The Best Predictor of Patient Decline is the Least Measured Vital Sign
Did you know respiratory rate is one of the two most reliable early indicators for detecting deterioration in low-acuity patients?
- Get to Know ACHE’s New Chair
- Consumers Demand a Better Care Experience
- ACHE Celebrates Publishing Award Recipients
- Fresh Career Opportunities Spring Up
Get to Know ACHE’s New Chair
Michele K. Sutton, FACHE, president and CEO, North Oaks Health System, and ACHE’s new Chair, shares stories, personal insights and her nontraditional journey into healthcare leadership in the latest episode of the Healthcare Executive Podcast.
Reflecting on one of her greatest accomplishments, Sutton explains how her facility juggled the COVID-19 pandemic and a direct hit by Hurricane Ida. “We never missed a beat. We took every challenge; we took every hit; and we came out better for it. It showed us how we could respond quickly with innovativeness and pivot,” said Sutton. She credits the core competencies she learned through ACHE for her ability to lead her team through those challenges.
When asked for advice for emerging healthcare leaders, Sutton said, “Be open to opportunities. Never think you can't do it. Look at each opportunity as an opportunity to learn. You never know when you're going to need that skillset or that tool.”
Sutton also emphasized leading with humility and having a sense of humor. Listen to the full episode here.
Consumers Demand a Better Care Experience
People typically don’t pay much attention to healthcare until they need it, and then they expect the same consumer-friendly interactions they receive from other industries. In response, healthcare organizations must work hard to create frictionless experiences, lasting connections and genuine loyalty.
“For decades, healthcare CEOs, experts and consultants have banged the collective drum to become more compassionate, more convenient and more in line with the belief that care should be centered around the patient,” write Ryan Donohue and Stephen Klasko, MD, in Patient No Longer: Why Healthcare Must Deliver the Care Experience That Consumers Want and Expect.
Patients are sick and need care. Consumers expect service, regardless of whether they are ill or healthy. In Patient No Longer, Klasko and Donohue investigate healthcare’s evolving delivery model and the rise of the healthcare consumer as a powerful new voice, sharing actionable ideas for leaders as they implement new research and leadership skills. They also explore new applications of digital health technology and data, as well as best practices and case studies from leading organizations, in a meaningful and data-driven way.
“Much work must still be done, and everyone must be involved,” write the authors. This transformation is a once-in-an-era shift, and healthcare organizations need to embrace it to thrive in an increasingly digital—and consumer-centric—age.
ACHE Celebrates Publishing Award Recipients
Recipients of this year’s ACHE publishing awards were presented during the 2025 Congress on Healthcare Leadership.
Joe Tye and Bob Dent, DNP, RN, FACHE, were named the winners of the James A. Hamilton Award for their book Building a Culture of Ownership in Healthcare, Third Edition (Sigma Theta Tau International, 2024). This award is given annually to the author(s) of a management or healthcare book judged outstanding by ACHE’s Book of the Year Committee.
Melissa Uehling, Rachel Hall-Clifford, PhD, Crystal Kinnard and Yolanda Wimberly, MD, were named winners of the Edgar C. Hayhow Award for their article “Advancing Equity in U.S. Hospital Systems: Employee Understandings of Health Equity and Steps for Improvement,” published in the September/October 2023 issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management. ACHE grants this award annually to the author(s) of an article judged as the best among those published in the Journal of Healthcare Management.
Monica Wharton, JD, FACHE, and Paula Jacobs were named the winners of the Dean Conley Award for their article “A Healthcare System Looks Within to Improve Outcomes,” published in the fall 2023 issue of the Frontiers of Health Services Management. ACHE grants this award annually to recognize contributions to healthcare management literature and to encourage healthcare executives to write and publish articles.
Other award winners honored at Congress were acknowledged in the March 31 issue of ACHe-news. General information about ACHE awards can be found at “ACHE News and Awards.”
Fresh Career Opportunities Spring Up
Whether you’re responsible for recruiting healthcare professionals or looking for a healthcare position at a new organization, the Job Center has resources to support you. Employers can list their positions online as a complimentary benefit. This includes all access to job seeker resumes to help you find high-caliber candidates and leverage the expertise of ACHE member candidates. Sign up here to be listed as an employer.
Job seekers can access the job board to search openings and create customized job alerts. Job searchers can also post their resume on the site and allow recruiters to contact them directly. Visit the ACHE Job Center to learn more.