AI & Data Analytics

Business

Cybersecurity

Data + Technology

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Financial Decision Making

Health equity

Healthcare Transformation

Interoperability & EHRs

Leadership

Management

Medical Devices

Mergers and Acquisitions

Patient Experience

Point of Care Tools

Politics

Pop Health Tech

Precision Medicine

Product Solutions

Providers in Practice

Safer Hospitals

Technology

Telehealth

Virtual Care

News

Media

Medical World News

Peer Exchange

Podcasts

Videos

Webinars

Conferences

Resources

Subscribe

Chief Healthcare Executive® offers indispensable news, features and analysis for leaders to help patients, staff, and their bottom line.

About

Advertise

Editorial

Contact Us

Terms and Conditions

Privacy

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Chief Healthcare Executive

LinkedIn

Spotlight

Topics

Mergers & Acquisitions

1rem

Authors

Jonathan Kaye is founder and president of Health Data Innovations;

Better decisions await the organizations who have complete and accurate claims data. It’s difficult to close a care gap when you don’t know the gap exists in the first place. 

Why ingesting claims data is harde, and more important, than you think | Viewpoint

By 2050, it's estimated that 139 million people worldwide will have dementia, but by today's standards, 60% will be undiagnosed. It's clear that there's a significant gap in dementia detection and care, but what can your organization do about it?

Get perspectives from clinical leaders and neuroscience experts about the underlying causes and consequences of these gaps, practical opportunities to address them, and a proven roadmap that shows how leading health systems have successfully transformed their dementia screening and care processes.

Closing the Dementia Care Gap: Expert Insights and Proven Strategies for Health Systems

Attention across the nation is rightly focused on potential massive and drastic Medicaid cuts under consideration by Congress that would imperil health care for nearly 80 million of our most vulnerable neighbors – low-income families, expectant moms, children and senior citizens, as well as individuals with disabilities.

Rural hospitals caring for communities in America’s heartland – which are already struggling – will be further devastated by these cuts, making access to quality health care another unobtainable element of the American Dream.

The 13 hospitals that make up Hospital Sisters Health System serve small communities throughout Central and Southern Illinois, and Northeastern Wisconsin. The populations in these towns often reflect higher reliance on Medicaid, especially among children. According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, 

, Illinois, home to HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, rely on Medicaid. In Brown County, Wisconsin, home to HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center and St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, 

Medicaid cuts could reverse nonprofit hospital sector recovery

As representatives of nonprofit, Catholic health care, HSHS views health care as a basic right.

For us, health care service is more than an occupation – it is a vocation. We treat every patient with the same love and compassion St. Francis showed to lepers banished to live outside medieval city walls.

Medicaid – along with Medicare – was created in that same spirit in 1965, with President Lyndon B. Johnson noting the new health insurance program jointly funded by the federal and state governments reflected an American tradition, 

: “never to ignore or to spurn those who suffer untended in a land that is bursting with abundance.”

Who among us has not been vulnerable at some point in their life, or knows a relative, friend or neighbor who has? Public opinion polls bear out this sentiment, with the nonprofit health policy research group Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) 

 two-thirds of U.S. adults have some connection to Medicaid. Additionally, more than three-fourths hold a favorable view of the program.

The human toll of these cuts would be unconscionable, and the economic impact devastating. KFF 

 state governments could shoulder additional Medicaid costs of $1 trillion over the next decade if the federal government caps its contribution per enrollee and withdraws its 90% match to states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

We support the dignity of work, yet potential work requirements for Medicaid participants appear counterproductive, since 

 shows nearly two-thirds of Medicaid adults are already working, usually at low-paying jobs that either don’t offer insurance or do so at unaffordable rates.

The overall result of these proposed changes: States would be forced to dramatically scale back their Medicaid programs, hurting enrollees and impacting practically every hospital across the country – including those HSHS operates. Medicaid accounts for 

 in Illinois hospitals, according to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, while the program 

makes up 14.5% of total gross patient revenue

 in Wisconsin hospitals, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Hospitals urge Congress to protect Medicaid from steep cuts

Hospitals across the U.S. are still grappling with COVID-19 fallout, facing workforce shortages and shrunken margins. As a nonprofit system, HSHS is not profit driven. Yet we must operate on some measure of solid financial footing to carry out the legacy of our founding and current Hospital Sisters.

