Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare CEOs ranked financial challenges (e.g., reducing the operating costs for staff and supplies, declining reimbursement) and increasing competition from other providers, among the top issues facing hospitals. But with coronavirus expenses straining hospital budgets, in 2020, a new element, service line optimization has become critical to hospitals’ ability to […]
The pandemic has placed significant constraints on capacity, making volume growth, or simply maintaining normally budgeted volume levels, a formidable challenge. Organizations must implement novel clinical and administrative workflows that allow for the most efficient use of provider and patient time, ensure patient and staff safety, and drive bottom line performance. Many have opened services […]
Independent physician practices took a financial beating during the first months of COVID-19—and not just due to postponement of elective procedures. Today, consumers remain fearful of returning to a physician office environment, with office visits down 20 to 30 percent compared with pre-COVID levels. Now, many of these practices are coming to hospitals to make […]
As hospitals rethink their approach to care delivery during the pandemic, many also are weighing whether partnership is needed. Now is a good time for leaders to consider: What would make an ideal partner? Even as hospitals face extreme financial pressure following COVID-19, some independents are finding that their financial standing may not be as […]
Among the many unexpected effects of COVID-19 is the loss of the “normal” patient population coming through physician offices to address their health concerns and seeking procedures. This lost volume has heightened the urgency to effectively address “leakage.” Research indicates that acquiring a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive than […]
As hospital revenue shrivels amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time for independent hospitals to look in the mirror to determine how they stack up. Conducting a self-assessment isn’t just a useful approach for evaluating your organization’s capacity to survive the financial turmoil wrought by the pandemic. It’s also critical for recognizing what your organization brings […]
The pandemic provided an initial introduction to virtual care for many, and most patients and providers have responded positively, embracing its convenience. Health systems, hospitals, and other providers now need to take the time to develop a business plan that identifies opportunities to optimize virtual care platforms, drive revenue and adapt practices to effectively meet […]
As hospitals and health systems navigate a tumultuous economic environment following the COVID-19 outbreak, the need for standardized, value-based physician compensation plans has intensified. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the median operating loss per health system-employed physician continues to be staggering. Many factors contribute to financial losses on employed physicians – costs related to physician […]
When it comes to developing a financial recovery plan for COVID-19, independent hospitals face more of an uphill climb than other hospitals. With 40 percent of hospitals reporting their revenue had been cut in half during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic alone—and 55 percent reporting they had less than six months of days […]
COVID-19 has shocked the U.S healthcare system – forcing physician and administrative leaders to think critically about how their current service line models can be improved to better serve and treat their patient populations. Many service lines were designed to maximize patient throughput by offering multiple access points without much consideration for efficiency. As a […]