Healthcare Business Trends

How an internal travel pool for nurses is helping one health system address the staffing challenges that will linger after the pandemic

Novant Health has been ahead of the curve as health systems set up internal travel pools in the hope of attaining a greater level of nurse staffing certainty.

Nick Hut March 29, 2022

5 ways the ERM playbook for health systems is due for a rewrite

Business risk for health systems has continued to evolve amid huge changes affecting the industry, including those driven by COVID-19. Health system leaders should respond by revisiting their approach to enterprise risk management (ERM) to focus on five areas of risk where their ability to deliver healthcare cost effectively could be compromised: Labor shortages, capital planning amid ongoing change, energy consumption, cyber security and price transparency.

David Burik March 29, 2022

Cost Effectiveness of Health Report, March 2022

The March 2022 edition of HFMA’s Cost Effectiveness of Health Report addresses a key prerequisite to achieving cost-effectiveness: engaged caregivers. A preview of the April 2022 hfm cover story details how one health system has responded to its nurses’ need for increased scheduling flexibility, and a commentary explores steps for enabling physicians to play a leadership role in promoting CEoH. Also included is a Q&A exploring activities on the world stage aimed at achieving the United Nation’s sustainable development goals for healthcare and health equity – and how U.S. organizations can play a role.

HFMA March 29, 2022

Provider Relief Fund update: Second reporting deadline looms as the fund nears depletion

Healthcare organizations that received Provider Relief Fund payments between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, have until Thursday, March 31 to report on their use of those funds.

Nick Hut March 25, 2022

Optimizing the revenue cycle by streamlining and automating payment collections

This roundtable features leaders’ insight to help entities evolve in today’s workforce to meet challenges such as regulations and digital adoption.

HFMA March 24, 2022

Federal funding bill addresses 340B eligibility concerns but not some other points of interest for hospitals

An FY22 appropriations bill allows hospitals to remain in the 340B Drug Pricing Program if their eligibility had been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nick Hut March 12, 2022

Latest hospital financial and jobs data reflect an environment that remains challenging

January financial data for hospitals show the continuing toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, while February labor numbers suggest an operational recovery that could further increase expenses.

Nick Hut March 9, 2022

Healthcare News of Note: Americans living in rural areas face an increased risk of death, in part due to issues with healthcare access, says a new infographic

Healthcare News of Note for healthcare finance professionals is a roundup of recent news articles: Issues with healthcare access contribute to an increased risk of death for rural residents, many workers struggle to pay for healthcare deductibles, and hospital and physician office markups on certain drugs escalate consumer costs.

Deborah Filipek March 4, 2022

Ken Perez: Healthcare assailed by a labor crisis, with pharmacy technicians particularly affected

The healthcare sector lost more than half a million workers from February 2020 to September 2021, contributing to labor shortages in the sector. An often-overlooked yet important element in this trend is the acute shortage among pharmacy technicians, who play a vital role in the delivery of pharmacy services.

Ken Perez March 1, 2022

Paul Keckley: Improving nutrition in the U.S. starts with addressing the elephants in the room

Good nutrition remains elusive for many Americans because they face obstacles in being able to make healthy choices. These “elephants in the room” can only be addressed by policymakers, with the engagement of healthcare and other sectors of society.

Paul H. Keckley, PhD February 25, 2022
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