TOP ISSUES CONFRONTING HOSPITALS

CHICAGO, January 8, 2003—In November 2002, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) conducted a survey of 984 hospital CEOs to determine the three most pressing issues for their organizations. Of the 12 issues listed in the survey*, 71 percent of respondents identified personnel shortages as the highest concern, followed by issues related to reimbursement (65 percent) and malpractice insurance (31 percent).

Within each of the top three issues, respondents were asked to identify specific areas of concern facing their hospital. For CEOs who selected 'personnel shortages' as one of their top three concerns, following are the shortages causing the greatest alarm:

• Registered nurses - 90%
• Imaging technicians - 69%
• Pharmacists - 53%
• Lab technicians - 38%
• Physician specialists - 31%
• Therapists - 31%

*CEOs were asked to select from the following issues: Personnel shortages, Reimbursement, Malpractice insurance, Governmental mandates, Physician-hospital relations, Capacity, Care for the uninsured, Patient safety, Technology, Patient satisfaction, Quality indicators, and Biodisaster preparedness.

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To schedule an interview with a representative of ACHE, contact Edelman, on behalf of the American College of Healthcare Executives, at (312) 240-3370.

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