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Alisahah Jackson, president of CommonSpirit Health's Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice

Alisahah Jackson says she grew up in a family that was very involved in the community.

She recounted her grandmother repeatedly saying, “Everyone deserves grace.”

Now, Jackson is in a position to help see that more people get the grace they deserve. She is leading an initiative at CommonSpirit Health that aims to use kindness to improve healthcare and close disparities in patient care.

In November, CommonSpirit Health named Jackson as the president of the new Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice. CommonSpirit has launched a $50 million fundraising campaign to support the institute, which is named for former CommonSpirit Health CEO Lloyd Dean.

“We have this unique opportunity to step in and fill a gap,” Jackson tells 

. “We all deserve kindness and all deserve grace.”

Jackson speaks passionately about the power of kindness to improve outcomes, and why she thinks it’s a critical component in improving health equity. She spoke with 

 about the plans for the institute, closing disparities, and meeting the needs of communities.

“I’m very excited to lead this institute,” she says. “It's a critically important time.”

To improve health equity, leaders must make it ‘the center of your strategy’

Before taking her new post, Jackson served as CommonSpirit’s vice president for population health innovation and policy. She previously served as Atrium Health’s chief community impact officer.

Jackson bemoans the loss of civility in daily life. “We’re more digitally connected but socially isolated,” Jackson says.

But kindness can lead to better healthcare, and Jackson says the institute is going to pave the way.

Jackson says the institute is going to focus on four key areas: funding research into how kindness in health settings can improve outcomes; building healthier communities, focusing on the most vulnerable; improving the diversity of the healthcare workforce; and accelerating research to eliminate disparities in health outcomes.

“We really believe that health justice starts with human kindness,” Jackson says.

She says there are decades of research centered on the role kindness can play in improving health. 

 has found kindness and empathy has led to faster healing and reduced pain. Patients who perceive they had compassionate care also tend to do a better job of adhering to medication and treatment plans, Jackson says.

Health systems need to offer “culturally compassionate competent care,” Jackson says.

Even if a doctor or nurse can’t walk in someone else’s shoes, Jackson says, “We can recognize and validate that someone else is different.”

The institute will work on guiding employees on recognizing implicit biases, which all people have, Jackson says.

But she says it’s heartening to see how people want to change as they learn more about implicit bias.

“I have been extremely amazed when you bring data forward to our providers, how they respond to that,” she says.

Moving health equity from goals to reality

It’s going to be critically important to measure outcomes, Jackson says.

In the short-term, she says, as the system demonstrates more empathy and kindness toward patients, patient experience scores can be measured to see if there’s a change. Questions on patient surveys can be added related to kindness and compassion.

In the broader goal of building healthier communities, the system can also analyze data of patients throughout the course of their lives to get a better snapshot of where disparities exist and where interventions can improve their health.

“This is where healthcare is very unique,” Jackson says. “We do often have lifetime relationships with patients. We should be able to track data over a long period of time.

“As we are starting to address these community needs,” she says, “are we seeing an improvement in their actual health outcomes?”

CommonSpirit has an immense amount of data on patients now, Jackson says, so the system doesn’t necessarily need to gather a lot more information.

But she says there’s room to improve the analysis of that data to get a better understanding of gaps in health in underserved communities.

Bryan Stevenson says health equity is really health justice

More health systems are focusing on health equity, and Jackson says leaders looking to make a difference should “educate themselves around health justice.’

“We look at it as health equity and social justice,” Jackson says.

Healthcare leaders should examine their own organizations and assess their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, she says. Many hospitals and health systems are the largest employers in their communities. Leaders should see if workers from all backgrounds are getting the chance to grow and move up the economic ladder.

Hospitals and health systems also need to take a broader look at the health of their communities.

“It’s a shift on how you think about the care you’re providing to a community, moving from just providing clinical care to providing care that creates the healthiest community possible,” Jackson says.

Health systems need to look at other factors affecting health, such as food insecurity.

