Operations
Changes in the marketplace--namely the shift to outcomes-based reimbursement--call for new approaches to financial management.
These hospitals charge the uninsured and certain other payers more than 10 times the amount they charge Medicare, but critics say there's a big difference between what hospitals charge and what they are paid.
The new policies encourage physicians to give patients greater price transparency on the cost of care, taking into account insurance status.
While being Lean can mean something different to every healthcare organization, at its core, it is about reducing cost through the elimination of variation and waste in order to provide the best, most efficient patient care.
As Blue Shield of California fights to save its state tax exemption, momentum is growing around a movement to apply the same scrutiny to nonprofit hospital systems, and maybe collect the same taxes, as for-profit systems.
The 2014 revenue growth for nonprofit and public health systems is a steep jump from the sector's all-time low in 2013.
Healthcare payment structures are changing, but won't necessarily hurt healthcare system's finances.
The deal would add two new affiliated hospitals to Northwestern, one of the largest systems in the region.
Healthcare financial planning is more complex than ever, evolving from a function-focused activity into integrated financial and operational planning that touches the entire organization.
Leaders like Banner Health, Montefiore explain what it took to succeed in the first ACO model, and look towards new programs that give them shared risk incentives for care quality.