Workforce

A new survey of America's physicians doesn't offer any surprises but paints a gloomy picture of the state of mind of the country's physician workforce.

Kaiser Permanente's longtime chief executive officer and chairman, George Halvorson, announced Thursday his plans to retire in December 2013. The nonprofit health system that he has helmed since 2002 is beginning a search for his replacement.

Healthcare added 44,000 jobs to the nation's economy in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Transitions in care can have significant financial impact on healthcare organizations. As technology improves and business paradigms shift, organizations have an opportunity to reduce costs and improve care quality. However, challenges await: it's not easy to make improvements in care transitions.

As healthcare providers grapple with the challenge of attracting and retaining patients, one thing has become increasingly clear: It's about location, location, location.

For many hospitals and healthcare systems around the country, making the decision to outsource a particular department within a facility can be both more cost effective and efficient, however, isn't always a go-to solution for healthcare leaders.

Andrew Bazemore, MD Director, The Robert Graham Center Washington, D.C.

Competition for the best physicians is fierce: hospitals and health systems want them, ambulatory surgery centers want them, physician groups want them. Gone are the days when hospitals could just assume they would be a natural fit for any physician coming into their area. Hospitals must now be proactive in recruiting physicians, and these efforts should involve the C-suite or the hospital risks losing providers to other settings.

The Massachusetts Medical Society released Tuesday the results of its annual study of the state's physician workforce. Physician shortages, difficulty with recruiting and dissatisfaction with the working environment ranked among the chief concerns identified in the study.

Relationships between healthcare organizations and physicians are a growing trend within the industry as more doctors become employees of hospitals. Building healthy working relationships between the two factions is important.