Many communities have “food deserts,” where residents have a dearth of grocery stores. It’s not an issue of food supply, but food distribution, Jackson says. And that is also something health systems must work to address.

“We’re not the experts in food distribution,” Jackson says. “We can bring those experts to the table.”

“We know children who are food insecure perform poorly in school,” Jackson says, adding, “We’re here to be willing partners to think about how we are addressing food insecurity.”

CommonSpirit is working with community organizations to assess the needs in the regions they serve, including areas such as food and housing insecurity, Jackson says.

Health systems must tackle the systemic problems that are preventing too many people from the good health, and good lives, they deserve, Jackson says.

“We have systems that are built that are perpetuating inequity,” she says.

But Jackson adds, “Systems can be changed.”

Articles

The system has launched a $50 million campaign to finance a new institute to improve health equity, and kindness is key. Alisahah Jackson, the institute’s president, talks with Chief Healthcare Executive about the initiative.

CommonSpirit Health invests in kindness to improve patient outcomes

Many top medical schools offer little or no paid parental leave, and it’s another factor that could be driving some out of medicine, a recent study suggests.

The researchers examined medical schools ranked by 

 and found data on leave policies at 87 institutions.

Among those, 63 medical schools (72.4%) offered some paid leave for birth mothers, but only 13 (14.9%) provided 12 weeks of fully paid leave, the study found.

The study found 38 medical schools (43.7%) had no paid leave for partners, while only 11 medical schools offered 12 weeks of full paid leave for non-birth parents. The 

“Many physician faculty receive no or very limited paid parental leave,” the authors wrote.

“The lack of paid parental leave was associated with higher rates of physician burnout and work-life integration dissatisfaction and may further perpetuate sex, racial and ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in academic medicine,” the authors wrote.

Getting more women into neurosurgery: ‘You do belong here’

The researchers found 37 medical schools (42.5%) didn’t provide paid leave at full salary for the birth mother. And 24 schools (27.6%) didn’t provide any paid leave for birth mothers and required them to use vacation, sick, or short-term disability leave to have any parental leave.

“The lack of financial support for birth mothers may partially explain why, despite women accounting for about half of medical school matriculates, women in academic medicine still remain a minority, are less likely to be promoted, are less likely to be in leadership positions, and are paid less compared with their male colleagues,” the authors wrote.

By requiring physicians to use sick or vacation time for parental leave, they have less time for vacations or to deal with the illness of a child, and that likely adds to the burnout among physicians, researchers said.

In the study, researchers noted that many women wait to have children until they’ve completed their rigorous medical training. When women physicians join the faculty of medical schools, they should be supported when they are ready to begin starting families, the authors said.

“Favorable parental leave policies for faculty physicians are crucial to prevent physician workforce attrition,” the researchers wrote.

The authors of the study called for medical schools to offer clear and inclusive policies providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

“Adequate paid parental leave is crucial to physician well-being,” they wrote.

Women faculty in medical schools also deal with other hardships. 

One out of three women faculty members (34%) have experienced sexual harassment

 within the previous 12 months, according to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges released last summer.

The AAMC has pointed to a growing physician shortage and is aiming to get more doctors, and more women, in medicine. Over the last four years, 

women have outnumbered men in medical schools

, according to AAMC data. This year, women accounted for 57% of applicants and 54% of the total enrollment in medical schools, the AAMC said.

But analysts have also pointed out that it’s not enough to encourage women to get into medical school and to become doctors. The industry needs to do a better job in supporting them to stay in the field.

Women physicians have suffered bigger career setbacks

 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a November 2021 study published in 

Michael Dill, director of workforce studies for the AAMC, said in a 

 that 40% of women doctors go part-time or leave medicine within six years of completing their residency.

“If we want to address the shortage, we need to support women,” Dill said.

Many offer little or no paid leave, and some also require faculty to take sick or vacation time, a new study finds. Researchers say it could be contributing to burnout. 

Paid parental leave? Don’t expect much at many medical schools

Democrats and Republicans in Congress are pushing a bill that they would said would provide a permanent expansion of access to telehealth.

