HealthPartners and American Hospital
Association Partner for National Launch of Joining Forces
HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education and the American Hospital
Association (AHA) have partnered with more than a dozen national
organizations to launch an initiative designed to generate awareness among
medical professionals and others within communities about the challenges --
medical, social and emotional -- that veterans and their families face as
they return home from military service. Through the Joining Forces program
medical professionals will be provided much needed education on dealing
with the medical issues facing our nation’s troops as they return
home from service through a series of online programs.
"Our returning troops have unique medical challenges, which are
sometimes difficult to detect," said Dr. Carl Patow, executive
director of HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education. "This
series sheds light on those conditions so physicians can provide our
returning troops with the best possible care."
HealthPartners first partnered with Twin Cities Public Television, the
Minnesota Army National Guard and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
to create the series in 2007 after learning that many veterans were seeing
their hometown physicians instead of military doctors for treatment after deployments.
After sharing throughout Minnesota, the
groups involved decided to promote nationally in an effort to help veterans
throughout the U.S.
Since that time, the AHA and more than a dozen organizations have signed on
to help spread the word about the program and ensure our returning troops
receive proper care and treatment.
“What began as an effort to educate health caregivers in one
community in Minnesota
about the special needs of returning veterans and their families has grown
into a collaboration among national organizations involving hospitals,
doctors, nurses, social workers, clergy and many others all across our
nation. Like hospitals everywhere, HealthPartners saw a need in their
community and partnered with others to meet that need. And in the best
tradition of community service, they want to make what they did available
to every individual and organization that cares about serving the women and
men who have served our nation in the military. The American Hospital
Association is proud to help make that happen, “said Rich
Umbdenstock, President and Chief Executive Officer, the American Hospital
Association. “One look at the organizations that are coming together
to spread the word about Joining Forces tells an important story about the
debt we owe our troops and the enormous level of support they enjoy back
home.”
The four-part series focuses on the most common issues our returning
soldiers face.
The program was based on the award-winning medical conference recognized by
the Alliance
for Continuing Medical Education with the 2008 Award for Outstanding
Collaboration.
Visit www.joiningforcesonline.org for more
information and resources.
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"Avoiding ADA Lawsuits"
Building Operating Management (01/09) Vol. 56, No. 1, P. 23; Stein, Joan
Nearly two decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), hundreds of lawsuits are still filed annually against facilities and
employers that fail to comply. Unlike other federal statutes, the ADA does not require
annual building inspections. Instead, any private citizen can appeal
directly to a federal court if he or she finds that a building in some way
violates the ADA.
Because the act differs from standard building codes, contractors may
mistakenly believe their building is in compliance with the ADA because it meets
design and technical standards. This negligence to equip a facility with
wheelchair ramps, parking, and appropriate signage often results in
litigation. Additionally, some owners refuse to proactively retrofit their
facilities, rather than waiting until a patron files a lawsuit. If saddled
with a lawsuit, an establishment should first hire a professional
acquainted with both local building codes and ADA standards who can determine which
allegations are valid. A side-by-side comparison will help facility
executives identify barriers that can be abolished to expedite the
litigation process and reduce costly legal fees. In other instances, an ADA evaluation may
provide the evidence to support a facility against allegations. Buildings
should be free of obvious barriers and removal of those barriers should be
documented in an ADA
compliance plan. Additionally, plans to negotiate barriers that require
major expenditures should be created.
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"A Shield From Employer Retaliation"
Christian Science Monitor (01/27/09) Richey, Warren
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that any employee who gives
evidence during an informal investigation of workplace discrimination
allegations is protected from any workplace retaliation from superiors
under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling is designed to
ensure that employees who come forward during such investigations have no
fear of reprisal regardless of the investigation's outcome. The decision
overturns a previous ruling by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals,
which found that Title VII only protects employees who already have filed
formal discrimination charges with employers or the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
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"Maximizing Nursing Productivity"
Healthcare Financial Management (01/09) Vol. 63, No. 1, P. 76; Thompson,
Pamela; Stanowski, Anthony
A number of factors, including staff shortages and an aging workforce, has
required hospitals to maximize the productivity and performance of nursing
resources. Increasing the amount of time nurses spend with patients has
positive financial implications for hospitals, including increased patient
satisfaction and staff retention and a decrease in the number of
hospital-acquired infections. Support services staff can collaborate with
nursing staff to allow nurses to spend more time on clinical care. Shifting
nonclincial responsibilities to lower cost support staff can reduce overall
organizational expenses. To build a collaborative relationship among
healthcare workers, executives need to build a recognition culture.
