Various data highlight the ongoing labor challenges facing hospitals and other healthcare providers
The healthcare labor picture may be stabilizing in some respects, but hospitals and other providers continue to feel the squeeze. The industry added 58,200 jobs in January, including 10,900 at hospitals and health systems, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That jump follows an average monthly increase of…
Professional Credit eases the collections process for both staff and healthcare consumers
Debt collections are often the last communication touch point a patient has, and health systems should ensure their business partner is representing the organization in the best possible manner. See how one company eases the collections process for staff and consumers.
Healthcare News of Note: 100 hospitals receive funding for new physician residency slots to boost healthcare access
CMS distributed 200 Medicare-funded physician residency slots to 100 hospitals, aiming to bolster healthcare access in areas with a shortage of qualified professionals. Overall cancer mortality has dropped 33% since 1991, averting an estimated 3.8 million cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society’s latest report. Patients’ ratings of specialist care were markedly higher when…
How healthcare providers can break down barriers to effective data governance
Promoting improved data governance in the hospital and health system sector has become a just cause of sorts for Randy Albert, who serves as vice president of finance – operations and analytics at Maine-based Northern Light Health and is a member of HFMA’s Northern New England Chapter. “This is a topic that I’m incredibly passionate…
Joe Fifer: Why finance leaders require the courage to lead
Books, movies and even campaign themes — often, they don’t age well. Apart from those with classic themes, they can quickly come to seem irrelevant in our fast-paced environment. So much has changed since I took office as HFMA chair 17 years ago. but I believe that my chair theme, “courage in leadership,” has the…
A clinical background can give a hospital CFO greater financial acumen
Stephen “Jan” Grigsby, FHFMA, MHA, vice president and CFO at Springhill Medical Center (SMC) in Mobile Alabama, is one of those rare senior finance executives who came to his position from a clinical background. And as his experience shows, such finance leaders are likely to have valuable lessons and perspectives to share with their peers…
Aaron Crane: Collaboration and problem-solving ignite cost-effective health
Happy New Year! Reflecting on my “Ignite the Spark” theme, I’d like to offer more guidance for those inspired to take action in 2023. My message focuses on three key areas that inhibit cost-effective health in this country ― waste in our healthcare delivery system, health inequity and an American lifestyle contributing to significant chronic…
Joseph J. Fifer receives HFMA UK’s highest honor
HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer received an honorary fellowship from HFMA UK. David Hughes and Steve Oglesby retire, while Kim Shrewsbury, Andy Zukowski and Rick Carrico have new CFO jobs.
During a potentially tumultuous Congress, healthcare stakeholders should communicate their policy priorities
With the 118th Congress bringing the potential for policy upheaval, one of the best things healthcare stakeholders can do is make themselves heard on Capitol Hill. The new Republican majority in the House of Representatives has signaled its intent to use the federal debt ceiling as leverage in budget negotiations. President Joe Biden and the…
Andrew Donahue: Why the nation could see major healthcare reform legislation soon
Don’t expect much healthcare reform from the 118th Congress. That’s what many pundits said after the mid-term elections, based on two common assumptions. 1 The administration had its shot. During the first two years of President Joe Biden’s first term, when Democrats controlled the White House, the Senate and the House, healthcare reform was mostly…