Our Sisters founded four of our Illinois hospitals 150 years ago this year, and within days of their arrival from Germany were knocking on doors, seeking donations. We keep that drumbeat alive today, but we cannot continue our mission on contributions alone.

We urge Congress to maintain federal funding commitments for the Medicaid program to prevent structural changes that would rob coverage from those in need. Our federal lawmakers must remember their mission in representing all constituents for the common good.

Damond W. Boatwright is president and CEO of the Hospital Sisters Health System.

Rural hospitals caring for communities in America’s heartland will be devastated by these cuts, writes Damond Boatwright, CEO of the Hospital Sisters Health System.

Topic

Congress must preserve Medicaid funding to safeguard health care for our neighbors in need | Viewpoint

To healthcare leaders, the measles outbreak represents not just a public health threat but an indication of dropping vaccination rates.

As cases continue to climb, here’s an overview of the measles outbreak, what is known, and lessons to be learned.

Q: How many measles cases have been reported?

A: There are now 884 confirmed measles cases, according to 

 released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The CDC released the latest numbers Friday.

Q: How many deaths have been attributed to the outbreak?

A: There have been three fatalities reported to this measles outbreak, health officials say.

Two children in Texas have died due to the measles

. None of the three were vaccinated, officials said.

there had been no deaths attributed to measles since 2015

. After a decade with no fatalities, three people have died.

Q: How does this outbreak compare to previous years?

A: With 884 confirmed cases, the number of measles cases this year has more than tripled compared to a year ago. There were 285 confirmed cases in 2024.

A: Most of the cases have been reported in Texas. There have been 646 confirmed cases in Texas since late January, the Texas Department of Health said Friday. The state has confirmed 22 new cases since Tuesday.

But there have been cases now reported in 29 states, the CDC says.

Q: How many patients with measles required hospital treatment?

A: The CDC says 94 patients have been hospitalized, representing about 1 in 9 (11%) of the confirmed cases.

Q: What do we know about the confirmed cases?

A: More than two-thirds of the cases involve individuals under the age of 20. Nearly one-third (30%) are under the age of five, while 38% are between the ages of 5 and 19. Nearly a third (30%) are 20 or older, while the age is unknown in 2% of the cases.

Q: How many of the confirmed cases involve people who have been vaccinated?

A: Federal officials say the majority of those who have been infected have not been vaccinated.

More than three-quarters of the confirmed cases (77%) involve people who have not been vaccinated, while 96% are listed as unvaccinated or the status is unknown.

Q: Wasn’t measles considered to be a thing of the past?

A: In 2000, the endemic measles had been declared eliminated in the United States. 

But unless vaccination rates improve, that could change. Under current vaccination levels, measles could return to endemic levels within the next 20 years, according to a 

 published Thursday by Jama Network Open.

“The US may be approaching the threshold of losing sufficient population immunity to reliably prevent endemic transmission of measles, and higher childhood vaccination rates may be required to avert this,” the authors of the study wrote.

The researchers said that other vaccine-preventable diseases could rise unless vaccination rates improve, but measles would likely be the first to return to endemic status.

A: Marschall Runge, MD, the CEO of Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s academic medical center, 

tells Chief Healthcare Executive® that vaccination is the key to deterring outbreaks

“There was a major push to have high levels of vaccination in the United States, and that's basically what's required to prevent outbreaks. Ninety-five percent of the population has to be vaccinated because this is such a highly contagious disease,” Runge says.

Many are taking information on vaccine safety or the internet, and Runge urges those who have concerns about the measles vaccine to consult doctors instead of just relying on their phones or computers.

“If you have a question about vaccination, please talk to your health care provider and have a real conversation about it,” Runge says.

A: CDC officials are stressing the importance of vaccination to prevent outbreaks.

“To prepare for and prevent measles cases and outbreaks, health departments should work with trusted messengers on culturally competent community engagement, education, vaccination efforts, and other infection prevention approaches,” the CDC says.

U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Secretary 

 has encouraged people to get the measles vaccine. But critics say Kennedy, who has repeatedly raised questions about vaccine safety in the past, 

should be more outspoken about the need for vaccination

A: Since 1960, measles cases have dropped by 99%, according to 

. Two doses of the measles vaccine are 97% effective.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers 

 reinforcing the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine.

A: Providers and health departments need to consider different approaches to help reach people with information about the importance of vaccination and address concerns.