Rewarding all healthcare team members for their impact on the patient's
experience can help show managerial and executive appreciation to those
workers. Increased communication also improves coordination between staff
members, allowing nurses and other medical staff to understand that the
support staff does help in the treatment of patients.
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"Generation Y Goes to Work"
Economist (01/03/09) Vol. 390, No. 8612, P. 47
The past several economic recessions have been unmerciful to the "Net
Generation" or those born in the 1980s and 1990s who are entering the
workforce with unrealized expectations of employment. According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among young adults rose
significantly during the last two economic downturns in the United States,
especially in the finance and technology sectors where drastic workforce
cuts are common during difficult times. Even though 20-something workers
are holding onto their current jobs, social researchers say they are
growing frustrated with companies that employ more controlled,
"hands-on" management rather than an informal style. However,
these "Net Geners" may be just the workers companies need to
weather the economic recession since they can multitask, have fewer
familial attachments, are more willing to move or relocate, and are
extremely Internet-savvy. Young workers who were made redundant at their old
jobs are relying on the Internet and social networking sites to promote
themselves to potential employers and scout for job opportunities.
Meanwhile, companies need to put forth the extra effort to keep work
engaging and challenging, lest they lose most of their young talent when
the economy stabilizes.
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"Downsized, But Still in the Game"
Boston Globe (01/11/09) P. G1; Jackson, Maggie
The office environment following a round of layoffs often turns toxic, with
employees living in fear that their job will be the next to fall; these
workers also often feel guilty, lack focus, and deal with larger workload
pressures. However, there are ways managers can try to limit this
"survivor syndrome" and help their staff perform at their best.
One HR executive says he meets with staff individually to talk about their
most important priority, which helps focus the attention workers and improve
internal communication. Others say management must remain optimistic in
communications so workers will follow suit. Managers also should ensure
that departing staff are treated fairly and with dignity to prevent
remaining staff from becoming angry or distrustful of management. For their
part, workers who want to excel during this difficult time must show
flexibility and humility. For example, if a favored project does not fit
into the employer's cost-cutting efforts, workers should simply allow it to
fall by the wayside. Furthermore, workers should take on additional
responsibilities without a salary increase or promotion. At the same time,
employees should have a "plan B" in place, which may require a
renewed resume and nurtured network. Finally, workers must take care of
their own careers, themselves, and their families, says Janet Banks.
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"Lessons From the Financial Services
Crisis"
HR Magazine (01/09) Vol. 54, No. 1, P. 46; Cascio, Wayne F.; Cappelli,
Peter
The collapse of Lehman Brothers and the near-downfalls of Merrill Lynch,
American International Group, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac illustrate the
desire of organizations to "push the envelope" by taking on
dangerous risks. These firms all touted generous reward systems, promoted
individual talents over broader ideals, and failed to fully disclose their
activities to investors, according to critics. Incentive systems and
managers encouraged individuals at these financial firms to assume risks
the organization would not have willingly accepted, then those risks and
losses were hidden. Those meeting their goals were given large rewards and
faced greater pressure to achieve higher revenue. A second component of the
management errors behind the financial meltdown involves the emphasis on
individual talent--the stars, rainmakers, and "A" players who
were prized and elevated in those financial institutions. The idea of
beating competitors by hiring smarter individuals at all levels was never
better understood than by executives at Enron, who bragged about having
"the smartest guys in the room." Publicly held companies
responded to pressure to increase earnings by "managing" their
quarterly balance sheets to show exaggerated period-over-period earnings.
Goldman Sachs is a beacon of financial solvency in the landscape of
investment banking because of its teamwork culture, say experts close to
the company.
