For nurses, patient care is at the forefront of their professions.

Hospitals and health systems are shaking up their C-suite and leadership structures as they focus on key areas to ensure long-term success.

The "community benefit standard" for hospital tax-exempt status is a rising source of controversy in Congress, fed by a steady diet of breathless examinations and research from national media,  third-party interest groups and other advocacy organizations. 

Hospital and health system leaders work in an industry that has greatly evolved in recent years. But they are not looking back — opting instead to focus on key areas to ensure long-term success.

Sitting behind a desk all day — except when you are in seemingly never-ending meetings — is one way to make sure hospital leaders never see anything but a bird's-eye view of their operations. Failure to connect with your team is not only one way to guarantee a hospital executive doesn't have a finger on the pulse of the organization but, on a personal note, it's a lonely place to be.

Robert Garrett, CEO of Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, has been named chairman of the World Economic Forum's Health and Healthcare Governor's Community.

The role of health system CEO comes with a slightly different job description than it once did. 

Curveballs can be notorious for keeping hitters off balance. The same can be said for metaphorical pitches in healthcare, and the only way forward for executives is to adapt.

Hospital leaders are short on time and have a nonstop stream of information coming at them at lightning speed everyday. Yet, when they are able to find the time, most say they are eager to dig back into the book sitting on their nightstands to gain new perspectives and new fodder for personal and professional growth.

HCA Healthcare is looking for at least 12 CFOs, according to recent job postings on LinkedIn. 

Corporate and industry jargon is holding less weight with board directors, who are increasingly making an effort to bar it from the boardroom completely, Fortune reports.

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has made his ambition to improve healthcare known since the launch of his generic pharmacy in January 2021. His preferred methods to do so may not resemble those of other healthcare executives. 

A successful relationship between hospitals and communities relies on high level partnerships, meeting healthcare consumer expectations and a sophisticated outpatient strategy to keep community members healthy, and out of the hospital.

Healthcare leaders are zeroed in on growth and modernization, according to a recent report from Optum. 

To succeed at any endeavor, it's important to know the rules. While the business of healthcare is anything but a game, hospital executives lead with their own imposed guidelines — namely always fostering an environment where transparent communication, integrity and a "people first" — employees and patients — attitude are alive and well.

Aaron Kramer joined Adirondack Health as assistant vice president of information systems in 2015 and climbed the executive ranks to become CEO of the Saranac Lake, N.Y.-based health system after his predecessor Sylvia Getman retired in July 2021. 

In July, Penn Medicine's CEO took a stance many other hospital CEOs wouldn't dare touch. 

When Catherine Codispoti takes the reins as Mercy's new chief people officer, she plans to focus inward, on the people already there. 

Orlando-based AdventHealth University has named Laura Fero, PhD, MSN, RN, as its new dean of nursing, according to an Aug. 14 news release.

Faced with tighter margins and continued rising costs, many health system C-suites are restructuring. At least 17 health systems have reorganized executive teams and some eliminated C-suite roles.