Several House members are backing legislation that would allow employers to offer standalone telehealth benefits, similar to vision or dental plans.

Lawmakers said under the legislation, the telehealth benefit wouldn’t replace traditional health plans, but the telehealth benefits would give workers another way to gain access to healthcare providers. The measure is dubbed the Telehealth Benefits Expansion for Workers Act. (

What hospitals hope to see from Washington in 2023

The sponsors are U.S. Reps. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, Tim Walberg, D-Mich., Angie Craig, D-Minn., Ron Estes, R-Kansas,, Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and Rick Allen, R-Ga.

“Everyone – regardless of where they live – should be able to access quality care when and where they need it,” DelBene said in a 

. “The Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act is an important step toward modernizing our health care system to ensure patients can connect with their health care providers from the comfort of their homes on their own schedule.”

Walberg said that classifying these services as an “excepted benefit” would help ensure more people could utilize telehealth.

“The pandemic revealed how telehealth is a critical tool to ensure that Americans can receive timely, quality, and affordable care from their own home,” Walberg said in a statement. “Expanding telehealth services will help ensure that Americans have improved access to health care, especially in underserved areas.

Where telehealth can help patients, and providers, avoid in-person care

Members of Congress proposed a similar bill in the last congressional session, and dozens of 

healthcare organizations signaled their support for the measure

. Now, lawmakers are giving it another shot in the new congressional session that began last month.

Lawmakers and President Biden have shown strong support for telehealth. As part of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package, Congress and the White House agreed in December to 

a two-year extension of telehealth waivers

 to run through 2024. The government eased restrictions on telehealth early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but the waivers are tied to the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.

The two-year waiver is especially critical, now that the White House has said 

the public health emergency will end in May

Even so, healthcare advocates are pressing for permanent telehealth reforms to ensure hospitals and providers are able to get reimbursed for providing virtual care.

Telehealth diagnosis shows high degree of accuracy, study finds

The measure would allow employers to offer standalone telehealth benefits, similar to vision and dental plans. 

Lawmakers push bipartisan bill to expand telehealth access

Therasa Bell is co-founder, president, and chief technology officer at Kno2.

Peter Schoch is senior vice president of population health, Advent Health System & president of the Florida Hospital Physicians Network

Every physician knows the care they deliver to patients has its limitations. While examining and treating a patient do play a huge role in maintaining their health, lifestyle factors are undoubtedly more than half of the equation.

Where a patient is located, where they work, and what they do in their free time carries an immense amount of weight, and understanding these social factors is key for physicians looking to improve the overall wellness of their patients. 

For example, does a patient have reliable transportation? Do they live in a safe neighborhood? Do they have reliable access to food? These factors, dubbed the social determinants of health (SDoH), can dramatically affect outcomes. However, addressing these potential inequities remains challenging.

Typically, providers spend only a few minutes with each patient, and most of that time is spent looking at a medical record or examining symptoms. This doesn’t give them much insight into their lives to see what is happening – after all, a provider is not a family member or a social worker.

With that said, it’s still vital to understand who a patient is outside the clinic, and to address social and lifestyle factors that can negatively impact their health. With this in mind, we spoke with experts in the field to compile a list of action items that providers can realistically take on how to make an impact on the overall picture of health equity.

To improve health equity, leaders must make it "the center of your strategy"

The medical industry has collected plenty of data over the years, but much of it is underutilized, unusable in its current format, or simply inaccurate. Further, a patient is not all data. Sometimes, you have to look beyond the electronic health record and ask a patient about themselves to get a full picture of who they are.

The social determinants that impact health can often be very personal and uncomfortable, and patients may not always want to talk about them. But you have to try.

All clinical staff should be trained to ask questions and gather information on a patient’s life in a sensitive, non-judgmental way. The way questions are phrased, and the tone of voice used when posing questions are important factors in collecting good, unbiased SDoH information that will help to paint an accurate picture of a patient’s life, so any potential inequities and challenges can be addressed.

