How to Make Productivity Gains Possible and Profitable
Staff cuts are not always the answer.
Tag: "Featured Articles"
Healthcare Reform: Putting the Puzzle Together
Proactive hospitals need to prepare for the future – today.
Jun 14, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Fix Inefficient Departments Before Reform Tests Your Capacity
Fix inefficient departments now — a sensible approach as reform inches forward.
May 31, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Changing Attitudes: The Key to Achieving Hospital Productivity Gains
In today’s hospitals, it’s not uncommon to encounter defensiveness from inpatient unit managers who miss their productivity targets.
Apr 09, 2010 | 3 comments | View Post
Guide to CMS Compliance
by Compass Clinical Consulting Accreditation Expert Ruth Elzer featured in Journal of Healthcare Management
Apr 06, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Low-Cost, High-Quality Healthcare Can Be a Reality
with Smart Workforce Planning
Apr 01, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Is Healthcare Reform Good News for Hospitals?
Fox Business News anchor Dagen McDowell interviews Compass Clinical CEO Kate Fenner.
Mar 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Helping Your Board Ensure Patient Safety
Your quality team has studied the new standard changes, updated policies, and conducted tracers to monitor compliance. What else can you do as an executive to help …
The CMS Acute Care Episode Demonstration
Will the new CMS Acute Care Episode Demonstration Project address the patient’s concern that their interests are being subordinated to the physician’s or the hospital’s financial interests?
How would Dr. King have influenced healthcare reform debate?
It is difficult to guess the position of such a leader and revered figure but it takes little insight to predict his position: one of concern for the 44 million Americans who go without health insurance.
Jan 15, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Early Detection: Stop Small Problems before they are Big Problems
Bringing minor regulatory problems to light before they have a chance to grow is the most important step toward preventing big problems that could diminish quality and patient safety .
Nov 04, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
What Is a Hospital Near-Death Experience?
Can a hospital have a near-death experience? If so, what would that look like?
Nov 02, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Health Care Reform and The Elephant in the Room
There is an elephant in the room that is not being discussed – personal responsibility for health. For years, studies have shown that up to 70% of disease is influenced by …
Oct 25, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Sitting Ducks Get Shot … Especially While Waiting for the Inevitability of Healthcare Reform
By Kate Fenner, RN, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Clinical Consulting.
Oct 15, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
How Could This Happen?
By Cary D. Gutbezahl, MD, President, Compass Clinical Consulting. Although many factors may contribute to an avoidable injury, investigations often reveal that the policy and procedures were in place, the staff was trained on and understood the policy and procedures, staffing was adequate to do the work, but people didn’t follow the policy.
Why Do Some Hospitals Tolerate Poor Performance?
By Cary Gutbezahl, MD, President, Compass Clinical Consulting: Our experience says that while hospitals sometimes overlook indications of problems, more often, CEOs and boards tolerate a series of ineffective attempts at fixing the problem.
Sep 11, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
How Easily Overtime and Premium Pay Drive Healthcare Costs Up
Labor Productivity Consultant for Compass Clinical Consulting: Paying overtime to employees can never be cheaper or save the hospital money than having staff deployed according to: Right person, Right role, Right Time, Right place (R4).
Hospital Readmissions: Federal Policy Must Stop Interfering with System Thinking
In our experience in case management, both in hospitals and in managed care organizations, we have found many reasons why patients are readmitted to hospitals.
The Ill Effects of Shutting off Constructive Healthcare Reform Debate: First, Do No Harm
The Reconciliation Process can do nothing but shut off oppositional thinking before the best possible healthcare reform is designed and implemented. Cognitive conflict can yield stronger programs that assure hospitals and doctors are in a position to provide quality care for patients. I hope they don’t repeal “First, do no harm”.
Aug 21, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
A Cure for ER Diversions
Diversions are when ambulances are sent to another ER because the nearest ER is too busy and does not believe they can safely provide care. I thought it might be useful to understand that the hospital goes on diversion because it has determined that patient safety might be at risk if more critical patients were added to those already at the hospital. Adding more work beyond the capacity of the ER not only jeopardizes the new patient but puts all the other patients at risk.
Aug 17, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Hospital Leaders — Cut Waste Out Before Regulatory Reform Hurts
By Kate Fenner, RN, PhD: The smart leaders understand that regardless of how healthcare reform looks when it becomes law, the real truth is that we’ll all be getting less. Knowing this is the end-point gives us all the freedom to take action now.
Aug 07, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Private Philanthropy — Another Key to Hospital Financial Stability
By Jim Mahon, PhD: Colleges and universities have traditionally placed a much higher premium on generating both annual and planned gifts than the majority of hospitals. Rather than expounding on the many legitimate reasons why this is the case, let’s focus on steps the Board, the Executive Suite, and the Chief Development Officer (CDO) can take.
Jun 09, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Trying to confirm what you already believe is a dangerous practice
By Cary Gutbezahl, MD: The issue is the misuse of research findings and extending conclusions beyond the conditions of the research. That this research is publicized is evidence of the failure of our educational system! It’s time to stand up and scream “Foul!”
May 22, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post
Case studies to learn more about ways in which Compass Clinical has worked to create better American hospitals.