by Wendy Johnson

Now that you're all back to the weekly grind following a jam-packed HIMSS10 week of networking, learning and checking out the latest health IT products, I wanted thank the many Hospital Impact readers who attended our HIMSS events, including our first-ever HIMSS executive breakfast panel discussion March 2, jointly sponsored by FierceMobileHealthcare, FierceWireless and Meru Networks.

Our panel of hospital CIOs and wireless experts shared their 'been there, done that' lessons learned, and discussed the many misconceptions regarding mobile technology deployment. Although this technology has yet to reach its full potential in the healthcare setting--"we'll see tremendous explosion" predicts said Geoffrey Brown, Senior VP and CIO at Inova Health System in Falls Church, Va.--our panelists agreed that many hospitals have learned the hard way how not to deploy this technology.

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by Thomas Dahlborg

A physician friend of mine from a well-known, local health care system recently confided in me that he's so tired and burned-out that he's thinking of leaving the practice of medicine.

As a primary care physician, he feels his role has moved further away from that of a healer and more into that of a "production worker."

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by Joseph Ingemi

I must admit I am disappointed in the Meaningful Use Regulations (45 CFR Part 170) because of the high cost of compliance. The regulators themselves admit to the favoritism showed to larger software developers. So I went to Regulations.gov and submitted the following feedback.

The irony is that we hear a lot from Washington, DC about growing small businesses. Yet here we have developed a regulation that strikes a blow to those very small businesses that need help.

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by Christopher Cornue

Readers know of my passionate interest in international health, and I was very excited to read recently of a collaborative that has been underway for a few years ... especially when I realized that I know some colleagues whom I know are involved in it.

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by Thomas Dahlborg

Having once worked for a Medicaid HMO, I witnessed first-hand the impact that charity "free care" (in which individuals receive without having the opportunity to give back) had on an individual's self-esteem, not to mention their health. This Medicaid program did well at supporting individuals through health crises, but lacked any real focus on improving the overall health status of an individual and a community. The key missing ingredient: Supporting the patient's self-esteem.

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by Jenn Riggle

When people go to a hospital, they assume they'll receive quality care--and that nurses will answer the call bell and fill up their water pitcher when it's empty. But while hospitals across the country are hoping to differentiate themselves by talking about how they provide quality care, is quality care really a differentiator when "hospitals exceed 90 percent compliance on most of the Joint Commission's 31 quality measures?"

Perhaps a better differentiator would be how well hospitals put meaning behind their quality scores.

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by John Cunningham

Like most businesses, healthcare has been deeply impacted by the economy from both a volume and revenue/expense perspective. It appears that there is a "perfect storm" brewing that has created an environment more conducive than ever for providers to lower their supply and services costs in collaboration with their physicians through negotiation, standardization, and right sizing utilization.

But the economy is not the sole element creating the storm. It's also being stirred up by increased scrutiny on physicians and device makers regarding conflict of interest and relationships; the potential for national healthcare reform; changes in reimbursement methodologies to bundle payments for hospitals and physicians; and the increasing focus on evidence based and comparative effectiveness.

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by Dr. Kenneth H. Cohn

After reading Christopher Cornue's Hospital Impact post last week on creating collaborative environments for success, I was inspired to write my own post on how to best breed success. I agree with Mr. Cornue's assessment that "safe environments where everyone's ideas are respected and encouraged" are essential for sustainable leadership, and ultimately believe that culture reflects a shared view of the world and of methods for effective problem solving. A strong physician-hospital culture allows people to feel empowered, knowing that outcomes will remain consistently beneficial and that their efforts will be appreciated

Overall, active listening makes people feel affirmed that their opinions matter even when they do not get their way. Here is what I offer as a three-step strategy for creating a culture of collaboration:

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by Anthony Cirillo

I had an "a-ha" moment after reading a recent New York Times article about Apple CEO Steve Jobs: He should lead healthcare reform!

Consider:
Jobs creates "edited products that cut through complexity, by consciously leaving things out." Who better to simplify patient and family experiences? Instead of an accountable care organization, Jobs could create "Your Accountable Care Organization," with just what you need when you need it.

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by Emily Paulsen

Part II of a two-part series

Since taking over as chief risk officer at the University of Michigan in 2002, Richard Boothman has gained national recognition for transforming how the institution responds to medical errors and malpractice claims. Two simple words are at the heart of the shift: "I'm sorry."

By apologizing to patients when a medical error takes place, the organization has cut its malpractice insurance cash reserves by a whopping 81 percent--down to $13 million from more than $70 million. Now, instead of engaging in a courtroom battle, physicians and hospital leaders discuss errors promptly after they occur, engaging in a constructive conversation with patients that identifies and compensates errors and ultimately leads to improvements in patient care, he says.

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