We are all human, and as such, we all frame the world based on our past experiences, upbringing, culture, and more. Everything from initial data collection to patient interactions to a prescribed treatment plan and follow-up is fraught with bias. That alone does not make a person a good or bad clinician.

Being aware that those biases exist and willing to make changes to address them is a huge step forward in addressing inequities in healthcare. That said, the work in confronting bias has to be an ongoing initiative to keep clinicians mindful of how they act and what they say.

3. Trust takes time, but it’s important.

The only way to understand social determinants of health and the resulting inequities is by talking to patients to get a sense of their background, perspective on life, and what resources they may or may not have. Unfortunately, not all patients feel safe in a medical environment. It takes courage for people to open up and be vulnerable about their challenges.

Medical providers who can build a solid relationship with patients over time by being open and honest, approaching care without judgment, and listening with empathy will get more accurate information. Ultimately, this foundation of trust is vital in reaching better outcomes for everyone. As more healthcare is moved to the home, we will likely see deeper and stronger trust develop between patient and provider.

4. Know your community and provide education.

Inequities in healthcare affect everyone. Whole communities are impacted when an infectious disease spreads, stress and anxiety damage the environment in schools, the workplace, our social fabric, labor hours are lost due to medical disabilities, and healthcare costs rise.

Education can help providers, patients, and the community understand health inequity. However, there is no one-size-fits-all course that will address the problems facing each region. Community leaders and healthcare providers can come together to talk about the unique background and challenges within their cities and towns.

Software solutions can be incredible tools for gathering and tracking data, but some technology creates more work for providers without adding value. The onus is on developers to understand the problems facing the medical industry and the way clinicians work day-to-day and then solve those problems in a way that helps.

When software and medical providers have real conversations and create partnerships, technology can be utilized to get the right information to the right person when and where they need it. Data––both the initial collection and the application––has to be part of the standard workflow so that it is a usable tool.

6. Build new care models as you gather SDoH data.

 used the data they already had, combined with new information clinicians gathered from the community, to shift their care policies. 

As just one example, data revealed that up to 25% of their patients self-identified as food insecure. As a result, they began an initiative to partner with a local organization called “Fill the Void” to provide food assistance resources to patients.

This is just one example of how data can be turned into actionable insights. Digging deep into available data on patients is as important as gathering new information. The Denver Health case study is just one example of how organizations can move forward once they have the trust of their patients, smart technology solutions, and input from the community.

Health inequities will not be addressed overnight, nor will solutions come from individual cases or a single organization. It takes community, policy, and resources to address complicated social factors that negatively impact health, but by taking some basic steps, providers can immediately begin to understand some of these concerns and address them to improve the health of their patients immediately.

Therasa Bell is co-founder, president, and chief technology officer at Kno2. Peter Schoch is senior vice president of population health, Advent Health System & president of the Florida Hospital Physicians Network

With these action items, providers can realistically take steps and make an impact on the overall picture of health equity. 

Providers can take 6 steps to improve health equity now | Viewpoint

Bryan T. Kelly has been named the next president and chief executive officer of Hospital for Special Surgery.

He will succeed Louis A. Shapiro, the current president and CEO, in a phased transition over the course of 2023, the organization said. He assumes the role of president, effective immediately. Shapiro will remain as CEO during the transition period, and then Kelly will become CEO.

Kelly will be the first surgeon to lead Hospital for Special Surgery in the 160-year history of the academic medical system focused on musculoskeletal health. He served as surgeon-in-chief and medical director since 2019.

"It is hard to imagine anyone better suited than Lou to lead the evolution of HSS to become an outsized influence, not only on musculoskeletal care, but also on how better-quality healthcare can be achieved at large scale," Kelly said in a statement.

"Our next chapter will build on this by advancing and widening our core strength in clinical care, scientific research, education, innovation, and making superior care and outcomes more accessible to more people in more places."

