Healthcare News of Note: The healthcare sector was targeted by nearly 24% of cyber-attack activity in 2022
When it comes to the number of malicious cybersecurity events targeting customers in the Americas, the healthcare industry is second, just behind finance. Contrary to its previously announced plans, the U.S. Department of Justice is not pursuing a further challenge to UnitedHealth Group’s purchase of Change Healthcare. The average pay for physicians decreased 2.4% in…
Dennis Laraway joins Cleveland Clinic as CFO
Dennis L. Laraway, MBA, officially joined Cleveland Clinic as CFO on March 13. An experienced financial leader, Laraway has held CFO positions at several large integrated health systems, including Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas, and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. Most recently, he served…
South Texas Chapter event exceeds expectations
HFMA’s South Texas Chapter hosted a women’s leadership conference on Jan. 20 in Austin, Texas. The theme was Empower, Encourage, Elevate, and it was the first event of its kind for the Chapter. Things went so well that they’re already planning to do it again next year. Trying something different Amy Raymond, vice president of…
Aaron Crane: There’s real value to be found in exhibit halls
Workforce gaps, cost inflation and revenue cycle inefficiency are driving unprecedented pressure on margins, while our communities demand greater value. Today’s healthcare finance leaders are grappling with at least one ― if not all ― of these issues. And they’re looking for solutions. As I travel around the country to various HFMA regional and chapter…
Healthcare News of Note: Most board members of the nation’s top hospitals work in finance or business
Less than 15% of board members at a sampling of the nation’s top hospitals are health professionals, while 56% work in finance or business. Since 2014, the number of medically disenfranchised people in the U.S. nearly doubled from 56 million to over 100 million, causing stress for providers and lower rates of immunization and rising…
David Johnson: Why healthcare’s cupboard is bare — its funding gravy train has run out of steam
Gravy train is a railroad term that originated in the early 1900s. It described a well-paid train run that didn’t require much effort. In modern parlance, speakers use it to describe easy-to-do tasks and cushy situations. The problem with gravy trains is that riding them too long engenders lazy, sloppy and wasteful behaviors. New York…
Jill Geisler: 4 ways to give positive feedback with impact
May I give you a pleasant assignment? Think about a high performer on your team. Next, write a few bullet points about what that person does to earn your high regard. Finally, take 90 seconds and format it as a message to that person. This is a class exercise I use when teaching managers about…
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…
Healthcare News of Note: 7 hospitals earn a Press Ganey award for outstanding nursing quality
Seven hospitals were recognized for elevating nursing excellence and improving patient outcomes with Press Ganey’s National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality. Only 48% of Americans rank the quality of U.S. healthcare as excellent or good, according to results of a Gallup Health and Healthcare survey. Nearly half of Americans are…
Various data highlight the ongoing labor challenges facing hospitals and other healthcare providers
The healthcare labor picture may be stabilizing in some respects, but hospitals and other providers continue to feel the squeeze. The industry added 58,200 jobs in January, including 10,900 at hospitals and health systems, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That jump follows an average monthly increase of…