Q&A
Peter Orszag on Reducing Healthcare Spending
Peter Orszag, PhD, discusses decision support and financial incentives to reduce healthcare spending.
Cover Story
Next-Generation Cost Management
Hospitals can prepare for the challenges ahead and position themsleves for success by determining ways to reduce their nonlabor expenses.
By Sean Angert, Hazel Seabrook
Features
Finding the Sweet Spot: How to Get the Right Staffing for Variable Workloads
A simulation tool can help hospitals uncover hidden opportunities to reduce costs by optimizing staffing in a way that best reflects demand.
By David J. Bryce, Taylor J. Christensen
Provider Experiences with RAC Appeals Point to Opportunities for Program Improvement
An analysis of a set of Medicare RAC appeal decisions rendered by administrative law judges suggests ways that CMS might improve the process.
By Robert Jacobs, Bonnie Scott, Elizabeth Flood, Ellen Scott
The Bottom Line on Wound Care Standardization
At North Mississippi Medical Center,standardization of wound care processes and products led to improved healing rates and a $300,000 annual reduction in supply expenses.
By Patrick McNees, John A. Kueven
A Better Way to Measure Volume - and Benchmark Costs
Equivalent patient units is a new measure of hospital volume that improves finance leaders' ability to compare activity and costs-and identify savings potential.
By William O. Cleverley, James O. Cleverley
Leave No Money on the Table
Improved management of commerical health plan contracts is criticla for meeting financial targets, particularly in an era of reform.
By Jyoti Osten
Finance Oversight Can Avoid Millions in Supply Overpayment
Finance should take the lead in purchasing contract development by establishing fair prices up front, gaining physician buy-in, and developing a system of controls.
By Girard F. Senn, Alexander F. Senn
The Case of the Nursing Leadership Development
Leadership development for nurses can have a positive impact on an organization's bottom line, particularly in light of future financial challenges.
By Kathleen D. Sanford
Web Extra: Why Business and Clinical Disciplines Separated, and Why They Need to Be Reunited
Focus Areas
Cost and Quality
The Future of Supply Chain Expense Management
The last frontier for achieving supply savings in hospitals and health systems is supply utilization management.
By Robert T. Yokl
Columns
From the Chair
Lessons From the Road
HFMA Chair Debora Kuchka-Craig relates some memorable experiences, and lessons in life, from a recent trip to Texas in which a snow storm caused a 16-hour flight delay.
By Debora Kuchka-Craig, FHFMA
From the President
Costing: Good Enough Is Not Good Enough
HFMA's Value Project has found significant variation in ways hospitals measure and analyze quality and cost-the components of value-indicating significant opportunities for improvement.
By Richard L. Clarke, DHA, FHFMA
From the Editor
The Joy of Cost Containment
In health care, as in other industries, effective leaders are those who tackle challenges with an energy that is fueled and refueled by an enjoyment of challenge.
By Robert Fromberg, Editor-in-Chief
Eye on Washington
Continuing Uncertainty Dominates the Healthcare Landscape
By Gail R. Wilensky
Inside IT
Why Workflow Redesign Alone Is Not Enough For EHR Success
By Margret Amatayakul
Capital Finance
Tap Your Internal Audit Department to Support Capital Management
By Steve Womack
Data Trends
Medicare Claims Show Remarkable Variations by Region, Hospital Ownership, and Teaching Status
Etcetera
Member Spotlight: Mad About Mastiffs
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right