Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/674245
88 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Ask Chuck: What's a Hospital CEO to Do When His Team is Flat- Out Tired? By Chuck Lauer, Former Publisher of Modern Healthcare and an Author, Public Speaker and Career Coach D ear Chuck: I run a 350-bed hospital that is part of a mid-sized western health system, and I'm tired. Morale and therefore productivity among my medical staff is at an all-time low. I think our new EMR has many docs dissatisfied, but I am unsure of what else is bugging them. We're doing OK financially and de- livering quality healthcare to our patients, but I look around at my fellow leaders and I just don't see much belief in what they are doing or pride in the institution and the care we deliver. We have talented people, but there is a lot of negativity and a lack of innovative ideas in a time when we need to innovate. How can I turn this situation around? My friend, I am sorry to hear all of this, but not surprised. Recent data from the Amer- ican College of Healthcare Executives tells us that a record number of CEOs are leaving their positions, and many are either retiring or seeking similar positions in other in- dustries. I hear there is a lot of turnover of COOs, CMOs, CNOs, etc., too. Healthcare is going through one of the most disruptive periods in its history, and senior executives may have change fatigue. You need passion, stamina and courage to take the kinds of risks you must take today. Medicare rate cuts, bundled payments, ACOs, newly employed physicians, provid- er-sponsored health plans, patient self-pay challenges — all are facing leaders today, on top of the age-old issues of keeping an institution afloat with low margins and high costs. So what to do? One thing I would ask is how much time you spend with your people. If you aren't men- toring your team, it is hard to see how you can keep them energized and enthusiastic. You need to build up a formal program of mentorship across the enterprise. Communication is one of the most important skills a leader needs. You have to learn to communicate effectively and oen. Build time into every day you are on campus to meet with someone on your team. Lead by example in being out on the "shop floor," meeting with frontline staff and patients during leadership rounds. Spend more time one on one with department heads, laying out your vision for your organization and making sure each leader understands his or her role in carrying out that mission. Remind people of why they got into this business instead of finance or law: to make a difference in the lives of patients and build healthier communities. Leadership retreats are a key means of building a cohesive team. It isn't about golf or family time. It is a chance to get away from the daily grind and do team-building exercis- es. Allow people to express frustration and share challenges, but guide the conversation toward positive ways to carry out needed change. So my friend, what you have is a communications problem that has led to low organiza- tional energy and morale. Get out there and start the conversations that will help you get a good organization — and yourself — back on track. n Editor's note: is is the first installment of a regular feature in which Charles Lauer, the former publisher of Modern Healthcare magazine and now a consultant and public speaker, offers guidance and feedback to readers' questions and challenges in his column. To submit a question or topic, please email chuck@chucklauer.com. Unless you specifically give permis- sion, your name and any identifying information will be kept confidential. Analytics Can Help Hospitals Survive and Thrive in a Value-Based Reimbursement Environment By Nick van Terheyden, MD, CMO, Dell Healthcare I f you are the CEO or the CIO of a hospital, you are facing a huge transformation as the industry moves from a fee-for-service environment toward a value-based reim- bursement system. It will take time and a new focus on patient outcomes, not just treatments given, to succeed. That's why your strategy for success needs to include new resources for analytics. Use of analytics will be an existential capability in this environment because it will determine not just your success but your survival. As payers turn increasingly to narrow networks, being the high-value, low-cost provider will be paramount, especially in a competitive market with duplication of high-end services. Analytic competency will help you be that top-tier provider. While population health and risk strat- ification are the sexy topics in analytics these days, there are smaller, more dis- crete projects that use analytics and will sort the winners from the losers in the competition for higher reimbursements even more quickly than those larger proj- ects. You want to be the preferred provider for specific medical procedures as well as the top provider overall In the kind of contracting hospitals have experienced in the past, a hospital is included or excluded from a network based on overall quality for all services.