Becker's ASC Review

23 HEALTHCARE NEWS 23 We have a lot of ways to make sure that physicians have both anonymous as well as not anonymous ways to share their working truths. Q: In practice, how do you guide physicians to distinguish between appropriate moments to say no and the professional responsibilities they must still uphold? PM: It's difficult to navigate this. e baseline physicians are trained to and want to work. It's not very common for them to want to work below what their job description is. It's just not the case. But, to have a culture and approach that has people relax around this is difficult and it is novel — to even say this out loud. e important bits of this are in the details. You have to be exceptionally clear about what your expectations are. If you have an expectation of a certain number of patients seen per hour, for instance, you have to show physicians the data, show where they are among their peers, and be very clear that you're here and the expectation is that you need to be here. You just have to communicate clearly that the expectations are for you to fulfill this role to the best of your ability. We don't expect Herculean efforts well beyond this, but we do expect you to do the job we are hiring you to do. at's reasonable. at's not what we're talking about here. It's when going beyond that becomes the norm that it should be discussed and addressed. Q: What outcomes has Adventist seen from this work — whether in engagement, retention or patient care — and how do you define success in creating a more sustainable environment for physicians? PM: We are a very data-driven organization. e turnover among employed and affiliated physicians — especially our physicians who are new to the system, so those who have come in within a year — is quite low. It's really low compared to the national mean. When we look at the available benchmarks and track our progress, we are well below the national average. We've had good results with this. Our turnover has decreased in comparison to 2018 and beyond, and that's even during the pandemic, when the amount of physicians exiting the workforce nationally was so high. We had a little bit of a bump because of the pandemic, but we've improved and continue to track that. n The area of health system operations changing the fastest from 4 strategic leaders By Laura Dyrda Becker's asked four healthcare strategic leaders what area of health system operations is changing the fastest. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: What area of health system operations is changing the fastest right now? Chris Kane. Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Phoebe Health (Albany, Ga.): The popular answer would be AI, but I believe that is inaccurate. Access is the area that affects every type of community and health enterprise: Urban, suburban, and rural; Population growth or decline; Hospitals, physician groups, or FQHCs. Access is an urgent complex puzzle with myriad tactics: Physician recruitment, APP optimization, GME expansion, telehealth, improved scheduling systems, etc. Many start- up companies in health care are focused on access, from virtual-first triage to in-home testing. Success requires timely pilot projects ("Let's try this") and the discipline to measure the results. Howard Whitfield. Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, UNC Health Wayne (Goldsboro, Nc.): More has to be done to strengthen health systems in the post-acute area. Most systems do not invest in post- acute services (home health and skilled facilities) due to lack of ROI. Support and resources outside the 4 walls of the hospital are minimal, fragmented, and generally lack quality. Readmissions are costly for everyone – most importantly the patient. We have to do better. Leverage AI, virtual services, and use evidence based practice to be proactive vs. reactive. Cara Koch. Associate Vice President of Indigo Operations, MultiCare Health System (Tacoma, Wa.): Revenue cycle management is undergoing one of the most dynamic shifts in health system operations. The use of AI to deliver real-time eligibility and patient responsibility estimates, including claims in process, at the point of service is a true game-changer. This transparency is a triple win: it gives patients clearer financial expectations, strengthens organizational sustainability, and equips the front line to confidently collect at time of service. The impact of this technology is redefining how trust and resilience are built simultaneously. Tyler Stapp. Chief Operating Officer, Pineville Community Health Center (Pineville, Ky.): From a rural health COO perspective, workforce management and clinical operations are the areas of health system operations changing most rapidly. Hospitals must adapt to staffing shortages and evolving workforce expectations while maintaining quality, access, and financial sustainability. At the same time, clinical operations are being reshaped by care standardization, service line optimization, and increased coordination across the continuum of care. n

• Cover