Social media’s most valuable role in strategic planning is in communication of strategic planning initiatives and priorities rather than for research during the planning process. It can be particularly useful for reaching employees and creating momentum for moving forward. Your organization can share information about mission, vision, goals, values and ongoing initiatives from your own […]
During 2014, the first full year of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) insurance coverage expansion, total hospital uncompensated care costs (UCC) decreased to the lowest level since 2001. The decrease was only the second since 1990, according to the annual UCC report from the American Hospital Association. UCC dropped from $46.4 billion in 2013 […]
There are countless challenges that health systems may face in developing a strategic plan. Below are some of the more common reasons we have found for reluctance to plan. We have also included some thoughts on overcoming understandable hesitation. Reason 1: “We’re too busy keeping the organization operating.” Those in the C-Suite or on the […]
New study results suggest that pay-for-performance may not work sufficiently to incentivize quality improvement among some physicians. The study found that pediatricians in an accountable care organization who received small incentives did improve quality, but not as significantly as doctors employed by a hospital. The study, published in JAMA Online, focused on quality performance […]
Twenty-one organizations launched the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model in January, according to CMS. These organizations “have significant experience coordinating care for populations of patients through initiatives such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer ACO Model,” CMS wrote in its fact sheet. The new model differs from previous ACO […]
CMS issued a proposed rule revising discharge-planning requirements in late October, estimating that the changes would cost $22,000 per hospital annually and $6,400 for critical access hospitals. The American Hospital Association, the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and others have challenged the cost estimates, claiming the revisions will cost nearly 10 times as much as […]
Cyber risk figures into the credit rating for many companies and organizations, said Moody’s Investors Service analysts in a recent cross sector global report. Assessing cyber preparedness for credit rating purposes “is challenging because the risk is complex and evolving very quickly.” Moody’s considers the risk of a widespread, material cyber event similar to how […]
Note: the editorial staff at iProtean will be taking a holiday break beginning next week and will return the first week in January. Happy Holidays! The not-for-profit healthcare sector will be “stable” in 2016, according to the Moody’s Investor Service 2016 Outlook, released early this month. Moody’s analysts attribute stability to operating cash flow […]
To achieve the best work product from strategic planning sessions, it is imperative for leaders to foster group collaboration and seek input from multiple stakeholders with different backgrounds and skill sets. Even when a diverse group of participants are selected, it can be difficult to obtain input from all participants if one or a few […]
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued preliminary estimates for hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) for 2014, noting a 17 percent decline since 2010. This translates to a cumulative total of 2.1 million fewer HACs for hospital patients from 2011 through 2014. AHRQ estimated that nearly 87,000 fewer patients died in the hospital as […]