21
POPULATION
HEALTH
Who is Overseeing Population Health
Management? 3 Things to Know
By Shannon Barnet
M
ore and more, hospitals are reporting a
strong or total commitment to improving
population health, a goal that requires
infrastructure and resources. In most hospitals,
population health efforts fall under the umbrella
of executive management, according to a recent
nationwide survey.
e survey was conducted by the Health Research
& Educational Trust, the Association for Community
Health Improvement and the Public Health Institute
from January to May of this year. It includes the
responses of more than 1,400 hospitals and health
systems.
Here are three things to know about how hospitals
are structuring the leadership and staff of their
population health programs.
1. e job positions that most oen oversee
population health are executive management (53
percent), senior management (27.1 percent), middle
management (11.3 percent), program directors/
managers (3.8 percent) and program staff (1.8
percent). Roughly 3 percent of the hospitals said their
program is run by "other."
2. e number of full-time equivalents dedicated to
population health varies depending on hospital size.
Nearly two-thirds (63.2 percent) of small hospitals
with fewer than 100 beds have between zero and 1.99
population health FTEs. Medium hospitals (between
100 and 299 beds) usually have between zero and 1.99
(32.4 percent) or 2 to 5.9 (29 percent) FTEs. Nearly
half (45.3 percent) of large hospitals (300 or more
beds) have 10 or more FTEs dedicated to population
health.
3. According to the survey results, hospitals and
health systems with population health programs are
looking for the following skills and backgrounds
most: Physicians, nurses, behavioral health experts,
needs assessment and strategic planning experts, and
clinicians (not physicians or nurses). n
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
53%
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
27.1%
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
11.3%
PROGRAM DIRECTORS / MANAGERS
3.8%
PROGRAM STAFF
1.8%
"OTHER"
3%
WHO MANAGES POPULATION HEALTH?
SKILLS & BACKGROUNDS POPULATION
HEALTH PROGRAMS ARE LOOKING
FOR THE MOST:
• PHYSICIANS
• NURSES
• BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPERTS
• NEEDS ASSESMENT & STRATEGIC
PLANNING EXPERTS
• CLINICIANS (EXCLUDING
PHYSICIANS & NURSES)
