Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1003496
43 43 CEO/STRATEGY Ascension suspends controversial plan to scale back services at Milwaukee hospital By Alia Paavola A er receiving feedback from con- cerned Milwaukee officials, Ascen- sion Wisconsin decided to pause its plan to scale back services at Milwau- kee-based Wheaton Franciscan-St. Joseph Hospital, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review. In early April, St. Joseph Hospital, which pri- marily serves patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid, announced plans to shutter its surgical and medical units, slowly siing out inpatient care by July 1. e closure of the surgical and medical units would leave no general acute care hospital north of down- town Milwaukee, an area plagued by wide- spread health disparities. At the time of the announcement, Ascension emphasized it was not leaving the city, as an- other Ascension Hospital, Milwaukee-based Columbia St. Mary's, is located 5.6 miles southeast of St. Joseph Hospital. Since Ascension disclosed it would stop pro- viding surgical and inpatient care at St. Jo- seph Hospital, the health system has received criticism from multiple city officials and res- idents. In addition, a Milwaukee Alderman urged the health system to postpone the scale back of services to collect community feed- back. "We have an economic model now where if you have money, you're going to get the best healthcare in the world, but if you're poor, guess what? Get on a bus, hopefully you can get to a hospital five miles away and maybe you'll get healthcare," Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy told Wisconsin Public Radio. In response to the feedback, Ascension decid- ed to put its plan on hold as it engages with more community leaders. "We've heard how important Ascension is to Milwaukee in providing healthcare to our most vulnerable neighbors. at is, and al- ways has been, our Mission," Bernie Sherry, senior vice president who oversees the Wis- consin market of St. Louis-based Ascension Health, said in a statement emailed to Beck- er's Hospital Review. "Based on the feedback we've received from the mayor, common council members, community leaders and others, we have decided to pause our plan to reconfigure medical services from St. Joe's to Columbia St. Mary's as we continue to en- gage stakeholders on transforming health- care in Milwaukee." n Virginia Mason launches hospital consulting company with rural emphasis By Kelly Gooch S eattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center developed an affiliated consulting group specifically focused on addressing the challenges facing rural and community healthcare organizations. The group, called NetworxHealth, offers services such as C-suite staffing, pharmacy services, supply chain efficiency, regulatory compliance and finance. Services also include laboratory and imaging, facilities and construction, group purchasing services and continuing medical education. "We provide executive and management placement and consulting services for any hospital or medical center in the nation — and we have a special focus on rural and communi- ty hospitals," said Noel Rea, senior director and hospital ad- ministrator. "Rural providers have a unique role in the fabric of their communities as they serve their friends, families and neighbors. Small hospitals often are the cornerstone for the entire health delivery system in their communities. It is im- portant to keep them vibrant, successful and independent." NetworxHealth's services are provided by experienced healthcare professionals. The group is run by executive director Tammara Gibbons, who is also vice president for operations and business development for Seattle-based Health Resource Services, a Virginia Mason affiliate. n Kaiser Permanente among top 5 companies for work-life balance By Megan Knowles O ut of the top 15 companies for work- life balance, Oak- land, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente snagged the No. 4 spot, according to an analysis by Indeed. To determine the compa- nies that receive the high- est ratings for helping em- ployees achieve a healthy work-life balance, Indeed analyzed its database of 72 million ratings and reviews. Kaiser reviews emphasized the company's health ini- tiatives, flexibility around medical appointments and opportunities for profes- sional growth. Here are Indeed's 15 top rated companies for work- life balance. 1. Keller Williams Realty 2. Coldwell Banker 3. Cisco 4. Kaiser Permanente 5. Google 6. Capital One 7. Century 21 8. NIKE 9. Northrop Grumman 10. Pfizer 11. American Express 12. Fidelity Investments 13. Dell 14. Lockheed Martin 15. Johnson & Johnson n