August 2018 Issue of Beckers Hospital Review
ON THE COVER
How Microsoft is shaking up healthcare
In June, Microsoft revealed the names of two new executives joining its healthcare division, heightening curiosity about the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant’s plans to step into the industry. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Same-sex and cardiothoracic surgical teams are riddled with most conflict, study finds
Hierarchies and gender dynamics can influence the amount of conflict present in an operating room, according to a study published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
White House releases extensive plan to reorganize HHS: 9 things to know
The White House has released its 132-page plan to restructure several federal agencies and impose work requirements on government assistance programs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Mayo Clinic pulls off 25K-user Epic go-live: 3 questions with the consulting firm that helped them do it
On May 5, Mayo Clinic’s main campus in Rochester, Minn., completed one of the nation’s largest Epic EHR implementations to date, according to HCI Group — the health IT consulting and technology solutions firm that aided Mayo Clinic in the go-live. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
University Hospitals launches bundled payment program with Walmart
Walmart has contracted with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for a bundled payment program for joint replacement procedures and orthopedic care for Walmart employees and their families. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
CFO / FINANCE
Kansas hospital loses Medicare billing privileges, may be forced to close
CMS terminated Overland Park, Kan.-based Blue Valley Hospital’s Medicare contract in April, and the hospital faced another setback last week when a federal judge ruled she did not have jurisdiction to hear the hospital’s case against HHS and CMS challenging the Medicare termination decision, according to KCUR. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUECLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Bankrupt Miami hospital fetches $30M bid
The Miami Medical Center filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, and the 67-bed hospital was recently sold in auction. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Georgia hospital closes
Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega, Ga., will close July 27, and a local urgent care center is expanding its hours to help care for patients in the community, according to The Gainesville Times. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
California hospital reverses $15,666 trauma fee for baby who napped, drank formula in ER
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital agreed to waive a $15,666 trauma response fee it charged a vacationing South Korean family after their son, who had experienced a fall, received no critical care but slept and drank formula in the hospital’s emergency room, according to Vox. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Former CEO of Sentara-owned insurer to hospitals: ‘Don’t think you can duplicate’ Kaiser’s health plan
Michael Dudley, former senior vice president of Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare and CEO of its Optima Health plan, served as an executive with Sentara for 21 years. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
WHO releases ICD-11: 5 things to know
After more than a decade in the making, the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases has been released by the World Health Organization. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Fitch: Minor headwinds coming for US children’s hospitals
U.S. nonprofit children’s hospitals soon will feel the operational headwinds that are affecting the overall general acute healthcare industry, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Washington hospital avoids closure, saves 1,000 jobs
A bankruptcy judge has approved Kennewick, Wash.-based Trios Health’s plan to sell its assets to Brentwood, Tenn.-based RCCH HealthCare Partners, a move that will allow Trios to remain open and keep its 1,000 employees, according to the Tri-City Herald. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUECLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
PwC: Efforts to curb healthcare utilization ‘have run their course’
PwC’s Health Research Institute estimates 2019’s employer medical cost trend will be 6 percent, remaining “stable yet unsustainably high,” according to its annual medical cost trend report. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
BCBS lets Mayo in on decision-making with 5-year contract
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic agreed to work directly with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota to decide what emerging technology BCBSM will cover. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
University Hospitals launches bundled payment program with Walmart
Walmart has contracted with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center for a bundled payment program for joint replacement procedures and orthopedic care for Walmart employees and their families. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Anonymous donor pays tuition for entire inaugural class of Houston med school
An anonymous donor, who gifted $3 million, will fully fund tuition for the entire inaugural class of medical students at the University of Houston College of Medicine, the university announced July 18. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Mississippi hospital shuts down ER, unable to pay employees
Employees of North Oak Regional Medical Center in Senatobia, Miss., have not been paid in more than two weeks, according to WREG. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Bon Secours’ operating income climbs 20% with boost from revenue cycle improvements
Marriottsville, Md.-based Bon Secours Health System reported higher revenue and operating income in the first nine months of fiscal year 2018 than in the same period of the year prior. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Atrium Health bumps pay for 9,000 nurses
Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health said 9,000 nurses across the system will receive raises at the same time as a regional minimum wage increase to $12.50. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
CEO / STRATEGY
Michigan hospital, 3 patient relatives must mediate Facebook post lawsuit
A court ordered Kalkaska (Mich.) Memorial Health Center and three relatives of a patient treated at the hospital to mediate their dispute over a critical Facebook post made by the relatives, according to a Traverse City Record Eagle report. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Memorial Hermann hit with $1M retaliation suit by former employee
A former physician peer review coordinator for Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System has sued the health system for $1 million, claiming she was fired in retaliation after she refused to reveal confidential information. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Physician group to close dozens of clinics amid federal investigation into CEO
Brentwood, Tenn.-based Comprehensive Pain Specialists is closing more than 25 clinics, according to the Tennessean. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
White House releases extensive plan to reorganize HHS: 9 things to know
The White House has released its 132-page plan to restructure several federal agencies and impose work requirements on government assistance programs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
