Strategic Planning

They were ready. Are you? For Orlando Regional Medical Center, the moment came June 11 when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub, eventually killing 49. Thirty-five victims were operated on at Orlando Regional, and all survived. “They had wounds like I had never seen before,” a nurse…
A strategy to acquire something — a physician practice, an ambulatory surgery center or another hospital — can be desirable for improving an organization’s care for its patients, their families and their communities. Service fragmentation and duplication add cost…
Trustee talking points As health care transforms, the health care workforce will have to change, too. Hospital boards should make workforce planning and development part of their strategic process. Self-assessment is critical for hospitals to begin workforce planning. A diverse workforce…
For many years, credentialed experts have acted as gatekeepers for specialized knowledge and service. Attorneys have been gatekeepers for the legal system, universities for higher education, publishers for information and scholars for research findings. These experts have shaped available…
Honors  AHA announces annual membership awards  American Hospital Association President Emeritus Rich Umbdenstock will receive the association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting from May 7 to 10 in Washington, D.C. Kris…
Trustee talking points A growing number of small and rural hospitals, unable to recruit or afford physician hospitalists, are staffing their hospital medicine programs with nurse practitioners. Hospitals that use this approach must comply with state and federal regulations regarding scope of…
Conversations about the Affordable Care Act and its effect on hospitals have often concerned readmissions and the health insurance exchanges. Also important for hospitals and patients, though, is the effect the law has had on population health.
From bottlenecks in emergency departments to communication breakdowns between departments to lengthy walks down corridors, hospitals face daily inefficiencies that can affect patient care, staff performance and their own bottom line.
Trustee talking pointsAs hospitals and health systems grow increasingly complex, they are increasingly creating dedicated support staff for their boards.Full-time governance leaders can devote themselves to serving and advancing board work and a governance program.There is no one-…
Uncertainty is the new normal for rural hospitals. Finding ways to see through that uncertainty and move forward successfully brought trustees and executives to the American Hospital Association’s Rural Health Care Leadership Conference last month.Policy and governance were the themes at the Feb. 5…