Column

Why the idea of disruption is so hard for healthcare leaders to understand

It’s time to talk about the word disruption – what it is and what it isn’t – because right now in healthcare it seems to be generating more angst than strategy. First, some good news. Disruption (shorthand for “disruptive innovation”) is just a theory. It’s an idea. That’s all. It was first introduced in the…

Andrew Donahue, FHFMA, CPA March 13, 2023

Dan Heckathorne: Healthcare CFOs need a guiding philosophy and a mantra

What are the qualities that make a successful healthcare CFO? Is it leadership skills? Financial acumen? General management skills? Teaching and/or mentoring skills? A commitment to continued learning to maintain or acquire new skills? Answers vary. But for Dan Heckathorne, CFO of San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital (SGMH) in Banning, California, success in the CFO role…

Steven Berger, FHFMA February 28, 2023

2022 midterms aftermath: Gridlock or bipartisanship? 

Studies conducted over the past several years have found the polarization is increasing in American society.a And not surprisingly, the 2022 midterm elections reflected the deep divisions. Two fiercely contested Senate seats in this past election are emblematic. Democrat John Fetterman won Pennsylvania’s hotly contested Senate race over Republican Mehmet Oz, MD, taking over the seat…

Ken Perez February 28, 2023

Brent Feickert joins Jefferson County Health Center as CFO

Jefferson County Health Center (JCHC) recently welcomed Brent Feickert, MBA, as its new CFO. In addition to providing fiscal leadership for Iowa’s oldest county hospital, Feickert will oversee several departments at JCHC, including the business office, main hospital registration, materials management and environmental services.  A current member of HFMA’s Iowa Chapter, Feickert has more than…

Crystal Milazzo February 27, 2023

Meet HFMA’s newest chapter: Empire New York 

Here’s an HFMA riddle for you: When does 63 – 4 = 60? The answer: When four local chapters consolidate to form a single chapter. And that’s what happened recently when four existing chapters — Central New York, Hudson Valley New York, Northeastern New York and Western New York — joined to form the Empire…

Crystal Milazzo February 27, 2023

Joe Fifer: Healthcare leaders require the courage to put consumers first

It takes courage to be among the first healthcare organizations to do something totally new. I had that in mind when I chose “courage in leadership” as my theme for my 2006-07 term as HFMA’s board chair. The need for courage is perhaps most readily apparent on the clinical side of healthcare because human lives…

Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA February 27, 2023

Aaron Crane: What’s cost effectiveness of health going to take?

We say we want to improve the cost effectiveness of health (CEoH). But what does that really mean? Let’s think about it for a moment. The most ambiguous word here is cost. Hearing it, most hospital- and provider-centric leaders would first think about the expenses incurred in their operations: Labor, supplies, utilities, purchased services, etc.…

Aaron R. Crane, FHFMA, MHA February 24, 2023

AI and the rise of human-machine collaboration in healthcare

Commentators, researchers and academics can’t stop finding applications for ChatGPT.a Two of its recent claims to fame include passing all three medical licensing exams and the final exam for a core MBA class at Wharton.b ChatGPT, short for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, is a form of conversational artificial intelligence (AI). The concept is not new.…

David W. Johnson February 24, 2023

Jill Geisler: When leading a multi-generational team, avoid stereotypes

There are five generations in today’s workforce: Silent, boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z. They can range in age from 18 to 80 ― and all just might be working for the same organization! The secret to managing across generations It’s simple: Avoid stereotyping people by their ages. That may fly in the face…

Jill Geisler February 15, 2023

Time to take a fresh look at affiliation options for physicians and health systems

As the healthcare marketplace continues to evolve, posing new challenges and creating new opportunities, so too will affiliation models continue evolve in ways that can best meet current and future needs of healthcare providers. In this environment, health systems and physician practices — both independent and employed — could benefit from taking a fresh look…

Matthew Bates January 27, 2023
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