Becker's Hospital Review

36 Beyond the Basics: T hese days, the health system is still a great influencer of excellence in care. Here are 10 things to know about Henry Ford Health system. 1. The nonprofit system was founded in 1915 by automaker Henry Ford, who financed and led the development of the project. The original hospital had 48 beds. That number has grown many times over; currently, Henry Ford Hospital has 802 beds. 2. The system includes many locations through Michigan, including eight hospitals, 29 medical centers and specialized medical facilities, eight emer- gency departments, 24 pharmacies and the Henry Ford Medical Group, which includes more than 1,200 physicians in more than 40 specialties. The system is governed by a 21-member board of trustees. 3. All told, the system employs more than 23,000 workers, approximately 15,000 of them full time and 8,200 working in Detroit. It employs 9,880 nurses. It is the fifth-largest employer in Detroit. 4. The system has undergone a financial turnaround in the last decade. The system had been unprofitable in the early 2000s, losing $87 million in 2001 and continuing the pattern until 2003, when it posted $12 million in profits. Henry Ford Health System's CEO Nancy Schlichting, MBA, is widely credited with leading the system's financial turnaround in 2003. CEO since June 2013, she joined the system in 1998 as senior vice president and chief administra- tive officer and has won many awards in her time in the position. 5. Detroit's bankruptcy has challenged the health system to become a creative re- cruiter of professional talent. Ms. Schlichting addressed the issue in an interview with the Detroit Free Press in late February 2014, saying Detroit's bankruptcy can be the elephant in the room for some: "It's a mixed bag […] because without the bankruptcy I think Detroit would not have a big problem at all attracting talent. Recently, since the bankruptcy, we've heard from physicians or leaders that are living in other more stable environments, they ask a lot of questions about 'what does bankruptcy mean for Henry Ford?' and 'is the city really coming back?' So we do our sales job — and we have done very well attracting talent." 6. The system had been set last year to merge with Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich., but the pair called off the blockbuster deal in March 2013 after spending six months in merger discussions. The deal would have created a 10-hosiptal health system worth $6.4 billion, resulting in nearly 40 percent market share in Southeast Michigan. Both systems cited differ- ences in vision and perspective as the primary factors involved in derailing the merger. 7. According to the system's most recent report, the hospital has posted positive revenue growth and net income for nine consecutive years as of 2011. In 2011, the system reported total revenues of $4.22 billion, with $23.2 million in net income. The system provided $390 million in community benefits to Detroit in 2011, including $210 million worth of uncompensated medical care. 8. In one year, the system interacts with approximately 3.1 million patients and admits about 93,000 patients to its hospitals. The system saw a 2.1 percent increase in admissions between 2010 and 2011. In 2012, the system saw 3.2 million outpatient visits and nearly 89,000 surgical procedures performed. 9. The system's flagship hospital, Henry Ford Hospital, is a Level 1 trauma center affiliated with the Wayne State University School of Medicine, also in Detroit. The hospital has 1,700 affiliated physicians and researchers and, as of August 2013, is the fifth largest hospital in the Midwest region, with 10,173 employees. 10. Research at the health system is centered in Henry Ford Hospital and includes cardiovascular and renal, neurosciences, bone and joint, cancer, immunology and population health research. At any given time, the system has approximately 1,700 active studies ongoing in medical and surgical de- partments directed by 81 biosciences staff, physician-scientists and PhDs. An early adopter of research promoting value-based care, it is a 2011 Malcolm Baldrige Award-winner. Its "No Harm Campaign" is its most successful qual- ity initiative, with its readmissions program — in which the system decreased its Medicare readmissions 19 percent — not far behind. n 10 Things to Know About Henry Ford Health System By Ellie Rizzo "Detroit's bankruptcy has challenged the health system to become a creative recruiter of professional talent."

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