Quality and Safety
The case for collaboration in accountable care networks is getting a boost in the Puget Sound (Wash.) region.
Lean is not a program. It is a long-term philosophy of corporate leadership and organization that is based, above all, on respect shown to front-line staff. Indeed, coaching others to help them learn to see problems is really what lean is all about.
Accountable care organizations can be risky business. ACO care partners must be able to depend on one another for proper patient handling, data flow, clinical cooperation, revenue sharing and other agreed-upon measures.
The change from a fee-for-service healthcare model to a value-based approach might be inevitable, but that doesn't mean it's happening quickly. In fact, the majority of providers remain tied to the old model.
The CFO of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, says the move towards value-based payment models helps the hospital emphasize value of care over volume, which reduces readmissions.
There's a great deal at stake in hospital sourcing and the management of medical supplies. A focus on lowering costs by standardized purchasing of drugs or devices can't come at the expense of compromising high-quality care.
Clinical data has the potential for helping those involved in population health take a large step forward. While adjudicated claims data have a significant lag to them, clinical data is closer to real-time, allowing for interventions while the patient is in need.
Two healthcare organizations have won the the U.S. Commerce Department's annual Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, for providing a high quality patient experience with sustainable financing.
Millions of low-income children are failing to get the free preventive exams and screenings guaranteed by Medicaid and the Obama administration is not doing enough to fix the problem, according to the HHS Office of Inspector General.
Most hospitals already have in place plans to cope with disasters such as tornadoes and plane crashes, but the Ebola virus presents a different challenge. Because of the risk and expense involved, a hospital's CFO should be an integral part of Ebola planning and preparation efforts.