Becker's Hospital Review

29 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 29 CEO / STRATEGY this viral foe." Digital medicine will allow healthcare providers to address social determinants of health and democratize access to the best health- care in the nation if it's applied appropriately. Currently many un- derserved patients are not taking advantage of available resourc- es, like clinic visits because they can't take time off from work, need childcare, etc. "e technology exists, but the key is to make sure everyone on Med- icaid has access to it at scale," said Dr. Klasko. "If all Medicaid patients received the right wearables or a digital scale they could step on every day, we could monitor whether their condition is worsening. One cool thing Google is doing is developing kiosks where people can look at a green light on the screen and they can tell with near certainty whether they should be screened for retinal changes due to diabetes, which they are at a higher risk for than the general population." In another example, Jefferson is deploying technology for women to monitor their health during pregnancy. During pandemics, this technology could alert people in real time about their symptoms and ensure they aren't leaving the home. "It will be unthinkable a few years from now that a pregnant pa- tient that needs to be monitored a few times a week will have to come into a hospital full of sick people to do it," said Dr. Klasko. "We know that the underserved population has a higher maternal and perinatal mortality partly because they cannot afford to take off from work, park the car, etc. Bringing pregnancy care into the home can be a game changer." 5. e most prized skills in physicians will be empathy, commu- nication and self-awareness in the digital age. Medical schools traditionally emphasized the best technical skills and ability to memorize information and make quick decisions on diagnosis and treatments. Robotic technology and artificial intelligence now can assist physicians with those skills. But they can't make caregivers more empathetic or better communicators with their patients. "ere will be a disruption in how we choose doctors, nurses and other health professionals as the fourth industrial revolution, which includes AI, internet of things, 5G, 3D printing and robotics, takes hold," said Dr. Klasko. "Knowing the answers will be the least im- portant parameter. Knowing the right questions to ask and how to listen to, talk to and empathize with a diverse group of patients will be the 'new gold' for applicants. We will not need robotic physicians or nurses that can memorize complex formulas because they will never do that better than the robots, just as we don't expect people to run faster than cars." Jefferson is creating a College of Emerging Health Professions that will include some of the new models of care that promote self-awareness, empathy and cultural competence among health- care professionals. e system also has the Jefferson Scale of Empa- thy, which is used to measure compassionate care in the context of medical education and patient care. "rough that scale we have learned that empathy can be measured, can be taught and can be improved," said Dr. Klasko. "at has led us to change our selection process to be more holistic and diverse and to inject humanities and creativity into the curriculum. As one of the oldest health professions universities we merged with a na- tionally recognized 'design' university in order to 'weave' design thinking and creativity into our scientific curriculums." n Jackson Health CEO reverses decision to furlough workers By Alia Paavola A fter facing criticism from employees, local officials and the governing board, Jackson Health System CEO Car- los Migoya reversed his decision to furlough workers and cut pay for management, according to CBS Miami. The Miami-based system announced the cost-saving measures in early April, saying the hospital network's finances were "dev- astated by the cancellation of so much non-emergency patient care." However, on April 8, Mr. Migoya told employees that the fur- loughs and pay cuts will be "deferred indefinitely." The announcement reversing the furloughs came after Mi- ami-Dade County commissioners said the hospital network could use a $150 million line of credit for operating capital, according to The Miami Herald. The public trust that oversees Jackson Health, as well as the labor union that represents more than 5,000 employ- ees, said they were caught off guard by the initial decision to furlough workers and implement pay cuts, according to CBS Miami. n Kaleida Health CEO postpones retirement, will remain at helm throughout pandemic By Kelly Gooch K aleida Health President and CEO Jody Lomeo, who previously shared plans to retire by year's end, will remain at the helm of the Buffalo, N.Y.-based health system through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Buffalo News. Frank Curci, Kaleida board chairman and CEO of Tops Mar- kets, told the newspaper the health system has suspended indefinitely its search for Mr. Lomeo's successor and will "take it up at an appropriate time whenever this thing is behind us." Mr. Lomeo had shared in January that 2020 would be his final year at the helm. He cited his desire to spend more time with his family and spend time at home. But he told The Buffalo News he now "would never, ever leave the institution in a situation anytime soon" amid the public health crisis. "At a time like this, we all need to be together, be leading, and we all need continuity and stability," he said. Mr. Lomeo became president and CEO of Kaleida Health and Buffalo-based Great Lakes Health System of Western New York in April 2014. n

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