Kelly has played a key role in the evolution of the field of hip preservation, the organization said. In 2010, Kelly started the Hip Preservation Service at HSS. In 2014, he was appointed chief of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital hires 1st business innovation officer

Catherine Corbin has been named the first chief business innovation officer at St. Jude

St. Jude said Corbin will partner with James R. Downing, St. Jude president and CEO, and other leaders on the $12.9 billion, six-year strategic plan for the organization. It’s is the largest investment in St. Jude’s history to study and develop treatment of pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses.

“Catherine’s creativity and vision will help bring our bold plan to life,” Downing said in a statement. “This new team’s efforts will help build the foundation for future generations of doctors, nurses, scientists and others who will advance our mission of finding cures and saving children.”

Corbin’s group will work with employees across St. Jude to craft and execute the strategic plan, including how to use nearly $3 billion for construction projects.

“I’ve long admired and respected the mission of St. Jude and am excited to take on this new challenge,” Corbin said in a statement. “This position is the perfect nexus of my career experience in design, health care and business.”

Before joining St. Jude, Corbin spent four years at IDEO, most recently as a partner and managing director of the Chicago studio.

Emory University School of Medicine names interim dean

Carlos del Rio has been named the interim dean for the Emory University School of Medicine.

A well-known epidemiologist, del Rio will also serve as interim chief academic officer for Emory Healthcare. He will begin his new roles on March 1, when Vikas Sukhatme, steps down as dean to return to the Emory faculty. Emory University made the announcement Jan. 27.

“Dr. Carlos del Rio is an eminent global leader in medicine and public health, and I look forward to his contributions at this time of transition for the Emory School of Medicine,” Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves said in a statement. “He understands the role of our School of Medicine, and will build on the accomplishments of Dean Sukhatme who set this school on a course for continued success in its tripartite mission of education, research and clinical care.”

He currently serves as president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In 2022, del Rio was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2013.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as interim dean of Emory School of Medicine and want to thank Dr. Sukhatme for his leadership as dean since 2017,” del Rio said in a statement. “As a physician who first came to Emory as a visiting medical student in 1982 and joined the faculty in 1996, I am committed to the institution and to our students, trainees, faculty and staff.

Women & Infants Hospital announces chief medical officer

Nejat Zeyneloglu has been named the new chief medical officer at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Zeyneloglu will join the hospital during the first week of March.

He most recently served as chief medical officer at the University of Vermont Health Network - Central Vermont Medical Center.

Prior to Central Vermont Medical Center, Zeyneloglu held various senior leadership positions, including as department chair of medicine and chief medical/quality officer at hospitals in New York.

He currently serves as a mentor in the Columbia Business School Healthcare Management Alumni Mentor Program.

Meridian Health Services CEO announces retirement plans

Hank Milius, president and CEO of Meridian Health Services, says he is retiring.

Milius says he will retire at the end of 2023. The organization says it will conduct a national search for his successor.

“I always said Meridian cannot do it alone; we could not be all things to all people,” Milius said in a statement. “We are at our best when the communities we serve were in our corner, helping us create healthier communities.”

Milius joined Meridian in May 2002, and he became CEO when the organization was known as Comprehensive Mental Health Services. At the time, the organization operated 3 clinics and had 200 employees.

Today, Meridian employs 1,100 workers, including over 60 medical providers, and serves 40,000 patients across more than 50 facilities.

Brent Webster, chairman of Meridian Health Services’ board of directors, praised Milius’ leadership.

“Meridian Health has become the ‘whole-person’ health home that our communities and patients know today,” Webster said in a statement. “This is due in large part to Hank’s commitment of making health care easily accessible for all people and treating the whole person at the forefront of medical practice.”

Unity Health Care names new chief medical officer

Stephanie Cox-Batson has been hired as the new chief medical officer of Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C.

Cox-Batson joins Unity Health Care from Chicago’s Near North Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, where she also served as chief medical officer.

“I am excited and humbled to have been chosen as Unity Health's next Chief Medical Officer,” Cox-Batson said in a statement.

“My life's work has been defined by helping under-served and disenfranchised individuals achieve optimal health. Unity has a long history of working to create a more equitable health care system and I am already inspired by the dedication of the Unity Health team,” she said.

