Becker's Hospital Review

147 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY HHS outlines public health goals for next 10 years: 5 things to know By Mackenzie Bean H HS shared its 10-year plan for address- ing the nation's largest public health chal- lenges in its "Healthy People 2030" report published Aug. 18. Five things to know: 1. The report outlines 355 measurable public health objectives the agency seeks to achieve within 10 years. 2. HHS has outlined these goals every decade since 1980, updating them based on industry feedback. 3. For "Healthy People 2030," HHS reduced the total number of objectives to prevent overlap and priori- tize the most pressing public health issues. 4. HHS added new 10-year goals involving opioid use disorder, youth e-cigarette use and social deter- minants of health. 5. The report also includes resources for adapting public health efforts amid emerging threats like COVID-19. n More than 13% of Northwell Health staff have COVID-19 antibodies, serology tests show By Gabrielle Masson L arge-scale testing of front-line healthcare providers at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health found 13 percent of staff had COVID-19 antibodies, according to research published Aug. 6 in The Journal of the American Med- ical Association. Of Northwell's 72,000 employees, 40,329 were screened for antibodies between April 20 and June 23. The Northwell Health COVID-19 Research Consortium, along with Manhas- set, N.Y.-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, analyzed the data and found the employee serology tests showed more than 13 percent of healthcare providers tested positive for antibodies. Healthcare personnel reported demographics, work location and level of suspicion of virus exposure. High levels of sus- picion and a prior positive test were stronger indicators of positive results. "As researchers, it's important to us to share findings from our antibody testing, and we are pleased to know that the personal protective equipment we used was successful in protecting the vast majority of our staff," said Karina Davidson, PhD, professor and senior vice president at the Feinstein Institutes. n No. 1 for cancer care: What's missing from rankings for this specialty? By Morgan Haefner T here's no doubt cancer care rankings hold weight for health systems. Pa- tients who are seeking top-of-the-line care use rankings and ratings as a guidepost in choosing the right provider for them. But it's also clear rankings aren't the be-all and end-all to cancer care. A panel of executives discussed this topic during a session at the Becker's Healthcare Oncology Virtual Forum Aug. 25. e panel included Jeff Wright, vice president of cancer services at e University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City; Ifeyinwa Osunkwo, MD, director of the sickle cell disease enter- prise and professor of medicine at the Levine Cancer Institute of Atrium Health in Char- lotte, N.C.; and Jasmine Ballard, administra- tive director of Levine Cancer Institute. Mor- gan Haefner, editor at Becker's Healthcare, moderated the panel. Here is an excerpt from the conversation, lightly edited for clarity. Question: What's missing from can- cer rankings and ratings? Jasmine Ballard: While the rankings validate that you have an excellent program, it doesn't mean that if you're not in a certain ranking, you're not a good program. e other dis- advantage is the data. Every year organiza- tions review their ranking methodology, but the outpatient component is very difficult to capture, particularly with one of the larger surveys. If it's hospital-based or DRG-based, you've missed 80 percent of the work that happens in wraparound care for patients. Jeff Wright: Access is lacking in the rank- ings and ratings. You can have great patient satisfaction. You can be considered the best cancer center in the country. But if a patient can't get in, it doesn't really matter. I don't be- lieve I've seen a ranking today that considers access. Plus sometimes you'll see a ranking come out and you make a decision on that ranking. But the reality is, the organization you chose may not be your best option for your specific needs. Dr. Ifeyinwa Osunkwo: One ranking that rating systems lack is the one where a patient says, "I love my doctor and I love my cancer center." Both Jeff and Jasmine are right, they're all important, but the most important one is how the patient feels about their experience. Are they satisfied with that provider-patient interaction and the support methods around them? Are we truly measuring the patient ex- perience? At the end of the day it's about what the patient says. ey love their doctor team, they love their provider team, and they feel satisfied and happy with the care that they've received. n

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