“I think communicating by social media where people are getting some of their information is important, and I think doing so in a compelling manner,” Runge said. “A lot of times that's by stories, by stories of people who had an illness or had an illness that was well treated. So we try to do that, but I think we need to focus more on communicable diseases than we currently do.”

For more perspective on the outbreak and its implications, check out part of our conversation with Dr. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine.

Dr. Marschall Runge of Michigan Medicine talks about boosting  measles vaccination rates

Michigan Medicine CEO talks about measles and vaccination

The number of cases is far higher than last year and continues to climb, the CDC says. Officials say it's critical to get more people vaccinated. 

 Why the measles outbreak is so troubling: Questions and answers

In the past, hospital and healthcare leaders haven’t always listed reducing waste as one of their top priorities.

more hospitals and health systems have been looking at generating less waste

 and reducing their potential harms to the environment over the past few years. The Joint Commission has launched 

a voluntary certification program on sustainability

Alex Chapman, director of regulatory affairs at Stericycle, talked about the ways hospitals can reduce waste in the latest episode of Healthy Bottom Line, a podcast from Chief Healthcare Executive®.

Many healthcare executives list other concerns as more pressing priorities for their organizations, Chapman acknowledges.

“Waste isn't ever number one. It's usually things like employee retention, patient population health, reducing impact to the bottom line. But waste is really inherent in all of those things,” she says.

How hospitals can improve their sustainability

Hospitals and health systems face stubborn challenges in reducing waste because they typically utilize many supplies just once, but Chapman says organizations can take a different approach.

“There's the opportunity for reuse, and it really comes from the top down,” Chapman says.

Hospital leaders need to drive the push to reduce waste for organizations to find more reusable supplies.

“If you have leadership that's actively engaged in driving more sustainable outcomes … if they're more engaged and take the time to encourage their leaders to find alternatives, to really investigate and understand what reuse can do for their organization, from a fiscal perspective as well as environmental perspective, they'll find some substantial savings.”

While it’s essential for the top leaders in a hospital or health system to make sustainability a priority, Chapman says, “It’s got to be a full team sport.”

“It can't just be your C-suite or senior leaders,” she says. “The ground roots folks need to be involved as well.”

Hospital staff can get excited about sustainability programs, Chapman says. Indeed, 

four out of five clinicians (79%) said their hospitals should be engaged on climate change

 and they feel it’s tied to their overall mission, according to a 2024 survey by the Commonwealth Fund.

But Chapman says it’s important to focus staff on lasting efforts.

As she says, leaders should ask, “How do we strategically integrate this into our operating plans and take that passion from the front line to operationalize and execute and really have a bigger impact? Again, this all can tie into the bottom line, which I know is a priority for healthcare organizations.”

Chapman says it’s important for environmental programs to have a cost benefit so that they can be sustainable.

However, hospitals may find that it takes more than a compelling return on investment to build a successful sustainability program. Chapman says leaders should also link those efforts to the mission of improving health.

“If I'm working in a health system and my guidelines are, I'm here to help people get well, prevent people from getting sick, taking the actions that demonstrate a reduction to that risk in the environment that my patient population is in, is going to resonate,” she says. “So cost is absolutely a driver, but there also needs to be … that sense of culture and care about people and the environment as part of your health system as well.”

Hospitals should also engage members across the entire organization to find ways to reduce waste, including doctors, nurses and business departments, Chapman suggests. Purchasing departments need to think about what they’re buying. Infection control should be consulted to see if there are options for reusable material.

And health systems should look at all their processes to find ways to reduce wastes.

“Waste starts before the materials even get to your facility,” Chapman says.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Chapman also talks about ensuring pharmaceuticals don’t end up in waterways and mistakes to avoid in sustainability programs. She also offers advice for hospitals and health systems in developing strong environmental programs, including guidance for smaller organizations.

Check out the full conversation in the podcast below, and you can subscribe to Healthy Bottom Line wherever you get your podcasts.

Health systems can make choices to reuse more materials and reduce the amount of waste they generate. Alex Chapman of Stericycle talks about the ways hospitals can improve sustainability and cut costs. 

