With the stay-at-home orders beginning to be lifted and life starting to normalize once again, there are many things healthcare leaders need to be cognizant of as the industry enters the recovery phase of this pandemic. Hospital and health system executives need to take stock of what has occurred, identify the impacts, both financially and operationally, and take the necessary steps NOW to prepare for what comes next. Here are a couple of key elements to consider: What waivers and operating flexibilities has your organization taken advantage of over recent months? Though it remains unclear if/when any of the regulatory changes made to create access and ease the delivery of care during this time will expire, plans must be developed to account for all scenarios.
Author: Stephanie Dorwart
Hiring More is Becoming Unsustainable!
According to a recent article, the turnover rate in the healthcare industry has increased by 5%, across all job categories, over the last decade, with the average hospital turning over 85.2% of its workforce since 2013 (1). These stats are staggering, considering how time-consuming and costly recruitment efforts can be, especially given the ever-shrinking candidate pool that currently exists.
Keepin’ it Productive!
We are all familiar with the term “death by meeting.” It refers to the seemingly endless cycle of leaders having meetings to prepare for other meetings during which strategies are discussed that require more meetings to implement! It’s exhausting to say, let alone live. Instead of having a positive impact on operations, it has quite the opposite effect.
Happy New Year!
As the world prepares to bid 2019 farewell and embrace the next decade with the start of 2020, people everywhere are spending their time making New Year’s resolutions as they celebrate the holidays and wait for the ball to drop from Time’s Square. Sadly, as we all know too well, those self-promises and good intentions only tend to last weeks, days or even hours before they are abandoned or forgotten. The problem, or loophole that lets so many people off the proverbial hook, lies in how a resolution is actually defined.
Paralysis by Analysis
It’s a condition of information over-load fueled by the strong desire for more knowledge and more data, which is easily satisfied by the touch of a button or the swipe of a finger thanks to today’s technology. Healthcare leaders require greater amounts of evidence to drive their decision-making processes. While it is essential to thoroughly evaluate operations and draw informed conclusions, is this enhanced analytical mindset and strong reliance on data becoming more detrimental than beneficial? Here are three quick tips to make sure that you are not becoming afflicted: First, it is important to make sure you are mining the right data! With access to so much, it is easy to get bogged down and confused by all of the material available.
Boo! Scare Tactics that Backfire
Many healthcare leaders adopt a "tough love" approach when it comes to managing employee performance and expectations. This method may work well for some staff members, but not all will embrace the negativity it can create. Understanding your team and the styles they respond positively to is critical in realizing continued operational success and employee satisfaction.
Healthcare and Compassion
Healthcare is a difficult industry. There are a LOT of emotions associated with each experience, from the high highs of saving a life to the low lows of losing one. Healthcare professionals, especially doctors, nurses, and other direct care staff, are not only entrusted with safeguarding the physical health of the patient but their feelings as well.
Continuous Education
Summer is ending, and school is back in session. The age-old routine of alarm clocks and homework is in full swing once more. However, for working adults, does learning ever really stop? There is no break from the day to day responsibilities surrounding one’s career, especially for those professionals in the ever-changing healthcare industry.
Productivity: Not a Stranger Thing!
Productivity is a concept that has long been feared, like a dark shadow or something that goes bump in the night, and it is still a source of anxiety for many healthcare professionals. For most, their experience, or the tales of others’ experiences, with productivity have left them scarred. The popular Netflix show Stranger Things, set in the 1980's, is purposefully dated to elicit feelings of nostalgia among viewers and balance the suspense of its supernatural-thriller plot line.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
The old adage “there is no I in TEAM” holds true in how healthcare should be delivered. While it seems like a pretty elementary concept, it is amazing how so many organizations allow for siloed operations to take root. Given the complexity of modern-day healthcare, it is necessary for a collaborative approach: the sharing of knowledge, talents, and resources to provide patients with a great experience and positive outcome.