built programs that provide medical and social support to their communities.
C-Suite Hires, Get Involved, Governance Effectiveness, Leadership
Leadership Assessment and Competencies
As hospitals and health systems evolve to meet changing reimbursement and delivery system demands, so too must the organization’s leadership. The shift toward value-based care and population health management places new demands on the organization, requiring new competencies and skill sets in the C-suite.
C-Suite Hires, Governance Effectiveness, Leadership
Leadership Assessment and Competencies
As hospitals and health systems continue to navigate the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, one important tool often goes overlooked. Human resources can play a vital role in developing organizational strategy and building an engaged workforce of the future.
Governance Effectiveness, Leveraging Technology
IT Dilemmas of the Newly Merged
Snapshot
One of the first decisions that merging organizations must make is what to do with legacy information systems, and the answer isn’t always obvious. Standardizing around a current system, interfacing two disparate platforms or starting over with a third solution all have benefits and drawbacks for physicians and staff.
Governance Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, Leveraging Technology, Issues & Trends
Sunk Costs, Contracts and Meaningful Use
The typical hospital's electronic health record system represents a sizable sunk cost on which executive managers normally would want to get a long return on investment. But in a merger with another health system, writing off the IT might be the right thing for the overall merger goals.
C-Suite Hires, Governance Effectiveness, Leadership, Physician Workforce, Workforce
The Importance of Physician Leadership
Physician engagement is paramount as hospitals and health systems navigate the transition from volume to value. And yet, it won't be enough to ensure organizational success. As the hospital field tackles clinical integration, population health and performance improvement to drive transformational change, it must rely upon physician leadership to reach its goals.
C-Suite Hires, Delivery System Transformation, Governance Effectiveness, Leadership, Strategic Planning
Proven Leaders, Uncommon Backgrounds
Before becoming chief executive officer of Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, last August, John Allen already had 14 years of experience working with highly intelligent individuals whose focus was expertise in their field, not developing the management skills needed for leadership roles. It was not dissimilar to the relationship between health care CEOs and physicians as they confront the unprecedented change in care delivery.