New York hospital seeks new management contract within hours of CEO’s sudden resignation
Immediately after the abrupt resignation of Massena (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital CEO Robert Wolleben on June 18, town officials announced they plan to contract with another hospital to operate Massena Memorial as an interim step to forming a private nonprofit and having a health system take over the facility completely, according to the Watertown Daily Times. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Hospital CEOs hold on to their jobs longer in these 17 states
Keeping with a three-year trend, hospital CEO turnover remained at 18 percent in 2017, according to the American College of Healthcare Executives. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Healthcare CEO gets prison time for role in $19.4M kickback scheme
The former CEO of American Senior Communities, an Indianapolis-based skilled nursing and rehabilitation provider, was sentenced June 29 to nine and a half years in prison for his role in a fraud, kickback and money laundering conspiracy, according to the Department of Justice. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
9 lesser known things about Dr. Atul Gawande
Even before he was chosen to helm the healthcare venture for Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway, the medical field knew the name Atul Gawande, MD. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
CIO / HEALTH IT
GE to spin off healthcare business: 5 things to know
GE revealed plans to spin off its healthcare business into a standalone enterprise June 26, concluding a yearlong strategic review of the company’s operations and financial strength. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
UW Medicine allocates $180M to move to single EHR
The Seattle-based UW Medicine Finance and Asset Management Committee approved a $180 million plan for a 30-monthslong endeavor to replace its Cerner and Epic EHRs with a single, integrated platform. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
How Microsoft is shaking up healthcare
In June, Microsoft revealed the names of two new executives joining its healthcare division, heightening curiosity about the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant’s plans to step into the industry. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Cleveland Clinic, 27 other hospitals join Apple’s Health Records initiative
Cleveland Clinic is one of the latest hospitals allowing its patients to access their health data on their iPhone as part of Apple’s Health Records beta program. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Mayo Clinic pulls off 25k-user Epic go-live: 3 questions with the consulting firm that helped them do it
On May 5, Mayo Clinic’s main campus in Rochester, Minn., completed one of the nation’s largest Epic EHR implementations to date, according to HCI Group — the health IT consulting and technology solutions firm that aided Mayo Clinic in the go-live.’ CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Walmart patent proposes storing patient records on the blockchain
Walmart was recently awarded a patent that describes a system of storing patient medical records on the blockchain within a wearable device so first responders can access patient data in emergency situations, according to CCN. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
13 statistics on never events
The Joint Commission implemented a sentinel event policy in 1996 to help hospitals improve patient safety and learn from adverse events, including unexpected deaths and serious physiological or psychological harm to patients. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Survey: 8 in 10 nurses believe nonphysician practitioners play larger role in managing patient care
More than 8 in 10 registered nurses said nonphysician healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners and RNs, are playing (87 percent), or will play (82 percent), a larger role overall in managing patient care, according to a survey conducted by the University of Phoenix College of Health Professions. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
CMO / CARE DELIVERY
10 things emergency department patients want during a hospital stay
For patients who find themselves in the emergency department, communication from clinicians is key to giving them a better experience. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Same-sex and cardiothoracic surgical teams are riddled with most conflict, study finds
Hierarchies and gender dynamics can influence the amount of conflict present in an operating room, according to a study published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Lawsuit accuses HCA hospital of covering up medical error that led to patient’s death
The family of a 25-year-old patient who died due to the improper removal of a central catheter line is suing Loxahatchee, Fla.-based Palms West Hospital, alleging it concealed the medical mistake that led to the man’s death, the Broward-Palm Beach New Times reports. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Rhode Island Hospital to invest $1M in training after 4 patient errors in 4 weeks
Providence-based Rhode Island Hospital entered a consent agreement with the state Department of Health after reporting four patient errors in four weeks, the Providence Journal reports. The agreement will result in numerous improvement measures over the next year. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Memo sheds light on tension between Massachusetts General physicians, Partners: 9 things to know
An emailed memo from Walter O’Donnell, MD, a longtime physician at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, brings to light the tension between some physicians at the hospital and its parent company, Boston-based Partners Healthcare, according to the Boston Globe. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Cincinnati hospital nurses warn new CNO of staffing crisis, patient safety concerns
Amid contract negotiations with Cincinnati-based UC Health, nurses at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center sent their newly appointed chief nursing officer a letter this week that requests solutions to staffing shortages and improvements to patient care, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Op-ed: Why an inaccurate ‘overworked nurses’ report poorly reflects Hawai’i’s nursing efforts
In Hawai’i, nursing strives to and prides itself in evidence-based practice and data-driven nursing workforce policy and recruitment and retention programs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Montefiore CEO Dr. Steven Safyer believes young leaders should possess this trait
After spending nearly three decades progressing through the ranks and helping drive improvements at New York City-based Montefiore Medical Center, Steven Safyer, MD, saw his efforts recognized in 2008 when he was appointed president and CEO. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Michael Dowling: The urgency of change
With patient demographics shifting nationwide and new technologies transforming how care is delivered, medical education has yet to receive the thorough review required to keep pace with the dramatic changes affecting our industry. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
Corner Office: Integris CMO Dr. Tommy Ibrahim on how burnout as a young executive made him stronger
Young physicians across the nation dream of the opportunity to rise to the C-suite as quickly as Tommy Ibrahim, MD. However, his speedy ascent came with a steep learning curve, and it was only after he discovered the importance of delegation that he began to come into his own as a leader. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
