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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by Maria K. Todd, MHA, PhD

As an interim contract negotiator for several hospitals throughout the country (none of which compete with one another in the same market), I often receive assertions from PPOs, TPAs and others that the hospital's discount is not competitive with so-and-so up the street, in the nearby community or (fill in the blank).

Speaking from first-hand experience, I strongly suggest: the next time someone claims that your discount isn't competitive, first determine if what they say is true, and then determine what you want. Don't just react. Respond with a critical evaluation of the deal. It's time for reform; one contract at a time, if necessary.

Case in point: Consider one of my own recent experiences.

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by Christopher Cornue

I've often written about (and will most likely continue to write about) the importance for leaders to be collaborative, seek counsel from many disparate individuals, and to recognize there are varying opinions and views to consider when making decisions. Essentially...to be open to debate. This, coupled with other leadership characteristics (e.g., being decisive), will make one an incredibly effective and impactful leader. I've come across some readings recently that help to reinforce this.

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by Wendy Johnson

We've had a dialogue on Hospital Impact about the pros and cons of using social media to promote your organization and connect with your community. Turns out that although nine in ten hospitals and health systems use Social Media to some degree, few are going about it in an organized way to really harness its power.

Only about one-third of hospitals have some kind of formal social media plan in place, let alone a budget for "social media employees."

These results come, perhaps not surprisingly, from a web marketing firm that specializes in healthcare. Still, those who are interested in using Twitter, Facebook and other avenues as a means of outreach may be interested in the results, including that hospitals have found it difficult to turn their social media efforts into new patient revenue.

How about you? Has your hospital figured out a way to turn your Twitter feed into revenue? How do you measure your return on the time you've invested in it?

Wendy Johnson is the publisher of Hospital Impact and FierceHealthcare, which delivers five healthcare management and IT newsletters for healthcare industry executives.

by Emily Paulsen

Part I 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.

"If we make a mistake, we'll move quickly to apologize and compensate that patient," Boothman recently told CNN. "But if we didn't make a mistake, we talk to the patient and explain."

Of course, the hospital's physicians are well-insured.

"I've the luxury of saying to our physicians, no matter how big a case is, how bad a case is, 'You're completely insured and your personal assets are not at stake,'" he told CNN. You can't ask them to be totally honest when they have such things at stake."

Hospital Impact recently talked with Boothman about his program. Here's an excerpt of our conversation:

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