Cox-Batson served as an attending physician at Northwestern Prentice Hospital’s Obstetric Triage Unit and as an associate at Northwestern Specialists for Women, where she provided obstetrics and gynecology services and supported OBGYN residents.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hires a business innovation officer, Emory University School of Medicine gets an interim dean, and others take new roles.

In a first, Hospital for Special Surgery names surgeon as CEO, and more | MED MOVES

Don Williamson, president and CEO of the Alabama Hospital Association

Hospitals in Alabama suffered heavy losses in 2022, and they see a grim outlook for 2023.

Alabama hospital officials say they need the state to distribute COVID-19 recovery funds to hospitals, or some facilities may not make it until the end of the year. The Alabama Hospital Association held a news conference Thursday to draw attention to the gravity of the threat.

“Alabama hospitals face an existential crisis in terms of survival,” said Donald Williamson, president and CEO of the Alabama Hospital Association.

The state has money from the American Rescue Plan Act, and Williamson said hospitals need to get some of that aid simply so they can make payroll.

“2023 looks as dire as 2022,” Williamson said. “We frankly will have hospitals not survive 2023 without some help.”

Hospitals across the country have struggled badly last year. 

In fact, hospitals suffered their worst financial year of the pandemic in 2022

, according to a report by Kaufman Hall, a healthcare consulting firm. Hospitals wrestled with higher expenses, reduced volume, and the COVID-19 relief aid that kept hospitals afloat earlier in the pandemic has largely dried up, and 

there aren’t great prospects for more relief in Washington

However, hospitals in Alabama have fared worse than the rest of the nation, according to a Kaufman Hall report focused on the state’s hospitals. Unlike some other states, Alabama didn’t accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.

“Alabama faced even more severe declines than the nation as a whole,” said Erik Swanson, senior vice president of Kaufman Hall.

Swanson outlined a trove of disheartening data on Alabama’s troubled hospitals. 

In 2022, expenses rose $2.6 billion above pre-pandemic levels, significantly surpassing revenues. Half of Alabama’s hospitals finished with negative operating margins in 2022, Swanson said. Surgeries and emergency department visits continue to lag compared to 2019, the last year before the arrival of COVID-19.

Even though hospitals aren't seeing as many patients, Alabama hospitals are still seeing greater cost pressures in caring for them.

“Hospitals are seeing fewer patients, but they are sicker and staying longer,” Swanson said. 

Those patients are requiring more costly medications, he added. Plus, due to staffing shortages at other post-acute care facilities, hospitals are continuing to care for some patients that are ready to be discharged to nursing homes or rehabilitation centers.

Over the past three years, Alabama’s hospitals lost a combined $1.5 billion, even including federal stimulus funds, Swanson said.

“Hospitals faced a profound financial toll in 2022 with no relief in sight,”  Swanson said.

Adding to the issues, Alabama’s reimbursement rate from Medicare is the lowest in America, according to the Kaufman Hall report. Alabama hospitals also receive lower reimbursement rates from commercial insurers, the report stated.

Over half of Alabama’s spike in expenses come from labor costs, which are nearly $1.4 billion higher than pre-pandemic levels. Most of that spike - $1 billion - went to increases in employed staff, which is important to understand, Swanson said. Hospitals are paying more to recruit and keep staff.

Alabama hospitals also spent much more on contract labor, an additional $324 million compared to 2019, representing a 447% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the Kaufman Hall report.

Hospitals are also paying more for drugs and other supplies. Swanson said

“We don’t expect many of these challenges to abate in 2023,” he said.

“Across the state of Alabama, the situation is quite dire."

Williamson, the head of the state’s hospital group, said hospitals across the state are facing a perilous situation. He pointed out that some rural hospitals are facing a serious risk of closure, but he said the challenges aren’t confined to Alabama’s smaller communities.

Hospitals everywhere are struggling, but Alabama providers are facing a perilous situation. Without help, some of the state’s hospitals will close, the head of the Alabama Hospital Association says.