Strategic Financial Planning subscribers can access the articles and web extras below.
Capital Access
Tax-Exempt Bank Loans Still an Option
By John Cheney and Grant Ostlund
Somewhat surprisingly, many banks have continued to actively buy "non-bank qualified" tax-exempt debt issue on behalf of healthcare organizations. The authors highlight why these loans are still an option for hospitals finance leaders, and outline pricing, structure, and security aspects of these loans.
Several Windows of Opportunity Close, but Options Remain
By Tanya K. Hahn
A number of financing options for hospitals expired at the end of 2010. However, finance leaders now have a different set of financing opportunities available.
Facility Planning
Consolidating Healthcare Facilities Requires a Unique Facility Planning Process
By Cynthia Hayward
By employing savvy facility planning strategies after a merger or acquisition, finance leaders can help improve efficiencies and reduce surplus capacity.
Taking the Pulse of Your Facilities
By Robert D. Betka Jr. and Thomas D. Kurmel
Five guidelines to consider when developing a robust facility condition assessment process.
Tool: A Seven-Stage Approach for Facility Condition Assessment
Tool: Example Contents of Facility Condition Assessment Manual
Growth Strategies
Strategies for Maintaining Home Healthcare Agency Margins
By Beth Carpenter
The author explores six components of a healthy home care margin: product, price, place, promotion, people, and productivity.
Spring 2011 Issue
Frontline Case Study
Preferred Provider Partnerships: Sharp HealthCare Gains Volumes via Employer's Tiered Network
For Sharp Healthcare, the timing of a preferred provider partnership with the California Schools Voluntary Employee Benefits Association and United Healthcare could not be better. The system has been struggling with a significant growth in underfunded payers, and the new tiered HMO network will bring an infusion of some 4,000 fully paid patients, for an estimated $14 million a year in incremental growth.
Ask the Expert
Developing a Sound Leasing Approach
By Jim Blake and Bryan Burgett
Q: Should hospitals be changing their approach to leasing as a result of the new accounting regulation? Experts from our sponsor, Kaufman, Hall & Associates, provide a answer.
Data Metrics & Analysis
Do Hospitals Have-and Exercise-Market Clout? A Metric for Assessment
By William O. Cleverley and James O. Cleverley
A new metric (net patient revenue per equivalent discharge) that can assess the costliness of hospital care-without bias toward costing shifting or payer mix. Plus, new insights into which U.S. cities and markets are more expensive for health care.
Sidebar: Calculating Net Patient Revenue per Equivalent Discharge
Capital Planning & Allocation
The Value of Strategic Capital Planning for Mobile Clinical Assets
By Thomas M. O'Brien
A step-by-step process for getting mobile asset inventories under control.
Physician Alignment
Physician Employment: How to Avoid Excessive Losses
By Robert F. Hill and Craig E. Holm
Carefully crafting physician employment contracts and incentivizing physicians to participate in high-impact performance improvement initiatives can help hospitals avoid losses related to physician employment.
Business Intelligence
Next-Level Business Intelligence: Advanced Analytics
By David Mason
The key to taking business intelligence to the next level is advanced analytic applications.
Sidebar: Software as a Service (SaaS) versus Traditional Software
Planning Prowess
Pittsburgh Mercy: Creating a Real-Time, Collaborative Forecast System
By Ray Wolfe, Shelly Sullivan, and Rand Heer
Finance leaders at Pittsburgh Mercy Health System adopted a more flexible budgeting and forecasting tool, and began working more closely with clinical leaders-with bottom line results.
The Long View
Tactics, Strategy, and the Battle Over Reform
Publication Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011