Healthcare

More than a year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace has changed forever. As we continue on the road to recovery, the virtual 2021 American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Conference provided an opportunity for healthcare HR professionals to connect, innovate, and transform the future of the industry. “We spent 2020 dealing with the fall out from COVID and moving to telemedicine,” said Jeremy Sadlier, Interim Executive Director at ASHHRA.

A year after the pandemic, the 25th Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) Compliance Institute took place virtually this past week. As the healthcare industry adapts to the new normal, HCCA’s conference provides an opportunity for compliance professionals to learn about the latest developments and priorities from regulators.

Even as COVID-19 vaccine distribution is bringing hope for a brighter future, the past 12 months are catching up with healthcare employees and practitioners. A recent survey exploring the pandemic’s impact on healthcare workers’ mental health reveals that 93% reported stress, while 77% said they had frustration and 76% exhaustion and burnout.

Healthcare organizations are ramping up their use of data technology. In fact, 92% of healthcare executives agree that predictive analytics is critical to future growth. In a field where competition for qualified talent is fierce, HR data can provide a vital glimpse into how your people processes impact employee experience and engagement.

Health disparities in the United States have contributed to increased death rates from COVID-19 among minority populations. Black Americans with the disease died at a rate 3.6 times higher than white Americans. The new administration, recognizing the severity of the issue, has appointed a task force to address and combat pandemic-related health disparities.

The advent of COVID-19 reminded us that we can’t afford to be complacent. The world is evolving all around us, and if we want our organizations to thrive, we have to be willing and ready to embrace disruption and innovation regularly.

The novel coronavirus has had an enormous impact on healthcare at every level. While much of the attention has focused on the clinical side of COVID-19, from quarantine to diagnosis to treatment, the operational and workforce areas of healthcare have also been affected.

Here are some of the things that healthcare HR leaders can learn from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As I compile PreCheck’s annual list of most popular blog posts this year, I am reminded of everything that we faced in 2020. In a year that transformed the world via the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, PreCheck and our parent company Cisive focused on providing resources for employers and clients to overcome the challenges presented by the coronavirus.

From disaster privileging to credentialing by proxy and beyond, COVID-19 has profoundly affected medical staff services professionals’ (MSSP) operations and obligations.

There’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to healthcare processes and patient care. A continuous improvement strategy can have a significant impact on patient outcomes and your organization’s bottom line. Intermountain Healthcare measured the impact of a continuous improvement strategy on their spending and cut costs by 13%, a $700 million savings in 2016 alone.