Community Benefit
When it comes to making difficult financial decisions at hospitals, it's crucial to maintain transparent communications with employees and the community. How one small hospital weathered a financial crisis was the focus of a presentation Oct. 26 at a hospital best practices workshop presented by the Maine chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association in Auburn, Maine.
To get better care for patients and lower costs, it's important to stitch together the experience of patients both while they're in the hospital and immediately afterwards.
New York City hospitals scrambled to ensure patient safety in the overwhelming aftermath of post-tropical storm Sandy, which caused unprecedented flooding and widespread power outages.
As Hurricane Sandy made her approach into the New Jersey and New York coastlines, Hackensack University Medical Center, in Hackensack, N.J., was busy taking all possible precautions and preparations in order to continue to safely provide necessary patient care and ensure sufficient supply levels.
According to a recent study released by the North Dakota Hospital Association, North Dakota hospitals and their employees contribute an estimated $4.7 billion each year to the state economy.
In light of the recent Readmissions Reduction Program under the Affordable Care Act, numerous hospitals and medical industry experts are examining new approaches that will decrease the rate of hospital readmissions. "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates $15 billion is spent annually on readmissions for Medicare patients, with $12 billion of that amount being preventable," said Jeff Huber.
Although many hospitals are searching for ways to become more efficient and cut costs, which can include cutting certain positions, the outlook for U.S. healthcare job growth looks positive, as evidenced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' recent report that 44,000 healthcare jobs were added to the economy in September.
Three out of 10 patients who receive a kidney transplant require readmission to the hospital within 30 days of discharge after the initial surgery, finds a new analysis of national data, but better outpatient monitoring may prevent such readmissions.
Our complex healthcare system is often challenging for those who work in it. For those who don't -- patients -- a new brand of companies is rising up to help. Patient navigation companies may be patient-centric but they will impact the way the traditional healthcare system does business.
In a live webcast Tuesday, the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) called on healthcare organizations to step up quality and error reporting.