Strategic Planning

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…
Population health is a hot topic. But what does it mean in practical terms? Population health encompasses clinical and nonclinical approaches for improving health, preventing disease and reducing health disparities. It also means creating a society that gives all individuals an equal opportunity…
As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sharpens the sticks and sweetens the carrots to encourage health care providers to reduce avoidable readmissions, better discharge planning has become a priority for hospitals. A number of strategies have shown promise already:
Health care is transforming to a value-based model, with the goals of improved care quality, access and outcomes for consumers, at lower costs. The means of achieving these goals is the effective management of health and health care services over the continuum of a population’s care and…
Slowly and surely, we’ve been burning out a generation of doctors and nurses. The numbers are startling: Over 50 percent of physicians report one or more symptoms of burnout. Over 50 percent of nurses are emotionally exhausted, and 25 percent are clinically depressed. Most doctors won’t recommend…
The 14 “intrapreneurs” gathered in the basement of Providence Park stadium, home of the Portland (Ore.) Timbers Major League Soccer team, one rainy morning this spring. Fueled by coffee and a regional favorite brand of protein bar — “Ooh, Picky Bars!” someone exclaimed…
Hospital executives are facing a relatively new challenge: managing the financial risk of bundled or capitated payment after a patient is discharged. Now that post–acute care providers are an extension of a hospital’s care delivery model, their performance has direct implications for…
Community health improvement is an ongoing process, and hospital trustees can play a crucial role. The community health assessment is a method used by hospitals, public health departments and other social services agencies to identify and prioritize community health needs and assets and then use…
Let’s face it, designing a strategy is challenging in the best of times. Add to this the uncertainty of the health reform landscape, and strategy design seems almost impossible. The complexity of working with unknowns, coupled with a strong need to create value, requires that hospitals…