H&HN’s year-long Fiscal Fitness series looks at tested methods hospitals and health networks are using to contain expenses while improving quality of care in an increasingly constrained financial environment. We spotlight successful strategies for cutting costs across the whole organization and in individual areas such as staffing or the supply chain. And we show how hospitals use Lean, Six Sigma or other methodologies to effectively manage spending. The multimedia campaign appears both in the monthly magazine, as well as our online newsletter, H&HN Daily. The series is sponsored by VHA.
»Value-DrivenMarch 8, 2013
Research by Matthew Weinstock
As changes unfold in reimbursement, hospitals are challenged by the reality of still doing business in a fee-for-service world, all the while trying to figure out how — and when — they'll migrate to value-based payments.
»Click here to read more.
»ReformJanuary 8, 2013
Research by Lee Ann Jarousse
The shift from a volume-driven delivery model to one that largely hinges on value places new demands on hospitals and health systems to curb rising health care costs by providing clinically appropriate, high-quality care.
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»TechnologyJuly 10, 2012
Research by Haydn Bush
In an era when hospitals increasingly are expected to perform better while using fewer resources, how can leaders leverage their technology investments to improve patient care and bottom lines?
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»PharmacyJune 12, 2012
Research by Matthew Weinstock
Is there a different adjective besides 'huge' to describe that?" Rabiah Dys responds when asked to explain the impact that the drug shortage is having on hospitals and health systems. "It's all of that and then some."
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June 11, 2012
by James Toohey
In this podcast, James Toohey, director of pharmacy at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio, explains the unique approach the hospital is taking to tackling the drug shortage that's crippling the nation. He also discusses how the hospital is using automation to reduce costs and improve quality and safety. Running time: 4:04.
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November 11, 2011
by Randy Edwards
A high-cost department, but critical to delivering quality care.
»Click here for full article.
»Supply ChainMay 14, 2012
by Bob Kehoe
Some estimates suggest that the health care industry loses $5 billion annually on implantable medical devices due to poor data capture, but experts say that automation and better tracking can help recoup those losses. H&HN Contributing Editor Bob Kehoe explores solutions for controlling costs in this expensive supply category. Running time: 5:05
»Click here to listen.
May 08, 2012
Research by Bob Kehoe
It's tough to hit a target you can't see. And to a large extent, that's what hospitals and health systems face in trying to manage implantable medical device costs, a leading supply expense category.
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December 12, 2011
by Mike Hildebrandt
Lee Ann Jarousse, senior editor of custom publications for H&HN, talks with Scottsdale Healthcare's Mike Hildebrandt, associate vice president of the supply chain, about how his hospital saved millions through value analysis, contract negotiations and involving physicians in utilization and standardization decisions. Running Time: 4:17
»Click here to listen to the podcast.
December 11, 2011
Research by Lee Ann Jarousse
The economic downturn has given the supply chain renewed prominence, boosting it in many hospitals from the basement to the executive suite. Organizations that have placed strategic focus on the discipline are reaping significant savings, but that's not all.
»Click here to read more.
»Clinical EfficiencyMay 15, 2013
By Marty Stempniak
Nearly six years ago, HealthEast Care System recognized the need to improve patient care across the entire continuum. The Twins City-based system has embarked on a journey to better coordinate care with post-acute providers and smooth out transitions of care. Running time: 7:00
»Click here to listen to the podcast.
April 17, 2013
by Marty Stempniak
Using techniques from Lean Six Sigma, deeper data and a structured process for how to respond when things go awry, Memorial Medical Center has transformed the care it provides. During a recent three-month pilot, the facility was able to slash length of stay by almost three days, which could save more than $2 million if maintained the entire year.
»Click here to read more.
April 10, 2012
Research by Bill Santamour
What does the term "clinical efficiency" mean? For hospitals it means delivering the highest quality care that results in optimal outcomes for the patient. It means eliminating mistakes, rework, unnecessary readmissions and other inefficiencies by using the right staff, the right processes and the right tools in every case.
»Click here to read more.
April 9, 2012
By Sharon Silow-Carroll
When hospitals seek to enhance value in care delivery, their goal is twofold: improve quality while using resources as effectively as possible. H&HN's Bill Santamour talks with Sharon Silow-Carroll of Health Management Associates about four hospitals that have successfully done just that by, among other things, better managing service lines, improving processes, harnessing data and technology and rethinking clinical staffing. Running Time: 6:06.
»Click here to listen to the podcast.
»ConstructionMarch 14, 2012
Research by Lee Ann Jarousse
Build it and they will come. Or will they? The economic downturn, followed by the credit crisis and uncertainty over health care reform, put a halt to the hospital building boom a couple of years ago. Projects were put on hold or made smaller in scope in anticipation of changes in the health care delivery system.
»Click here to read more.
March 12, 2012
Research by Dale Woodin
With the model for delivering health care undergoing a major overhaul, hospital design and construction could be in store for a major makeover as well. Leaders are trying to figure out how to maintain, renovate or build facilities that mesh with the new delivery paradigm. H&HN's Lee Ann Jarousse talks with Dale Woodin, of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, about trends in hospital construction. Running time: 4:04
»Click here to listen to the podcast.
»StaffingFebruary 14, 2012
Research by Lee Ann Jarousse
For hospitals, the most important assets are not the buildings or investment portfolios. It's the workforce — the individuals who directly or indirectly care for patients.
»Click here to read more.
February 13, 2012
By Brad Fetters
Labor costs are the single largest driver of spending growth for hospitals. Lee Ann Jarousse, senior editor of custom publications for H&HN magazine, talks with Brad Fetters, managing director of Huron Consulting Group, about ways to cut workforce costs without compromising quality and safety. Running time: 4:04
»Click here to listen.
»EnergyJanuary 10, 2012
Research by Lee Ann Jarousse
Finding ways to rein in expenses without sacrificing quality and safety is imperative for hospitals as they struggle to maintain financial viability in a shifting payment system even as their operational costs continue to climb.
»Click here to read more.
January 9, 2012
by John Ebers
Hospitals currently spend a staggering $6 billion each year on energy costs. John Ebers, associate director of sustainability education and training for Practice Greenhealth, talks to H&HN editor Lee Ann Jarousse about the strategies hospitals can use to become more energy efficient. Running Time: 4:36.
»Click here to listen to the podcast.
»Cost ContainmentOctober 12, 2011
by Howard Larkin
With the financial vise already tight and sure to get tighter, hospitals search for ways to survive on less.
»Click here for full article.
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