Operational Excellence

Health care executives and boards no longer can lead with only one organization in mind. Value-based payment, along with a renewed emphasis on developing healthy communities, makes care coordination among community providers in multiple entities a necessity.
Rural health care boards and executives are transforming their organizations for a new world of accountable care marked by changing payment models, heightened expectations for physician alignment and greater need for collaboration. The 2016 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference Feb. 7–10 in…
When your board hired your organization’s CEO, the competencies the CEO possessed likely were a major factor in the selection process. However, many of those same skills are not sufficient to lead the hospitals and health systems of tomorrow.
Getting there is half the fun, right? Keep that in mind this holiday season, all of you who will be loading the family jalopy with unruly kids, rambunctious pets, more baggage than you even knew you owned and every flashy distraction Silicon Valley has yet to devise. The ride to Grandma’s…
Health care governance education transformed immeasurably for the better during my 36-year career with the Arkansas Hospital Association. Almost four decades ago, board members were chosen for their prominence in the community. They met and enjoyed a nice lunch or dinner on the third Thursday of…
Health care must become more diverse in its leadership, governance and staff, and it must work hard to eliminate disparities in care. Here’s why: Changing America: • Half of all children in the U.S. will be nonwhite by 2020 • The majority of the population will be nonwhite by 2044
The headline on this month’s cover story can be taken in a couple of ways, but there’s one important way you as a board member should not take it. As the article makes clear, experience matters when it comes to running a hospital. A thorough understanding of health…
To meet the changing needs of our communities, hospitals are working hard to make sure that every individual receives the highest quality of care. To achieve that goal as our nation becomes increasingly diverse, we must redouble our efforts to identify and eliminate disparities in care.
Hospitals can build stronger connections to the community through popular social media sites and apps. Some hospitals are hiring full-time and freelance journalists to write stories and produce videos on health trends, news of the day and the hospital itself. “We’re updating the site with two to…
Hospitals are making greater use of new technologies to improve emergency department throughput. Digital registration kiosks and bedside registration systems streamline the process, allowing patients to be treated more quickly. Electronic patient tracking boards can reduce wait times and improve…