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"Training Doesn't Have to Be a Budget
Buster"
Industry Week.com (02/01/09) Katz, Jonathan
With the economy faltering, many organizations are cutting back on employee
training even though a number of industries face worker shortages due to
Baby Boomer retirements. However, training does not have to stop simply
because the budget has been cut, experts say. Business Industrial Network
President Don Fitchett says some employers may be eligible for federal
reimbursements under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 if they provide
on-site, instructor-led training customized to employer equipment and
needs. Additionally, Fitchett says organizations can take advantage of
train-the-trainer programs by sending two staff members to seminars to
learn the latest techniques and then when they return to work, those workers
train their colleagues. Public seminars with up to 10 attendees can be a
viable option, as well as online training among organizations looking to
reduce training expenses. Fitchett says simulation software is ideal for
those with training budgets under $1,000 and who have quick learners on
staff. That is because these programs promote self-learning through
experimentation without risk to workers or equipment.
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"Preventing Harassment"
Security Management (01/09) Bagyi, John M.; Boyd, Matthew G.
Businesses must still do more to prevent workplace sexual harassment, say
human resource experts, citing statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that show a more than 100 percent increase in
the number of sexual harassment filings between 2006 and 2007. Defining
workplace harassment and planning a response when these issues arise helps
firms mitigate their chances of facing litigation. Sexual harassment is the
most frequent complaint of those who file harassment charges, but previous
EEOC harassment claims involved other factors such as ethnicity, age,
religion, and disability. Sexual harassment takes two different forms: the
first is quid pro quo harassment, where an employee's acquiescence to or
refusal of conduct becomes the basis for job decisions regarding that
worker; and the other is hostile environment harassment, where one employee
creates an intimidating environment for another without demanding anything
in return. To avoid liability, the employer must demonstrate that it has in
place a comprehensive and accessible policy for dealing with complaints,
that employees were aware of it and knew what they were supposed to do, and
that the claimant unfairly filed a charge without following procedure. An
effective policy explains prohibited conduct, gives examples of harassing
behaviors, and applies to anyone associated with or in contact with the
company, even third-parties. It also requires that all employees with
knowledge of the incident file a report, detail how a complaint will be
investigated and what discipline could be doled out, and explicitly
prohibits retaliation. An antifraternization clause can help mitigate the
risks from workplace entanglements, but all policies must be distributed to
all workers once it is written and reviewed by legal counsel. These
policies also should be supplemented by workplace harassment training, and
managers must take all harassment complaints seriously and immediately
investigate any allegations of interpersonal misconduct.
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"American Medical Association Stalls on Standard
for Disruptive Behaviors"
Nurse.com (01/12/09) Spader, Catherine
On Jan. 1, The Joint Commission's new standards on disruptive behavior were
implemented. The standards were developed in response to a Sentinel Event
Alert issued by The Joint Commission in July, which indicated that patient
safety and quality of care are negatively impacted by physicians'
intimidating and disruptive behaviors. Given the possible broad definitions
of disruptive behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) proposes a
one-year moratorium on the implementation of the standards. This would
allow plenty of time for medical staffs to update bylaws and create codes
of conduct and policies governing investigations and appeals. At a recent
meeting of AMA's House of Delegates, delegates expressed worries that the
standards "could lead to 'arbitrary and capricious enforcement'
against physicians," according to a Dec. 1 article published on
amednews.com.
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"P4P4P: An Agenda for Research on
Pay-for-Performance for Patients"
Health Affairs (Quarter 1, 2009) Vol. 28, No. 1, P. 206; Volpp, Kevin
G.; Pauly, Mark V.; Loewenstein, George
Pay for Performance (P4P) initiatives are directed at healthcare providers
and facilities, but experts believe these programs could be enhanced by
combining them with programs that provide patients with incentives to stay healthy.
Patient-directed P4P programs are increasingly successful when they strive
to increase preventive care, reduce the use of addictive substances and
follow physician orders more closely. P4P is already used for these
purposes in some large corporations to encourage weight loss and decrease
smoking but researchers suggest targeting a wider variety of behaviors to
increase cost-effectiveness. However, to successfully implement these
programs, hospitals and employers must address rising copayments, limited
research on preventive medicine's impact and ethical concerns. For
instance, researchers suggest P4P plans offer incentives to reward positive
behavior, rather than punishments to penalize negative behavior.
