Health Leaders Take on Workforce Changes

Healthcare reform, an aging population and a physician shortage are factors forcing hospital executives to rethink staffing, both inside and outside hospital walls, according to a panel discussion Tuesday during the U.S. News & World Report's Hospital of Tomorrow conference.

Healthcare providers need to find the right mix of skilled workers but avoid excessive workforce cuts, which can negatively impact quality care and therefore readmissions, CEOs from healthcare systems, hospitals and staffing agencies said.

The transition to value-based care is a step in the right direction. For example, William B. Leaver, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health, an integrated health system in Iowa, spoke of his organization's shift to value-based care and increased emphasis on coordinated care in 2009. "He who can figure out how to manage chronic disease in a more efficient, effective manner will win, will be the long-term survivor," Leaver said.

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Source: Fierce Healthcare