News

Charitable hospitals and health systems have the opportunity to create comprehensive, long-term strategies and procedures to help improve their communities’ healthcare needs, all the while retaining their tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.

Results of a national healthcare industry survey revealed that 60 percent of hospital executives believe revenue integrity is essential to their organization’s financial health.

Citing a CMS survey that found one quarter of providers do not believe they will be ready by October 1, 2013, HHS argues for delaying ICD-10 implementation by one year.

While it may cost slightly more initially, many hospital and healthcare facilities around the country are finding it financially beneficial to receive LEED certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainable designs, green building materials and energy-efficient systems.

Kathy Love Chief Executive Officer Clark Regional Medical Center Winchester, KY

In an era where healthcare organizations are expected to implement complex initiatives within the constraints of limited budgets, quantifying the efficiency and effectiveness of every function – including hiring – is essential.

The loose contingent of health professionals railing against the ICD-10 delay will likely consider this welcome news: There is a document circulating the web right now -- with a stamp at the top suggesting it will be published in the Federal Register on April 17, 2012 -- in which HHS proposes that the new compliance date for ICD-10 be October 1, 2014.

Healthcare is a complex industry, and changing the way business is done to ensure the viability and success of hospitals and medical suppliers is a daunting challenge. With the Supreme Court scheduled to review the healthcare reform act in the year ahead, 2012 should continue to be a disruptive one for the industry. And that’s not entirely a bad thing.

On Oct. 31, 2011, President Barack Obama issued an executive order to the Food and Drug Administration to do everything possible to detect and deter drug shortages in the United States, which have been a problem for years and have recently reached record levels.

Researchers predict the number of healthcare jobs will grow by 30 percent between 2010 and 2020.