How hospitals can reduce their waste | Healthy Bottom Line podcast

We surveyed 1,000 consumers to understand their preferences at each stage of the care journey, from search to follow-up. Our findings reveal that patients now demand transparency, clarity, and control over their healthcare costs. Forward-thinking providers who integrate revenue cycle management (RCM) into their patient engagement strategies can significantly improve satisfaction and ensure seamless payments. 

The survey also identifies key digital features that patients want to better manage their costs, empowering them to engage more effectively with their care. Download our e-book to discover these insights.

Fill out the form below for more information. 

We surveyed 1,000 consumers to understand their preferences at each stage of the care journey, from search to follow-up. Our findings reveal that patients now demand transparency, clarity, and control over their healthcare costs. Forward-thinking providers who integrate revenue cycle management (RCM) into their patient engagement strategies can significantly improve satisfaction and ensure seamless payments. The survey also identifies key digital features that patients want to better manage their costs, empowering them to engage more effectively with their care. Download our e-book to discover these insights.

How Healthcare Costs Can Influence the Patient Journey

its first standalone children’s hospital

, and that hospital now has its first leader.

Intermountain Health has named Lawrence Barnard as the new president of the children’s hospital the system is building in Nevada. Barnard is moving up from his current position as associate vice president of Intermountain Children’s Health in Nevada.

Barnard, who is the former chief executive officer of University Medical Center in Southern Nevada, is looking forward to the construction of the facility.

“For too long, we have seen families struggle more than they needed to when they get a diagnosis or traumatic injury, where they had to leave the state to care for their loved one,” Barnard said in a statement. “It has become my personal mission to make sure that they will now get the best quality care here, near their home.”

Katy Welkie, vice president of Intermountain Children’s Health, said Barnard will inspire “transformative benefits.”

"Larry’s extensive experience in healthcare leadership and deep connections to Nevada and Las Vegas make him the ideal first president of the Intermountain Health Nevada Children’s Hospital, which is expected to start serving patients and families in 2030,” Welkie said in a statement.

a $600 million campaign to boost pediatric care

Ardent Health names chief operating officer

Dave Caspers has been appointed the new chief operating officer of Ardent Health.

A for-profit system based in Tennessee, Ardent operates 30 hospitals and 280 clinics and outpatient locations in six states.

Caspers previously served as vice president of omnichannel operations at Walmart Health. He also held various leadership roles at Banner Health. He also led retail healthcare operations for Target Corporation.

“I am thrilled to join Ardent Health at such a significant time in the company’s growth,” Caspers said in a statement. “Ardent has a proven track record of delivering high-quality care with a focus on making healthcare better for the patient, the providers and team members, and the communities it serves. I look forward to being part of a team that is passionate about creating a consumer-first experience and building on the strong momentum they have created.”

, president and CEO of Ardent Health, hailed Caspers’ accomplishments.

“His extensive experience creating scale and operational synergies within complex health systems and retail health environments will be instrumental as we continue to execute on our strategic growth priorities,” Bonick said in a statement.

VCU Medical Center names chief medical officer

Heather Masters, MD, has been named the new chief medical officer of VCU Medical Center.

Masters has been serving in an interim capacity and the medical center, and the organization elevated her to a permanent role last week.

In her new role, Masters will also serve as associate dean for clinical activities at VCU School of Medicine.

She has served as the associate chief medical officer of clinical operations at VCU Medical Center, as well as medical director of the One Call Center. Masters is also an associate professor of internal medicine and academic hospitalist at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

Previously, Masters also served as the project lead of an effort to examine inpatient capacity, and she was the physician lead for the medical center’s COVID-19 Operations Group.

Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy names CEO

Karen E. Knudsen has been named the new chief executive officer of The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Knudsen previously served as the CEO of the American Cancer Society. The institute is approaching its 10-year anniversary, and said Knudsen could help ensure more progress in research to help cancer patients.

The institute also said Knudsen can provide valuable leadership at a time of uncertain support for medical research.

"For nearly a decade, PICI has been at the forefront of transforming cancer treatment through the power of immunotherapy—reshaping what is possible in the fight against this disease,” Knudsen said in a statement.

“But there is more to be done, particularly at this critical time. I believe the institute’s bold, unique model and long-term commitment to catalyzing innovations into clinical testing and near-term patient benefits are exactly the type of support needed to drive continued progress against cancer. This is all the more critical despite the current funding climate.”

Ardent Health appoints a COO, and other leaders tackle new challenges.

Jonathan Kaye

Articles

Latest Updated Articles