Appropriate incentives should be frequent small rewards presented
separately from larger ones. A lottery format or joint patient and provider
incentives are other possibilities that can be tailored to maximize impact.
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"Disease Management Mobilized"
Health Management Technology (01/09) Wolf, Jeffrey
The California HealthCare Foundation reports U.S. health spending will
reach $2.4 trillion in 2008, and more than three-quarters of that figure is
related to preventable chronic conditions. Wellness programs across the
nation aim to reduce the costs of chronic conditions, which is why
hospitals and other employers are turning to wireless and mobile
technologies to keep patients on target with their treatments and
medications. About half of all chronic disease patients do not adhere to
their medications or treatment prescriptions regularly. Mobile and wireless
technologies can stream and process data in real-time to provide patients
with relevant information at appropriate intervals. Cell phones and PDAs can
help doctors obtain and review biometric data, which can foster
just-in-time interventions for chronic disease sufferers. Mobile devices
also can provide patients with medical reminders and be used as diagnostic
tools to deliver solutions to patients in need of immediate medical
attention.
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"Phased Retirement Keeps Boomers in the
Workforce"
2009 HR Trendbook (01/01/09) P. 61; Miller, Stephen
Phased retirement is growing in popularity as more employers look to keep
experienced employees in the workplace. Currently 61 percent of the 140
midsize and large U.S. employers recently surveyed by Hewitt Associates
said they had developed or intend to develop programs designed to retain
retirement-age employees. Forty-seven percent have specifically focused
their retention efforts on phased retirement programs, while 40 percent
expressed an interest in creating these programs in the future. Although
only 21 percent said phased-retirement programs are critical to their
present-day business plan, that number skyrockets to 61 percent when
respondents were asked to project their employee needs over the next five
years. There are several strategies respondents reportedly pursue in their
efforts to design effective phased-retirement programs. Currently, 63
percent of companies focus on general industry research, while only 22
percent create formal mechanisms designed to assess the needs of
near-retirement employees. However, 54 percent of companies say that this
strategy will change in the next several years. Several successful
phased-retirement strategies were identified from this research, including
offering part-time employment, giving near-retirement employees access to
retirement benefits, and rehiring employees.
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"Surgeon Shortage Pushes Hospitals to Hire
Temps"
Wall Street Journal (01/13/09) Fuhrmans, Vanessa
A recent study published in the Archives of Surgery shows a 25 percent drop
in general surgeons per capita during the past 25 years. More general
surgeons are leaving the field due to tough schedules, lower payments, and
the promise of more money in surgical niches. The trend has bolstered
demand for temporary surgeons, and many general surgeons are becoming
fill-ins as a way to boost income. According to staffing agencies,
approximately 1 in 20 general surgeons has embraced temporary work, given
that temporary surgeons do not pay overhead expenses and can earn over
$250,000 annually. However, hospitals are being hit hard, as temporary
surgeons can cost them $1,500 per day plus travel and lodging expenses.
Additionally, there are concerns about continuity of care because patients
whose procedures are performed by temporary surgeons must see another
provider for follow-up care, and temporary surgeons do not know hospital
staff and are unfamiliar with patient histories.
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"Docs on Board"
Hospitals & Health Networks (01/09) Vol. 83, No. 1, P. 38; Meyers,
Susan
Hospital boards and trustees are paying special attention their
relationships with doctors. "If there is an adversarial relationship,
the patient is ultimately the one who is going to suffer, punctuating the
need to have a strong, positive relationship with your medical staff,"
says High Point Regional Hospital (HPRH) President and CEO Jeff Miller. The
hospital embarked upon a comprehensive effort to facilitate doctor trust
and support by improving transparency, communication and connection with
physicians. A key challenge to such a campaign lies in a healthcare
system's structure, which traditionally have the board, administrators and
doctors in separate corners in a triangular shape, hospital consultants
say. A 2004 survey revealed physician unhappiness in a handful of critical
areas at HPRH, including hospital administration, responsiveness,
communication and strategic planning. The hospital hired a corporate
compliance officer and chief medical officer, Greg Taylor, to brainstorm
strategies for improving relationships with the medical staff. After
surveying physicians about their preferred modes of communication, Taylor
formed a communication "toolbox" with e-mails, faxes and CDs to
ensure that every physician receives a quarterly strategic plan status
report. These reports include relevant information discussed in meetings
between medical staff and medical administrators.
