Cover Story
The New Wave of Hospital Consolidation
Payment challenges, spiraling healthcare costs, and a slow economic recovery are some market forces that have ignited the national explosion of consolidation.
By Lisa Goldstein
Q & A
Jon Kingsdale: Benefits and Challenges of Health Insurance Exchanges
Jon Kingsdale, PhD, who helped set up the health insurance exchange in Massachusetts, discusses benefits and challenges of these exchanges and how hospitals and health systems can prepare for them.
Web Extra: Preparing for Increased Churn in Patient Eligibility in 2014
Features
Evolve and Integrate: A New Imperative for Ambulatory Care
Developing a fully integrated ambulatory care system is a critical strategy for ensuring success under healthcare reform.
By Tracy Johnson, Suzanne Borgos
Automation Is Key to Managing a Population's Health
Successful population health management depends on substantial clinical data integration across the care enterprise and automated tools for engaging patients in their own care.
By Michael Matthews, Richard Hodach
Web Extra: Online Health Risk Assessment
Web Extra: Registry-Based Report
Web Extra: A Perspective: Build or Buy?
Right Care, Right Time, Right Place, Every Time
Intermountain Healthcare implemented a new patient flow process, improving quality, efficiency, and increasing bed capacity.
By Nancy Nowak, Holly Rimmasch, Ann Kirby, Chad Kellogg
Physician Aquisition: What to Avoid After the Deal Is Complete
Learn four areas where hospitals typically encounter challenges after acquiring a physician practice-and strategies for successful integration.
By Mark Driscoll, Anthony Long
Predictive Analytics Can Support the ACO Model
Healthcare organizations can use predictive analytics to prevent readmissions and to determine which procedures and care methods are likely to produce the most effective outcomes.
By Paul Bradley
Web Extra: Sample Reports for Predictive Analytics
Gauging the Financial Impact of Physicians on Hospitals
Data on physician activity and revenue within hospitals can inform a hospital's strategy to employ or financially integrate with physicians.
By James Lifton
Achieving Benchmark Financial Performance in CAHs: Lessons from High Performers
By M. Alexis Kirk, George Holmes, George Pink
Focus Areas
Technology
Strategies for Responding to RAC Requests Electronically
Providers that would like to respond to complex RAC reviews electronically should consider three strategies.
By Michael Schramm
Payment
Preparing for Medicaid Managed Care
As Medicaid enrollment continues to rise, hospitals and health systems could benefit from contracting with Medicaid managed care as plans.
By Connie Perez
Columns
From the Chair
Going for the Win
Healthcare leaders can take a lesson from the NBA point guard greats: They will achieve more when they do their best to support their teammates without concern about who is credited for success.
By Greg Adams, FHFMA
From the President
What's Your Focus?
Although a focus on quality and customer service is important, healthcare leaders should not shy away from a focus and branding on cost efficiency.
By Richard L. Clarke, DHA, FHFMA
From the Editor
Making Connections
Healthcare leaders must consider a great variety of dimensions as they strive to create connections that will achieve a true system.
By Robert Fromberg, Editor-in-Chief
Eye on Washington
Consensus on Medicare Savings Is Closer than It Seems
When it comes to achieving savings in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, Republicans and Democrats in Washington aren't as far apart as one might think.
By Chad Mulvany
Business Intelligence
Making Care Coordination and Clinical Integration Pay Off
Organizations that are integrated and have the requisite business intelligence to support coordinated care will more rapidly achieve the promise of such care in terms of both cost and the quality.
By Dean Coddington, Keith Moore
Healthcare Value
7 Tactics to Reduce Variation in Clinical Practice
The healthcare reform environment and the drive for improved value have created a critical need to ensure physicians deliver evidence-based and cost-effective care that produces predictable outcomes.
By John Byrnes
5 Ways To...
5 Ways to Create a Culture of First-Class Service
How hospitals can provide first-class service while significantly strengthening their bottom lines.
By Karen Wagner
Executive Interview
Cyndi Pittman: Finance and Quality Work Hand in Hand
Data Trends
Revenue and Expenses Declined in 2011, But Both Show Increases when Patient Severity Is Considered
Etcetera
Member Spotlight: Remembering the Titanic
Publication Date: Monday, April 02, 2012