About 85,000 Kaiser Permamente workers voted to ratify a new contract, putting to end what was the largest strike in the history of the healthcare industry. The new contract includes terms for higher wages, more employee education, increased hiring and retention efforts, and greater involvement of frontline workers in the health system’s staffing decisions.
CMS released a proposed rule to establish staffing standards among the nation’s nursing homes. Reactions have been mixed — but mainly negative. Long-term care facilities say that they can neither find nor afford more workers. On the other hand, some lawmakers argue the proposed rule doesn’t do enough to protect care quality for patients. As for labor unions, they seem generally happy with the rule.
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
As the debate over worker misclassification rages, it's important that healthcare professionals know the facts. Staffing agencies that designate their nurses as independent contractors avoid the costs of employment-related benefits like insurance, workers’ compensation, and overtime pay. These agencies also lack necessary clinical and professional oversight over their contractors, which increases the risk of substandard care.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced that it will soon begin conducting strike authorization votes among its 85,000 members. The coalition’s chief concern is Kaiser’s dangerous staffing levels, which members say have led to excessively long wait times, patient neglect and mistaken diagnosis. If the coalition authorizes and implements the strike, it will become the largest strike of healthcare workers in the history of the U.S.
A group of labor unions have filed an antitrust complaint against UPMC. They alleged that the health system has prevented its workers from being able to advocate for themselves and their patients through “a draconian system of mobility restrictions and widespread labor law violations that lock in sub-competitive pay and working conditions.”
Healthcare providers will continue having a difficult time retaining employees unless they make necessary changes, such as establishing pay increases and improving company culture. Healthcare ranked last for employee satisfaction with pay among 27 other industries, according to a recent report. A separate report found that many healthcare employees are leaving their jobs because their company’s mission no longer aligns with their values.
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Whether it’s application services for your EMR, service desk support, staffing, or any other host of needs, a managed services partner can take your organization to the next level while providing one thing money can’t buy—peace of mind.
To successfully implement an internal staffing or travel agency that may span multiple cities or states, organizations need the technology and data available to support this endeavor.
Healthcare employment levels are still significantly below what they need to be, and they aren't on track to get there any time soon. Experts are saying the increased deployment of technology, such as remote patient monitoring and robotic process automation, as well as value-based care models, will be the only sustainable solution to get providers out of this staffing dearth.
By leveraging aligned interoperability partners, health systems can alleviate the inevitable pressures of IT personnel shortages and the strains that labor fluctuation puts on organizational technology transformation and growth.
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
Although some short-term problems—like a lack of ICU beds to treat Covid-19 patients—have abated, deeper issues have emerged that represent long-term challenges for U.S. health systems.
Since the pandemic began, health systems have faced severe medical supply shortages for everything from personal protective equipment and ventilators to testing kits. However, those issues pale in comparison to a growing workforce shortage that is touching nearly every aspect of the health ecosystem.
Prior to the pandemic, about half of U.S. states had given nurse practitioners full practice authority. Since then, even more states have issued executive orders to allow NPs to take on more responsibility during the pandemic – an emergency response put in place to help address new challenges.
Health systems must seek digital solutions that make the most of existing staff while also prioritizing their wellbeing. A platform that uses sophisticated math and intelligent, continual learning algorithms can unlock value for hospitals, staff and patients.
By creating a pool of ready skilled labor willing to work as needed instead of only full-time, healthcare systems can take advantage of professionals who want to work to tackle fluctuating needs.