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Management and Leadership
"What Boards Must Do in a Crisis"
CNN (01/29/09) Colvin, Geoff
The global economic crisis is not over yet, say financial experts, and
boards must hunker down and make some difficult decisions if their
organizations are to ride out the storm. Many employers are expected to see
revenue declines as high as 20 percent in 2009. Boards must focus primarily
on cash issues, balance sheets, leverage, and liquidity to help their firms
stay afloat. When considering these concerns, however, boards may find that
the way they view management targets, competitors, and compensation must be
reformed to meet the realities of the market. Enterprise risk management
(ERM), for example, should become a top concern among board members because
risks' impacts are accounted for throughout the organization using this
strategy. Succession is another priority for board members given that a
number of members could be ousted or resign in the next several years.
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"Take it From the Top"
Modern Healthcare (01/26/09) Vol. 39, No. 4, P. 12; Carlson, Joe
As hospitals begin to cut management-level positions in earnest, healthcare
experts say the question remains as to whether the workforce reductions
will affect patient care. Sudha Xirasagar, director of the University of
South Carolina's Master of Health Administration program, said hospitals
may "actually be seeing the excess in the system being taken
out," and job functions such as long-term strategic planning and
marketing would either be re-allocated or knocked down on the list of
priorities. The list of hospitals laying off mid- and high-level managers
continues to grow. Alegent Health CEO Wayne Sensor said management layoffs
would have the least impact on patient care, while sending a message to
workers that executives explore all of the options when tightening budgets.
Some healthcare experts guess that many hospitals do not have to lay off
administrators immediately and are instead using the recession as a guise
for much-needed workforce reductions. JohnMarch Partners Chairman John Self
believes the economy gives hospitals an excuse to do what they need to be
doing anyway.
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"Building and Keeping a Thriving Workforce: The
Board's Role"
Trustee (01/09) Stock, Debra; Bentley, James
The ongoing challenge for hospital boards is maintaining a thriving and
engaged workforce that provides superior patient care in a satisfying work
environment. A 2002 report by the AHA Workforce Commission, "In Our
Hands: How Hospital Leaders Can Build a Thriving Workforce," calls
upon hospitals to take action to prevent the arrival of a healthcare crisis
stemming from workforce shortages. Hospital boards must devise ways to
ensure workers find meaning in their work and remain motivated to improve
care and their relationships within the workplace. The report calls upon
hospitals and communities to work together to entice new and diverse
workers into the medical field. Executives should examine the skills,
knowledge and institutional memory their facilities contain and ensure
those human capital measures are outlined in a balanced scorecard, say
Robert Kaplan and David Norton. These scorecards can help executives focus
on improving organizational performance.
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"Succession Planning"
Nursing for Women's Health (01/01/09) Vol. 12, No. 6, P. 525; Stichler,
Jaynelle F.
An important and often overlooked aspect of good leadership is succession
planning. This is particularly important in the case of nurse managers who
face the prospect of leaving their job without a well-trained replacement
ready to take over given the shortage of young nurse leaders. Younger
nurses tend to shy away from leadership positions because those roles can
be stressful and time consuming. Formal development and education for these
young leaders can alleviate many of these fears, which is why hospitals
should create formal leadership development programs or partnerships with
academic institutions. Academic partnerships often provide opportunities for
onsite educational programs designed to develop leadership competencies in
human resources, financial management, conflict, management, effective
communication and other skills essential for effective hospital leaders.
Potential leaders should be given the opportunity to gain real world
experience under the supervision of an outgoing supervisor. Leading staff
meetings, planning and delivering unit education and mentoring
less-experienced nurses are just some of the important activities requiring
on-the-job training.
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