Newsletter

May 9, 2022

 

2022 ACHE Executive Program

Monthly Membership Perk:

Addressing Mental Health Crises Today 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness about mental or behavioral health issues. Hospitals and health systems play a critical role in providing mental health services and helping patients find resources. In fact, mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in one out of every eight ED visits in the United States, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, ACHE is offering members the webinar “Mental Health Crisis: Patient Care in the Right Place at the Right Time” free of charge for a limited time only. Available in our recorded content library, this webinar will help healthcare leaders understand the difference between a mental health crisis and emergency, and how to evaluate community resources and collaborative opportunities. Presenters Howard J. Gershon, LFACHE, founding principal, New Heights Group; Leslie S. Zun, MD, medical director, Lake County Health Department; and Stephen M. Merz, FACHE, principal, Merz Healthcare Consulting, will also provide insights and case studies from the perspectives of a clinician, healthcare administrator and consultant.

Between May 9 and June 8, this webinar is free of charge. Simply enter the discount code MAYPERK2022 when you register online. And, be sure to check out all of ACHE’s other on-demand digital learning offerings. We hope you enjoy this Monthly Membership Perk, and we thank you for being a part of the ACHE community. 

LeanTaaS - Efficient Capacity Management

Overcoming Health System Strains With Emerging Clinical Lab Structures

The disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in staffing and supply chains, have led many healthcare institutions to consider changes in the management of their clinical lab operations. New models are emerging that can offer organizations more efficient and reliable lab operations, as well as improve the bottom line, through consulting, customized partnerships and lab stewardship.

Areas of potential cost savings include:

  • Sending out specimens for less common or cost-efficient testing.
  • Leasing of testing equipment to save on maintenance and replacement.
  • Contracting for procurement of supplies and reagents to take advantage of the purchasing power of larger suppliers.
  • Outsourcing personnel to solve recruitment and retention problems.

Flexible models for partnerships between healthcare organizations and outside providers are the rule, not the exception, and include discrete service provisions through a consulting arrangement; limited lab partnerships, in which outside partners take on responsibility for some contracts and activities; and full lab partnerships, in which an outside commercial lab assumes most hiring and operations services.

Experience has shown that healthcare organizations can realize savings of up to 15% with carefully planned and thoughtfully executed partnerships. The national footprint of a large commercial lab can offer advantages in recruitment and hiring, purchasing power, full-spectrum experience and other benefits. In the end, the goal of the partnership arrangement is to create more value from lab operations while measurably improving patient care. If a partnership supports such positive change, it can be a worthwhile endeavor.

Quest Diagnostics®, an ACHE Premier Corporate Partner, provided the content above.

Leverage Experiential Learning With the Executive Program  

This summer and fall, Executive Program cohorts will meet in person in three different cities to attend a unique, three-session learning program. Designed to help the next generation of leaders prepare for the complex, ever-changing healthcare environment, this learning opportunity consists of three intensive, in-person sessions along with virtual learning activities scheduled in between. Additionally, Executive Program participants will earn 42 ACHE Face-to-Face Education credits. Following is a sampling of the agenda for each session.

Session 1: Chicago, July 25–27

This session will cover topics such as working with boards; health law, regulations and ethics; and dyad and triad leadership. It also features site visits to the American Hospital Association; the University of Chicago Medical Center; MATTER, a healthcare incubator for innovative start-ups; and an optional tour of ACHE.

Session 2: Cleveland, Sept. 12–14

The second in-person session will address topics like emotional distress and effective leadership; strategic integration of diversity, equity and inclusion into the workplace; and value-based care delivery. Attendees will visit the Cleveland Clinic and a community clinic.

Session 3: Houston, Nov. 7–9

For the third and final in-person session, attendees will learn about developing the next generation of leaders, achieving successful agreements through integrative negotiation and studying key behaviors for leading change. Participants will visit Houston Methodist and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Program attendance is limited to maintain an intimate learning environment. A select number of Executive Program scholarships, made possible by the Fund for Healthcare Leadership, are available for individuals whose organizations lack the resources to fully fund their tuition. Scholarship applications must be submitted by May 20. Visit ache.org/ExecutivePrograms to register and to learn more.

Learn About Solutions From Management Innovations Poster Presentations

This year’s Management Innovations Poster Session showcased presentations that offer solutions to issues in healthcare such as access to care, workforce, patient safety, efficiency and more. Visit ache.org/2022 Poster Session to view the posters and narratives that healthcare leaders shared during the 2022 Management Innovations Poster Session at the Congress on Healthcare Leadership. 

How Healthcare Can Help International Relief and Recovery  

As the invasion of Ukraine continues, healthcare leaders and organizations have pushed to provide support through donations of supplies, funds and time. For those who want to help, it can be difficult to weed through the numerous mechanisms for providing support to determine how to make the biggest positive impact.

Join ACHE and the Catholic Health Association of the United States May 18 for the webinar “How Healthcare Can Help International Relief and Recovery: A Case on Ukraine.” Hear from international experts on how individuals and organizations within healthcare can best provide support to Ukraine through this crisis and beyond. Worth 1 ACHE Qualified Education credit, this complimentary webinar will describe the current state of need in Ukraine as it relates to healthcare and explore common misconceptions around types of humanitarian aid that are the most helpful to support sustainable international relief and recovery. Register for free today. 

Increase Efficiency and Improve Quality With Lean

Although the Toyota Production System model, or Lean, originated in manufacturing, it has since emerged as a powerful tool for providing safe, compassionate, error-free healthcare. In The Toyota Way to Healthcare Excellence: Increase Efficiency and Improve Quality With Lean, Second Edition, John R. Black explains what Lean is, how it works and how it can benefit your organization. For example, it can increase patient and staff satisfaction and improve patient care. The new edition also explores how Lean can transform healthcare at any level, and describes the implementation of Lean in the healthcare system of Saskatchewan, Canada. Peruse the table of contents and a book excerpt to learn more, and order your copy today.