The way people feel at work profoundly influences how they perform, and recent surveys find a higher percentage of burnout than engagement among many US employees, according to a New York Times article. The authors, Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath, cite a 2013 Gallup poll showing that just 30% of…
Nearly 4 years have passed since the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued the recommendation for 80% of RNs to get their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree by 2020. To achieve that goal, the IOM says, “Healthcare organizations should encourage nurses with associate’s and diploma degrees to enter baccalaureate…
Hospital safety scores released by the Leapfrog Group on April 29 show a 6.3% average improvement since 2012. Performance at almost a third of hospitals has improved at least 10% since 2012, but some hospitals’ scores have dropped. And with medical errors tied to more than 400,000 deaths per year…
Until I heard Keith Siddel, PhDc, JD, MBA, CHC, speak at our OR Business Management Conference in February, I didn’t fully realize how much ICD-10 coding could disrupt billing and payment for services. Siddel, an attorney and healthcare finance expert based in Creede, Colorado, explained why providers should have been…
With a background that includes everything from a Level 1 trauma center to large academic centers to companies involved in joint ventures, acquiring physician practices, and contract negotiations, Marian McCann, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, has had a wealth of experience in working with physicians. She will share some of that…
Among the many changes occurring in healthcare delivery, clinically integrated networks and care coordination to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction are increasingly important. Although 30-day readmissions generally have declined in recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has upped the ante by adding elective total hip arthroplasty, total…
Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, ScD(h), APRN, FAAN, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s OR Manager Conference, which takes place September 17-19 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. The conference features 4 tracks—ambulatory surgery centers, business management, a masters series, and new manager—designed to address…
Efforts to increase patient safety have been successful in some areas, but less so in others—notably, postoperative outcomes—according to a recent study. Researchers who analyzed Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System data for the period 2005 through 2011 found declines in adverse event rates for patients hospitalized because of acute myocardial…
By 2020, 80% of RNs should have a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, according to recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2010. Responses to the 2013 OR Manager Annual Salary/Career Survey showed that almost half of OR directors and managers have a master’s degree and…
Early indications are that the South Carolina Safe Care Commitment project, though still in its infancy, holds promise for increasing the reliability of healthcare in that state (cover story). Certainly the progress made thus far supports the framework put forth by the Joint Commission in 2013 to help all healthcare…