Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

35 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE How many physicians have exited Mission since HCA took over? Watchdog says 200+ By Ayla Ellison A sheville Watchdog says at least 223 physicians have exited Mission Health since HCA Healthcare took over the health system in 2019. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has declined to say how many physicians have left. HCA, a 182-hospital system, acquired Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health in February 2019. After the deal closed, physicians began parting ways with the health system. HCA has declined repeated requests for the number of physicians who have left, but Asheville Watchdog identi- fied 223 physicians who appear to have departed since August 2019. The physicians' names were listed on the Mission "Find a Doctor" website in August 2019 but had been removed as of February 2022. Asheville Watchdog noted that another 57 physicians whose names still appear on the website are listed as no longer affiliated with or employed by Mission Health. An HCA spokesperson told Asheville Watchdog that the number of physicians on staff at Mission Health is "rela- tively the same" today as when HCA acquired the system. "Mission Health is grateful to our team members who provide quality care to our community every day … It is expected that the transition to HCA Healthcare, life events, effects of a global pandemic, and the increasing demand for healthcare services, etc., would lead to both some additions and departures," the spokesperson told Asheville Watchdog. The spokesperson also noted that health systems nation- wide are struggling to attract and retain physicians. She said Mission added nearly 60 new physicians in 2021, according to the report. In interviews with Asheville Watchdog, physicians cited several reasons for exiting Mission, including burnout, concerns about patient care and frustrations with HCA's emphasis on profits. n Teens' mental health suffered amid COVID-19, CDC warns By Mackenzie Bean C DC data shows teenagers' mental health took a signif- icant hit during the pandemic, with 44 percent report- ing persistent sadness or hopelessness in the past year. The finding is based on a survey of 7,705 students from public and private U.S. high schools conducted between January and June 2021. Thirty-seven percent of high school students said they experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and 55 percent said they experienced emotional abuse from someone in their home. "These data echo a cry for help," CDC acting Principal Dep- uty Director Debra Houry, MD, said in a news release. "The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students' mental well-be- ing. Our research shows that surrounding youth with the proper support can reverse these trends and help our youth now and in the future." The findings follow warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, on the growing youth mental health crisis. n better understand how to keep ourselves safe, volunteers have slowly started to trickle back into our organizations. Volunteers have long been a vital, but oen underappreciated, part of healthcare. ey not only help us all achieve our mission, but volunteering also offers people a pathway into healthcare ca- reers. is is more important than ever in a time of severe staff- ing shortages and challenges. I le the conference feeling like we all need to ramp up and strengthen our plans to reconnect with our communities and to once again have robust volunteer programs in our organizations. A final theme is the involvement of patient advisers and ad- vocates in our organizations. The Beryl Institute has always been a place where patient advocates are engaged and in- volved at all levels. This was prominent again this year. I am struck by how many healthcare organizations still have trou- ble finding ways to meaningfully involve patients in making us all more patient- and family-centered. Advisory councils still languish in many organizations. We still struggle with bringing patient advisers in at the start of design processes. There is plenty of opportunity for innovation in involving patients as advisers through virtual means. In our work with patient advisers at NewYork-Presbyterian, I have seen abun- dant evidence that involving advisers early and often makes the final product — whether that be design of services or fa- cilities — much better. Yet, that involves investment of both time and money. If the Beryl Conference is any indication, there are hundreds of well-trained and expert advisers out there wanting to partner with us. We need to do a better job of leveraging this powerful resource. I am glad I got on a plane and spent time with my peers last week. I came home with a new list of "to-dos" for our work. We should all be thinking about these issues in our own organizations. n

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