Hospitals and health systems continue to grapple with financial challenges, forcing some organizations to close medical departments or end services at facilities. Now more than ever, leaders must stay focused on service lines with the most potential growth.
Becker's asked hospital and health system CEOs to share the service lines they are maintaining with the potential to significantly enhance revenue over the next three years. Below are their responses, in alphabetical order.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Joanne Conroy, MD. President and CEO of Dartmouth Health (Lebanon, N.H.): Our cancer center, a partnership with Dartmouth Health and the Geisel School of Medicine, has the responsibility and the mission to put an end to cancer and provides a growing and significant revenue stream to our health system. Proud of our 50-year history, the cancer center continues to expand and brings world-class oncology service to the people of New Hampshire and Vermont. Not only do our clinical operations grow with the need, but as a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center — one of 53 in the U.S., one of three in New England and the only one not located in a metropolitan area — our innovative research program provides a convergence of intellectual perspectives. As the only cancer center in the U.S. fully integrated with an exceptional liberal arts college and graduate schools of arts and sciences, medicine, business and engineering, we take full advantage of our collective and varied strengths to maximize innovation and collaboration in our fight against cancer.
Most recently and with great appreciation to a generous donor, we've established the Byrne Family Cancer Research Institute, which amplifies forward-thinking scientific approaches predicted to have the highest impact return on investment in targeted cancer prevention, improved cancer treatment and leveraged innovation. Our Dartmouth Cancer Center sets the stage for positive and impactful revenue streams on the way to putting an end to cancer.
Hoyt Skabelund. CEO of Banner Payson (Ariz.) Medical Center: We are maintaining our orthopedic service line.
We currently staff our orthopedic clinic with two full-time orthopedic physician assistants and two visiting orthopedic surgeons who provide four clinic days and three surgery days each month. We have two orthopedic surgeons interested in joining our team initially on a part-time basis with plans to expand to full time in the months and years ahead.
Our service area spans small rural communities as far as 90 miles away serving a population of more than 25,000 with the majority 62 years and older and with 7,000 military veterans. We are anxious to provide high-quality orthopedic services to our area residents close to home for their benefit and convenience.
Our orthopedic service line services include ambulatory care in our clinic, ancillary services including imaging, lab, and physical therapy, and surgery in our hospital.
Mason Van Houweling. CEO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas): University Medical Center is positioned to become the state's center of excellence in cardiovascular care. While UMC has offered award-winning cardiovascular care for decades, we expect this service line to play a key role in our ongoing success as a health care system in the coming years. As we like to do in Las Vegas, UMC is doubling down and betting on the continued growth of our Cardiology and Stroke Center. We've made strategic investments in valuable capital improvement projects, revolutionary clinical technology upgrades and enhanced business development initiatives. This includes a large-scale remodel of our cardiovascular care infrastructure, building additional cardiac catheterization laboratories, introducing expanded electrophysiology services, renovating existing labs, developing a hybrid cath/surgical suite and outfitting all of these clinical areas with state-of-the-art equipment. We also continue to focus on building a comprehensive structural heart program.
Our team at UMC has made significant progress in the development of our world-class cardiothoracic surgery program. Working in partnership with Nevada Heart & Vascular Center, UMC introduced a new team of cardiothoracic surgeons in 2022. With this new team in place, our open-heart surgery volumes have more than doubled, and we anticipate continued growth in the coming years.
Offering a robust residency program coupled with Nevada's only cardiology fellowship program, UMC plays a vital role in training the next generation of cardiologists for our community. UMC looks forward to building upon the strong foundation of our cardiovascular services while further elevating the level of care available in Nevada.