Care Delivery

Value-based payment approaches, including Medicare’s Quality Payment Program for physicians and other eligible clinicians, tie fees and bonuses to how well providers perform on various quality and cost measures. An underlying assumption of value-based payment is that quality of care can be…
When Christine Crawford, 57, began discussing gender transition surgery with her hormone specialist at a clinic for Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, she expressed concern over the process of legally changing her name to Christine. The process, which can take three to six months, was one more…
As health care moves toward a population health paradigm that focuses on keeping people healthy, hospitals and health systems are recognizing the significance of the social determinants of health. Research by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has shown that only 20 percent of…
The scope and multifaceted approach necessary to improve population health calls for something more than a single organization working alone. Collaboration is key, and many hospitals and health systems are taking the lead in partnering with community organizations to improve the health and well-…
The health care community is showing a significant and growing interest in the social determinants of health. The rise of population health, providers’ embracing risk, increased focus on community benefits and growing scientific evidence have all driven an appreciation that social…
In the first months of 2015, Erie, Pa., experienced an uptick in violence, drug-related crimes and murders. One particular homicide of a promising young student hit the local hospital staff and the rest of the Erie community hard, says James Donnelly, R.N., chief nursing and quality…
After years of fanfare and a few false starts, the era of genomic medicine has finally arrived. Across the country, thousands of patients are being treated, or having their treatment changed, based on information gleaned from their genome. It’s a revolution that has been promised since the…
Don’t Eat That 24,029 The number of infections caused by foodborne pathogens in 2016. 5,512 The number of hospitalizations related to foodborne pathogens that year. 98 The number of deaths caused by foodborne pathogens during that year.
Hospitals don't serve just their patients. They also serve their communities. That’s why many hospital leaders are making committed efforts to have their leadership teams reflect the diversity of the populations they serve. In our cover story starting on Page 8, writer Lola Butcher…
Violence Report examines cost of community violence Community violence cost U.S. hospitals and health systems an estimated $2.7 billion in 2016, according to a report prepared for the American Hospital Association by Milliman.