Healthcare Strategic Management articles from December 2007

Healthcare Strategic Management archives from December 2007

Make your community benefit really benefit.(Public relations)
December 1, 2007... The pressure is on at many hospitals and health systems as cities and towns are asking non-profit hospitals more and more: What have you done for me lately? Proving your organization's worth and keeping your tax exempt status takes more...

Hospitals finding new ways to boost volume.(Market strategy)
December 1, 2007... Increasing efficiency--a top item on every hospital CEO's agenda--can only go so far. Roger Forgey, senior vice president of regional operations and business development for Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, TN, sums up what every hospital...

Effective leadership is key to a winning program.(Physician relations)(Excerpt)
December 1, 2007... Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from A Marketer's Guide to Physician Relations by Kriss Barlow, published by HealthLeaders Media. Just as best-practice organizations need capable staff members, so, too, do they need capable...

Study: unnecessary double mastectomies on the rise.(Research notes)
December 1, 2007... A report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that more women with breast cancer are opting to undergo double mastectomies, even though the procedure is often unnecessary or against recommendations. The report, conducted by researchers...

Low health literacy costs billions.(Research notes)
December 1, 2007... Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that low health literacy costs the U.S. economy anywhere from $106 billion to $236 billion annually. According to the New Haven Register, the savings brought about by improved healthcare...

Women's healthcare gets failing grades.(Research notes)
December 1, 2007... According to a national report card released by the National Women's Law Center and the Oregon Health and Science University, all 50 states are ranked unsatisfactory for women's health. According to the article at www. healthday.com, only...

Cardiovascular disease dropping among diabetic adults.(Research notes)
December 1, 2007... The greatest killer of Americans--and diabetics specifically--has decreased in the diabetic population over the past eight years, according to a report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly...

Most states fall short in ER preparedness.(Research notes)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The leading cause of death for adults under 44 is trauma from falls, accidents, and violence, but according to the American College of Surgeons, most states are inadequately prepared to transfer patients to designated trauma centers. ...

Study: ER overcrowding on the rise.(Research notes)
December 1, 2007... Long wait times and delayed access to medical care are major concerns for physicians across the country, according to a survey released by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Highlights of the study were published in Modern Healthcare...

Study: 50% of advertising funds spent on direct marketing.(Statistical notes)
December 1, 2007... Marketers will spend more than $173 billion in direct marketing by the end of 2007, a 4.4% increase over 2006, says a study conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). According to a press release from the association, direct marketing...

Philanthropic donations for healthcare slowing down.(Statistical notes)
December 1, 2007... According to the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the rate of increase in charitable donations to healthcare facilities in the United States and Canada has declined considerably since 2005. Contributions went up 11.5% in 2006 to...

Survey: house calls improve patient care, decrease ER visits.(Statistical notes)
December 1, 2007... The majority of 7,000 primary care physicians surveyed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco believe that medical house calls improve patient care, decrease ER visits, and expedite the healing process. According to a release...

Report: communication, staffing, and compensation are concerns.(Statistical notes)
December 1, 2007... A report from Press Ganey Associates, Inc., found that nurses and hospital employees report compensation, recognition for work, and staffing levels as three main areas in serious need of improvement. The 2007 Hospital Check-Up Report: Nurse...

National survey reveals need for hospital infection prevention.(Statistical notes)
December 1, 2007... According to a survey of more than 800 hospital clinicians involved in infection prevention published by Premiere, Inc., tracking and controlling resistant organisms is the top challenge related to the management of hospital-acquired infections...

Cancer rates declining.(Statistical notes)(Disease/Disorder overview)
December 1, 2007... The Boston Globe reports a recent study found that cancer death rates dropped by an average of 2.1% annually between 2002 and 2004, nearly doubling the 1.1% drop between 1993 and 2001. Changes in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal...

Hospital streamlines care with personal health cards.(Strategic notes)
December 1, 2007... At New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, delayed or lost billing revenue can cost up to $1 million per week, and Paul Contino, vice president of IT for the hospital, tells Network World that 70% of insurance claims denials are the result of patient...

Interpreters vital to patient-hospital communications.(Strategic notes)
December 1, 2007... As the number of non-English-speaking patients continues to rise, hospitals across Illinois are taking steps to improve patient care by hiring interpreters, according to The Chicago Tribune. Officials at CyraCom, a Tucson, AZ-based...

Cleveland Clinic spends millions on community relations.(Strategic notes)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Clinic invested $390 million last year in an effort to give back to the surrounding community. The majority of the money was invested in education for staff members, patients, and outside...

Hospitals ramp up competition.(Strategic notes)
December 1, 2007... Two of the largest private hospitals in New Orleans are planning to build massive imaging centers directly across the street from each other, The Times-Picayune reports. Ochsner Baptist Medical Center will open a 22,000-square-foot imaging...

Hospital caters to patients with enhanced menu.(Strategic notes)
December 1, 2007... Ohio hospitals are boosting patient satisfaction and comfort by offering creative new menu choices, and room-service-style meals are increasing in popularity, The Toldeo Blade reports. St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo was the first...

From conservative to catchy: out-of-the-box advertising.(Worth reading)
December 1, 2007... When the community views your Catholic hospital as compassionate and conservative, reinventing your image may not be high on your list of priorities. For many hospitals, in fact, the goal of a branding initiative is to try to maintain a...

The great disclosure debate.(Worth reading)
December 1, 2007... Reporting quality scores on certain core measures is common practice for hospitals, but senior leaders across the country are encountering mounting pressure from board members, regulators, competitors, and customers to take their data reporting...

High employee morale leads to high patient satisfaction.(Worth reading)
December 1, 2007... For the past three years, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) in Bennington has ranked in the 95th percentile for patient satisfaction in its emergency department (ED) and inpatient services. Staff members at SVMC attribute the...

Upcoming webcasts.(Calendar)
December 1, 2007... Strategic Partnerships: Affiliations that win for large and small hospitals Sponsored by HealthLeaders magazine Wednesday, December 5 1-2:30 p.m. (EST) Can hospitals benefit from joining forces? Many hospitals are...