Becker's Hospital Review

41 CEO / STRATEGY Hospital CEOs' No. 1 concern is staffing for 1st time in 17 years By Molly Gamble H ospital CEOs ranked personnel shortages as their No. 1 concern in 2021. Financial challenges, which consistently held the top spot since 2004, was listed the second-most pressing concern in the American College of Healthcare Execu- tives' annual survey. Here are the 11 most concerning issues hos- pital CEOs ranked in 2021: 1. Personnel shortages of all types, including physicians 2. Financial challenges 3. Patient safety and quality 4. Behavioral health and addiction issues 5. Governmental mandates 6. Access to care 7. Patient satisfaction 8. Physician-hospital relations 9. Technology 10. Population health management 11. Reorganization (mergers and acquisi- tions, partnerships, and restructuring) Most CEOs (94 percent) ranked a deficit of registered nurses as the most pressing with- in the category of personnel shortages, with technicians (85 percent), therapists (67 per- cent), primary care physicians (45 percent), physician specialists (43 percent) and physi- cian extenders (31 percent) following. Most CEOs (87 percent) ranked increas- ing costs for staff and supplies as the most pressing within the category of financial challenges, with operating costs (53 per- cent), Medicaid reimbursement (52 per- cent), managed care and commercial re- imbursement (44 percent), bad debt (39 percent), competition from other provid- ers (39 percent), government funding cuts outside of Medicaid or Medicare (39 per- cent), Medicare reimbursement (39 per- cent) and the transition from volume to value (39 percent) following. Within financial challenges, CEOs are less concerned about price transparency, emer- gency department overuse and moving away from fee-for-service. Most CEOs (45 percent) ranked high prices and insufficient reimbursement for medications as the most pressing within the category of patient safety and quality, with physician engagement (44 percent), care redesign (44 percent), public reporting of outcomes (39 percent) and patient engagement (39 percent) following. Within patient safety and quality, CEOs are less concerned about pay for performance, medication errors and medication shortages. e survey was administered to CEOs of com- munity hospitals (non-federal, short-term, non-specialty hospitals). ACHE asked respon- dents to rank 11 issues affecting their hospitals in order of how pressing they are. Results are based on responses from 310 executives. n After attack on nurse, Ochsner CEO advocates for making healthcare violence a felony By Kelly Gooch W arner Thomas, president and CEO of New Or- leans-based Ochsner Health, is calling for more workplace violence prevention efforts after a nurse was attacked Jan. 28 at one of the health system's hospitals, according to a statement shared with Becker's. Mr. Thomas emphasized the importance of the safety and security of healthcare workers and patients, while speaking against workplace violence, whether it's physical, verbal, nonverbal or emotional. "Workplace violence against healthcare workers has been escalating throughout the pandemic and has reached a point that legislation needs to be considered to make this violence a felony," the CEO said. "This consideration under review by a Louisiana task force comes as U.S. hospitals grapple with an increase in disruptive or violent incidents in hospitals — many involving hostile visitors — adding fur- ther stress to the healthcare workplace." Mr. Thomas' comments followed a reported attack on an intensive care nurse Jan. 28. The nurse was attacked by a patient's family member at Ochsner Medical Center-West Bank in Gretna, La., the hospital said in its statement. Mr. Thomas said Ochsner is working with authorities on their investigation and will "press charges against the assailant to the full extent of the law." He also said Ochsner has dispatched additional securi- ty officers and police detail and is focused on providing counseling services and additional support to workers. "We would like to thank our employees who acted swiftly in a challenging and stressful situation and started emer- gency protocols," he said. Violence against healthcare workers is a subject highlight- ed by various healthcare organizations, which are asking patients to show kindness and patience to staff. Earlier in January, a man was charged with the attempted murder of two employees who were injured by an individual inside of Novant Health's New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. n

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